Identifier: lifetimesofhenry01pepp (find matches)
Title: The life and times of Henry Gassaway Davis, 1823-1916
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Pepper, Charles M. (Charles Melville), 1859-1930
Subjects: Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916
Publisher: New York, The Century Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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shrewd special advocate. Some-times the notes served as the basis for remarks of anextemporaneous character, later to be embodied in moreformal language. He was always sure of his facts andhis statistics were carefully verified. An interesting reminder of political activities is anoutline in his own handwriting of a speech he made in1878. Since he was speaking as a Democrat, it might betaken for granted that he would vigorously attack theRepublicans. Among his indictments of the party inpower is the great increase in the number of office-holders. He does not deal in generalities, but gives thefigures: Buchanan, 44,527; Lincoln, 46,146; AndrewJohnson, 56,113; Grant, 102,350. Nature had endowed him with a strong constitution.Life in the open air, hard work in youth and early man-hood, had developed his physical powers. Simple habitsof living had preserved the stamina with which natureendowed him. His vigor was the wonder of his familyand friends, who had many opportunities of noting his
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HENRY GASSAWAY DAVIS 289 powers of endurance. His fondness for horseback rid-ing dated from his boyhood. In the frequent citationsfrom his journal the horseback journeys through thewilderness are noted. He would spend twelve hours inthe saddle, and at night, while his young companionswould be wearied to the point of exhaustion, he wouldshow no signs of fatigue. At his summer home in Elkins almost daily he wouldmount his favorite horse and ride over the farm and thesurrounding country. In Washington it was not un-usual for those who took their early morning exercise onhorseback to meet him riding through Rock Creek Park.Sometimes his ride was taken later in the day, and thechance observer who saw him was apt to remark howwell he sat his horse. If the same observer saw him dis-mount easily and walk off with a springy step, he couldhardly be made to believe that the horseman was ninetyyears old. There was no secret about the physical vigor he main-tained in his later years, but the reten

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