Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-10-23
MIR. DAvIS's
GREAT ESTATE u


has revived q great numbero sto-
ries. chiefly works OF imaginations.
which We have reason to believe
afYiictcd the venerable lady during
her later years. and which must stili
be q source of deep annoyance to
her bereaved descendants.
Most conspicions among these. and
perhaps the most Irritating and en-
barrassing OF all TO the entire Davis
family and coonnection, is the per-
sistable gabble about "the Davis es-
tates' and the ancestral Davis
home." mt Beauvoir. on the Mississ-
ippi gulf coast. some so or 60 miles
east OF New Orleans on the Louis
Vile and Nashville road. We are
told of the far-nung acres of the
river plantations and the old-time
splendors of the seaside mansion OF
Beauvoir. We have visions of prince
~ domains. OF innumerable slaves.
OF all the state and luxury In the an
cient family home beside the gulf OF
Mexico. The whole Davis history is
Immersed in a cloud OF fiction so pre-
posterous that II cannot fail to pain
and to affiict all the survivors and
their friends.
We shall not go into absurd de-
tails-the extravagant price offered
to Mrs. Davis for Beauvoir, and her
subsequent decision, under great
pressure. to sell II to the state OF
Mississippi at one-ninth OF the money
for a confederate home. II is not
necessary. and II must needs be Of
fensive to such as are concerned in
and acquainted with facts. The truth
is that Jefferson Davis neve hal any
great estate" In Mississippi as things
were counted by the big proprietors
In ante-bellum days. He was not a
native OF that state. His prents mi
grted from Virginia TO Kentucky.
where he was born. and the Mississ-
ippi establishment was OF very mod
ern origin and perhaps OF very limi-
ted extent AS to Beauvoir. the
so-called ancestral home" OF the
Davises. that property belonging to
a very different family. the Dorseys,
and was occupied by them until the
later '70s. say 1870. Mrs Dorsey
was a most charming and accomplish
ed lady. She had many literary
gifts and wrote verses OF no ordi-
nary quality. She admired Mr.. Davis
and frequently had him as her guest
In the days OF his poverty. She
and Mrs. Davis were warm and loyal
friends. All the relations between
the tve families were pure andl
beautiful. When Mrs. Dorsey died
and bequathed Beauvoir to Jefferson
Davis IL was generally accepted as
fulfilment OF public expectation
The place was not valuable. The
house was anything but princely. As
a matter OF fact, the whole property
could not have been sold at that
time for 100000 There was typi-
cal summer seaside retreat, ouch as
one sees along the Louisville and
Nashville railway from the Rigolets
TO the Alabama line, and the estate
involved amounted to few acres of
sand and "piney woods"
The truth is that Jefferson Davis
was "a self-made man" In the stric-
test and most practical meaning Of
the term. He went from Kentucky
to Mississippi with no prestige OF
family influence or illustrious ances-
try. He was a man OF brains. ad-
dress, self-confidence and indomita-
bic courage. He rose from obscurity
to fame and power by his own un-
aided genius. His memory needs no
promotion at the hands OF romance
and hysteria.