The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-09-10
DEATH OF W. L. DAVIS.

W r. Davis. one of the oldest and best
vnoWn pioneers ol the county, ,dled IN
hn,roville Sunday morning after long ill
,ass The remains We're taken to Malott
hes fnr hurial Tuesday The deceased was a
nan Va of sterling worth, nigh moral char
i'aa ntar and rugged honesty ana integrety
M.''I Mr T. IT, Work, who probably knew Mr..
Mis- W., longer and more intimately than
"a, "a, other man in the county pays the
saaiiiowing tribute to the deceased:
loXWy,,,iam Leander Davis was born in
c,syaland willlrId Ohio, March II, 1854, of Welsh
.SSarantage. and removed with his parents
20 Kansas when he was two. years old.
To,iowing the death of his mother in 1872,
win Davis, then Il youth ol 10, le5t ms
home and turned h.s face toward the
noiaer noae West. lie utterly walked and
worked his way across the plains and
,~onntains until he arrived i'll the Sacra-
nouto valley where he located near Fol-
son He became u farmer, dairyman and
sv.antraiser sun, Possessing great industry and
Strong business sagaelty ne became a
srosnerous srSn rancher. In 1881 he married
H. Iiieiuda A. Flanders. In 1883, accom-
saniad M,, hy his brother-in-l law, wiz Fore
pa "btryought his family into the Okanogan
,Sllev. driving overland IN wagons, unt
ssttIsiSon what is now the Davis ranch.
St iott lie thereby became one of the earliest
no,,,ars of the county following its open
,ns as an Indian reservation lie took up
sttockraising and fruit growing: His .eXper-
iaun
;. Of great advantage in guiding ms choice
of vvaTieties and methods in growing an
: orchard in this new and untried couhuF
lie was a practical .eXperimenter and
arsw many varieties thereby furnishing to
I eethsrs an object lesson in the great pro-
Sucing capacity of this valley. He hau.a
,Ss greater part of his products long dis
tances over rough mountain roads to such
mining camps as ConConully Loopis, Che
saw Republic and Greenwood. From the
time his orchard began to bear until his
removal to Pullman in the fall of
Mr.. Davis had received more in actual
results from his fruits than any other
grower in the country. Not content with
farming fruits and livestock, Mr.. Davis
took over the stage line between Bridge
mort and Conconully and later between
Brewster and Conconully, those being
the great lines of passenger travel into the
fkanogan country He ran the st1ge for
soac Twelve years, from 1873;
From the beginning. the DAVIS ranch
was stopping place for a steady stream
of travellers, miners, ranchers and freight
ers. In fact on the day of their ar
rival they fed two men who were com'H%
into the country. Hundreds OF Wayiarers
have enioyed the good cheer and houn-
tiful repasts which Mr., and Mrs. Davis
never failed to provide Their place was an
oasis in the sight of the dusty and hun
cry traveller. In public affairs he vas a
years and served a term as county COM
missioner. Beyond all else, he enjoyed his
home life which was exceedingly happy.
Although largely self taught, as he never
attended school but three months, Mr.
Davis was a man well read and intensely
practical. He was firm believer in
higher education and spared neither ef-
fort nor EXPENSE in giving his children the
benefit of a good schooling. His step-son,
!. Fred Flanders was the first student grad
uated from Okanogan county by the state
college at Pullman. In order that his chill
dren might be carefully educated. he left
tha fnr nd raO1nVpI IN Pullman. where
he purchased a home, remaining there
Until his three youngest children grad
uated in 1914. Mr.. Davis was taken ser
iolsly III In December 1913, and never re-
covered. The family came to Oroville just
ayear ago because of the employment OF
their son Leonard as special instructor in
agriculture in the Oroville schools. Mr..
Davis was practically confined to the
house from the date of his arrival and
therefore made but few acquaintances
But his bodily infirmaties had no effect
on his strong mentality which continued
clear and bright to within a few days OF
the end. He failed rapidly during the last
three days and passed away on sunday,
September 5th, at noon.
Mr. Davis is survived by his wife, Lu-
clnda A. Davis: by his stepsons, Edward
Barton and Fred Ford Flanders, the for
mer a rancher on Happy Hill. the latter
chemist in the employ of the state OF
Massachusetts,, residing in Boston; by ms
sons, George Abner and William Leonard
Davis, and by his daughters Pauline Adell
and Alice Elizabeth Davis. Leonard ana
Pauline are teachers at OrOville; Alice is
living at home now but taught last year
al Asotin. He also has a brother, Abner j.
Davis, living at CarterVille, Mo.
conforming to the expressed wish OF
Mr, Davis, his remains We're buried in the
Maott cemetery, near his old home. The
funeral was held at MalOtt Tuesday morn
ing and was largely attended by pioneers
and neighbors from Brewster, Malott.
Okanogan, Omak, Riverside, Concon-
uly and Oroville. The funeral arrange
ments were under the direction of Under
aker l.. w. Barnes and services were
conducted by Rev. David Brown of Omak
who paid a most beautiful tribute to the
memory Of the departed. The profusion OF
wreaths and flowers testified to the high
regard in which he was held by his old
neghbors. The singing was by Mr.. and
MIS- N. Moore and Miss Houghton. l..
Y Malott, Martin Wick. Tom Jones, 7. }.
Murray, J. R. Pratt and Austin Warwick
were the pail bearers.
mr. Davis was a model husband, de-
pted father, kindly neighbor, an up
lght citizen. AS n pioneer he has been
one OF our most useful citizens. His sturdy
Nrokes has helped to blaze the path Of
empire In the development of the great
vsanogan country. This region has sus-
aned no greater loss than in the death
VIM; l.. Davis. His industry was 50
great that he accomplished more in his
! years of labor among us than is given
y most men to achieve in long life
%Sne He has fairly earned his reward.
@ay ne enter into his eternal rest.
L. L. WORK.