The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-11

" 'htI'u IL 'sd'VtuNN ' e.
A.. M.--Henry Gassaway Davis OF West
Virginia died at i:N this morning at
the residence Of his daughter. Mrs.
stephen B. Elkins.
Mr.. Davis had been III but n Few days.
lie recently made a trip to Baltimore
when he said that he expected TO hold
his job for many years yet.
Henry Gassaway Davis. former United
States Sena .or from West Virginia and
DE mocratic nominee for vice-Presidcn
Of the United States in 1904, was born in
Howard county. Maryland. November 10.
1923. He started to get an education in
the public schools. but his father. Caleb
Davis, died and the family being poor
the son qui, school and went to work ON
a farm. lie kept this up until he was
90 years old and then got a job as "A
brakeman on the baltimore and ch,o
Railroad.
lie had been superintendent of the
plantation on which he was working
at the time he left 1t and pretty soon
after starting as a brakeman he be-
came "A 'OuuuttbT anu "N'I hs ~
agent at Piedmont, W. Va. Altogether
he remained viii the railroad fourteen
years.
While in the division agent + office ne
ma rried IN 1883 Kate A.. Bantz. daueh-
tor OF Judge Gideon Bantz of Frc1cr-
lex. Md.
In 1858 he got an interest IN a coal
mine and then in the Piedmont Ma
tional Bank. of which In his later years
he was president. the name OF the bank
| being changed to the Davis National
| Bank. lie also became "A merchant
, and kept increasing his Goa interests.
| and as these widened returned 10 the
railroad business. his time as a pro-
jector and promoter of new roads. Ic
| carried through the West Virginia Cen
| trail and Phtsburg Railway. which was
| sold to the Gould interests controlling
the Wabash in 1902. and the Coal and
Coke Railway, of a division OF which,
200 miles in length. he WAS president.
Entered Politics In 1855.
His first entry into politics came IL
| 1865. when he Was elected a nembe o.
the West Virginia House Of Delegates
From 1865 TO 1871 ne was a mi q,
| the West Virginia senate and In ls',
he was elected 10 the United states
| SentYe 10 hut'ttu ~ y
can. He was reelected IN 1876 and de
| cl!ned a second reelection in 1883. afte,
serving two full terms. lie was a dele
| gate 10 SIX Democratic national conven'
lions. the first in 1868. He also was a
! delegate to the first pan-American Con
eress. Was chairman Of delegate 10 tn'
second and was a MI or the thite,
states Permanent Pan-American KAN
way Commission
senator Davis's railroad and coal anc
lumber and banking interests made MN
n very wealthy man. In building TN
West Virginia Central Railroad he wa
associated with his son-in-law. Senato'
S,ephen II. Elkins. who married Senator
pav,s's daughter. Halle. in 1879. ant
senator Arthur +. German. senate
Davis and Senator German were cousins
Twenty wears after his retiremei'
from III. senate taid he hal not heri
A particularly young mar n that time
Senator Davis was nominated 10 III
Alton y. Parker's running mate on IN
Democratic national ticket. lie wa
then over so years old. lie was offc!all,
notified of his nomination al White Sui
nhu- Springs in the presence Of 1900
persons. an assembly OF notable Yves
N,reinians that had been eQualled b.
none since the division Of Virginia forty
one years before. He cAine on IN New
York and took up his headquarters "A
the Old Fifth Avenue Hotel. wearing II
office hours an alpaca coat. nat turn
down collar and string tie. and workini
from twelve 20 fifteen hours n day II
the campaign. apparently with ease.
"Grand Old Man."
Down in West Virginia they used Il
speak Of senator Davis as TIE war
horse and the grand old man. am
gave him other end. airing terms of th'
sort lie Is said to have got his !rs
taste OF politics from conversations wit
Henry Clay. whom h" used 10 meet fr'
auently on the train as h.. travelled he
tween Kentucky ard Washington. H'
sympathized with the tnion In the wal
but did not enter the service.
lie supported Bryan in all three of tn
Nehraskan's campaigns for the Tres.
siency, and once remarked that h
guessed he was about the only RAILROAD
president who had introduced Mr.. Brya'
on the ~,attcr'> speaking tours. MIR. Davi
was a candidate for the Nice-fresiden
tial nomination once before he final!
received II That WAS In 1884. He di'
no, want the place, however. and threw
his strength to Thomas A. Hendricks,
Something over thirty years ago. whil'
| It VI ''N
Appropriations, he Was also chairmal
of a special committee to which tn
Treasury's books were turned over II
response To u campaign cry that IN
Republican party. with It's long leas" o
power, lad been running riot through
the nations money. After an exhaustive
investigation Senator pav's's committee
found that the books showed the Treas
ury to be just two cents short, which
caused considerable amusement in Wash
ington.
He was very democratic in his taste
and in his manner OF living. His home
was at E.kins. W Va. and he alS'
had a house In Washington.
Mrs. Deli Carrrrc FOx.
Mrs. DELI Carrere Fox. a daughter o
John NJ. Carr.re. who designed the New
York IubliC Library, died Yesterday "a