The Washington times., 1920-04-12
B OOK S
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HENRY
GAGSAwAY DAVIS. BY Charles n
Pepper. New York: The Csntury
Company.

L0pp1. wow iorA' ino S"neaS
Company.
Henry Gassaway Davis. in the
ninety three years OF his life 1888
1870 was a witness to some Of
the most notable events in our
history. He was q baby when
the Monroe Doctrine was promul-
gated, and lived to see his country
considering the advisability of en-
tering the great war. at the close OF
which it's integrity was threatened
by the peace council. He was
year old when Lafayette made his
tour OF the United States. and lived
to see many young Americans night
ing under the flag of France for the
preservation of the liberty of our
sister republic. He saw the aged
Charles Carroll lay the cornerstone
of the first railroad in this country,
and his diary tells of a dinner given
by him at which the presidents OF
railroads representing an invest
ment of a billion dollars were pres
ent. He cast his first vote for
President for Henry Clay, and as
good Democrat, presumably voted
for woodrow Wilson. He was
thirty-five years old when Theo-
dore Roosevelt was born, and
twelve when Queen Victoria as
cended the throne Of England. He
was a United States Senator when
Paris was captured by the Germans
in 1871, and lived to see the German
empire. formed as a result of that
victorious campaign, plunge nearly
the entire world into conflict in
1914
g. - III, eontor,norar via, In
the Senate were Allen G. Thurman,
John Sherman, Carl Schurz, William
Window, James G. Blaine, Thomas
Bayard. William Allison, and
Thomas Hendricks. Mr.. Davis was
a close friend of W. W. Corcoran,
the Washington philanthropist, and
was present at the dedication of
the Louise Home, in this city, which
was Mr.. Corcoran's pet charity. For
Andrew Carnegie Mr.. Davis pro-
fessed the highest regard, and Mr..
Carnegie, on his part, looked upon
Mr.. Davis as a distinctive figure in
American history. They worked
together for years on the project
for a Pan American railway.
Mr.. Davis was one Of the found
ers of the State OF West
Virginia, Immediately after the
civil war. He put great faith
In the possibilities for development
OF its natural resources. Much
OF his life was devoted to
the service of his State, in the
legislature and in the Senate at
Washington. For twelve years he
served in the latter capacity. and
was for forty years delegate to the
national conventions of his party.
His greatest work, however. both
for his State and for the nation,
was as a pioneer In the construc-
tion OF railroads
The author of Mr.. Davis biogra-
ply was his close personal friend.
and " as associated with him In rail-
way projects. He has had access to
many documents bearing on Mr..
Davis business enterprises and po-
liticsl associations, and has sue
ceedcd in writing a biography that
is full of action and color and ro-
nance. Not only is a vivid picture
OF Mr.. Davis given, but also
graphic illustration OF the spirit OF
the times In which Mr.. Davis lived.
There are many anecdotes and pen
sketches in the book of great men
of the times-Jincoln and Grant,
and, later, Cleveland and Harrison
figure often in the narrative. II was
the frst of these who, when Mr..
Davis, not satisfied with tho part he
was playing in the civil war, wished
to enlist as a soldier. put his hand
on Davis shoulder and said: young
man Che was then forty) you are
worth nve thousand muskets to mo
where you now are"
Mr. Davis did not caro- to be
called venerable or patriarch,
and even the title of Grand Old
Man OF West Virginia was not
always pleasing to him. But he
sometimes INDUCED In comparisons
with other men. A Baltimore
friend OF early years In the casual
meetings with Mr.. Davis plumed
himself on his greater age. onco