The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-02-15
#isfellausuus.
Iron he North American Rs,isv.l
DANIEL WESTERN PORTSMOUTH.

my admission, shall certainly DO bank
rupt; and % indeed IL proved. With
great difficulty he SHRED" eighty five dol
lars as capital to begin business with, and
this great sum was Immediately lost in It's
transit by stage. To any other in his situ-
ntiou, such calamity would have been
for the moment, crushing but this young
man, indifferent to merm and fuuns, informs
his brother that in no conceivable way can
he replace tho money, cannot therefore pay
for the books he had bought, believes he
is earning his daily bread, and as to the loss,
lie has "no uneasy sensations on that nc
count" lie concludes his letter with an
old song, beginning,
~Poi de dol De Dbl al dol
IN never mAks money my hei"
In the New Hampshire Of 1905 there
was no such thing possible rs leaping a,
once into lucrative practice, nor even Of
slowly acquiring il. A country lawyer
who gained thousand dollars year was
among the most successful, and the leader
Of the bar in New Hampshire could not
earn two thousand. The chief employ
mcnt Of Daniel Webster, during the first
year or two Of his practice, was collecting
debts due in New Hampshire to merchants
in Boston. His first tin sign has been pre-
served to the present day, to attest by its
minuteness and brcvity the humble cSpec.
taiions Of its proprietor I'D. Webster, Al.
torncy," is the inscription it bears. The
old Court House still stands in which he
conducted his iirst suit, before his own ia
Their ns presiding Judge.
Old men in that part Of New Hampshire
were living until within few years, who
remembered well seeing this tall, gaunt,
and largc.eye,l young lawyer rise slowly,
as though scarcely ahlo to get upon his
feet and giving to every one the impression
that he would soon he obliged to sit down
from mere physical weakness, and saying
to his father, for the first and last time,
"May il please your Honor"
The sheriff Of the county, who was also
n Webster, used to say that he felt asham-
ell to see the family represented at the bar
by so lean and feeble young man. The
tradition is, that he acquitted himself 30
well on this occasion that the sheriff was
satisfied. and clients came, with their little
suits and smaller fees, in considerable num-
hers, to the Office Of ID. Webster, Attorney,
who ,hcncefouh, in tho country round,
wen, by the name Of "All eyes" His "a
Their never heard him speak again. flo
lived to sec Daniel in successful practice,
and Ezekiel a student Of law, and died IN
1906 prcmaturcly old.
Daniel Webster practiced ,hroc years in
the country, and then, rcsigning his bust
ncss to his brother, established himself at
Portsmouth, the seaport Of New Hamp-
shire, then place OF much foreign CON-
merce. Ezekiel had had most desperate
struggle with poverty. AZ one time, when
the family, as Daniel observed, WINS "hei-
nously unprovided," we sec tho much en-
during "Zeke" teaching an academy by
day. an evening school for sailors and
keeping well up with his class in college
besides Hut these preliminary troubles
were now at an end, and both the brothers
took the places won by 50 much toll and
sclf.sacrifcc.
Those nro noble old towns on the New
England coast the commerce Of which
Boston swallowed up forty years ago, while
il len behind many a large and hberelly
provided old mansion, with family in il
enriched by ventures to India and China.
Strangers in Portsmouth are still struck by
the lrrgeness aud elegance OF the resi-
denccs there, and wonder how such cs,ab.
lishments can DO maintained in a place
that has little "yisible means OF support"
IL was while Portsmouth was an important
seaport that Daniel Webster learned and
Practiccd law there, and acquired some
note as Federal politician.
The once celebrated DIR. Bucks,ninistcr,
was tho minister Of the Congregational
church nj Portsmouth then. One Sunday
morning in 1909, his eldest daughter sitting
alone in the minister's pew, strange gen.
tlcman was shown into il, whose appear
ancc and demeanor strongly arrested her
attention. The slendcmess Of his frame.
the pale yellow Of his complexion, aud the
raven blackncss Of his hair, seemed only
to bring out into gran,lcr relief his ample
forehead, and to highteu the effect OF his
deepsc,, brilliant eyes. A, this period OF
his life there was an dir Of delicacy and re-
fincmcnt about his face, joined to q kind
Of strength that woman can admire, with
out fearing Miss Backmips,er told the
family when she went homo from church,
that thcro had been remarkable person
with her Ia the pcw-one thai she was sure
had a" marked character for good or evil"
A few days aAer, the remarkable person
came to live in the neighborhood, and was
soon introduced TO tho minister's family ~
Mr.. Daniel Webster from franklin, New
Hampshire, who was about to open q law
Office in Portsmouth. Ito soon ondsarcd
himself to every person in the ministers
circle. and to no one moro than to the min
lister himself. who, among other services.
,~ugh, him the art Of preserving his health.
The young man, like the old clergyman,
was am early riser, up With the dawn in,