The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-27
Human Interest Story Of Great
West Virginian Who is Alert
as Ever at SO Years.

(By "Tatter- in the Nation, New York;
Nearly every reviewer OF the bog-
raphy of Lord Strathcona has laid
most stress upon what that statesman
accomplished after he had passed the
customary age limit Of activity A
wonder quite as great in its way is
the daily spectacle of Henry Gassa-
way Davis, once Democratic candidate
for vice president, mounting his horse
for spin over the country roads, me
animal is sixteen and half hands
high. bred of the best Kentucky stock,
with all that means in spirit, strength
and self will. Any Of Mr.. DAVIS 8
neighbors who has passed 90, and not
few who are younger, would nave
10 climb into the saddle-if they VEN
tured to ride such horse at all; but
he, though we'll on the way to 70,
lifts his whole weight on his left leg,
and swings his right into place with
almost the agility Of college athlete.
Ninety-three next birthday, yet with
all the faculties and most OF the pow
ers of his prime still in good working
order, And this in spite OF youth
devoted 10 the hard labor and con-
slant exposure of an old time railway
brakeman, a middle manhood spent
with nose TO grndstone while trans
forming a rough mountain Wilderness
into human beehive, atd an advanced
age passed largely in finishing prof.
ects set going long before. The secret
Of his preservation undoubtedly lies
in his abstention from excess. On his
physical side he has lived in modera-
ton with an abundance OF open air
exercise; and he has never allowed
his mental operations TO be thrown
out OF balance by excitement, either
undue exhilaration or undue disap-
poiptment.
Comparing the life of this nonege-
MARIAN with that Of Strathcona or a
Fabre, 1t seems Insignificant, for Mr..
Davis is neither statesman nor
scientist. Nevertheless, his services
TO mankind have been by no means
inconsiderable. They began while he
was still in the railway business, for
he is credited with having been the
first man to propose running trains
at night. Till then they had been laid
over after dusk, wherever they might
be, to await the dawn. He preached
his views to the president OF the Bal
timore and Ohio system, and received
permission to experiment with train
which should leave Cumberland for
! Baltimore at a certain hour one even
I ing and take its chances of ever reach
I ing its destination. The local fame
he achieved by the success of this
daredevil expedition enabled him TO
throw up his employment by the rail
way and settle down in West virginia
AS a coal dealer. Here he bought a
/ small mining property for himself and
/ opened a savings hank for the con-
/ yenience OF the people drawn into the
| Piedmont district by the new industry.
Every dollar he earned he put into
coal lands till he had accumulated an
acreage which made him practically
a dictator in the trade OF the region.
Before leaving the railway he had
risen by gradual promotion to con-
ductorship ana it Glanced that fire.
quent traveller over this line was Henry
Clay, who used to talk to him about
national politics. So, when his neigh
bors decided to send him to the state
Legislature and the legislature in its
turn elected him United States scna-
tor, he was equipped with useful
knowledge of the issues in dispute be-
tween the parties. But, with all his
intelligence, he has always lacked the
gift Of expressing himself on his feet.
Whatever he has had time to write.
he could put into direct and logical
form; as soon, however, as he has
.attempted to make an extemporaneous