The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-08-28

/ 4. e b
A REpoRTER's REMINIsCNcEs.-At the
annual dinner of the Law Stenographers
Association of this city, Mr.. Henry NJ. Park
hurst, inresponding to a toast, said Look
ing back oyer . professional career now ex-
asls = csssary5 -nrnuy r'ac.-
fling incidents crowd upon my memory l
remember the fourth of July excursion to
Marshfeld to listen to Daniel Webster
Seated with him in the rear of the car, when
the coupling broke, and the locomotive with
the rest of the train dashed on without US,
remember consoling myself with the reaec-
tion that wherever the rest Of the audience
might be, whatever Daniel Webster might
say, I should be there to hear and report.
There is curious circumstance connected
with that Marsh6eld speech. It was repor-
ted Independently by DR.. Stone and myself,
ank either Of us could at that time have
written nearly or quite $50 words per min
'ute. While the words agreed almost literal
ly in every other respect there was an apos-
trophe TO Lord Ashburton, occupying two or
three lines, which we gave in entire differ
ent language. The reason was this: Web
ster broke out so suddenly and so rapidly in
that apostrophe, that I almost dropped my
pencil in astonishment' and lost the COM
mencement Of it, while DIR. Stone dashed
on until he broke down, taking the first part
of it. In the meantime | recovered my
equanimity, and took the last part. So that
although the ordinary rate of speaking was
less than one hundred words, there were oe-
casions where he largely exceeded one hun
dred aud fifty words per minute. remcm-
ber the manuscript handed me by Rnfus
Choate, from which he had read brilliant
political speech which had been called up
on to report, because no printer could read
that manuscript and being compelled to
throw it aside, after vainly attempting for
half an hour, with the aid of my notes, to
discover from which end Of that manuscript
he had began TO read. remember, in the
Senate Of the United States, the dying
speech of John G. Calhoun; the Compromise
speech Of Henry Clay; the boast of John p
Hale, that the Free Soil party had doubled
in numbers, because at the previous session
there was but one, and now there we're two;
and remember seeing the new South Caro-
lima Senator, Barnwell Khett, perhaps not on
the same occasion, buryng himself in
newspaper lest he should appear to be lis
tening, but soon overcome by the cloquence
Of Mr.. Hale, first laying down the newspaper
and finally removing his seat for more ia
vorable location. remember the grave an
nouncement Of Daniel Webster to the Sen
ate. when President Tyler lay at the point
of death, that "digestion of the brain had
commenced" l remember the scene when
Senator Foote stood near the Presidents
chair with drawn pistol, waiting the attack
of Senator Benton, who, drawn behind
desk and held there by four stalwort Yves.
tern men, two on either side, thrust them alT
asid by one vigorous motion, and called upon
the assassin to FIRE and remember JEFF.
fferson Davis, little after midnight on
the morning of the 4th of March advan-
cling TO the Presidents desk and demanding
to be sworn into the new Congress upon the
ground that the sitting Congress had ex-
pired, kicking spittoon out of his way with
the Same impetuosity with which he after
ward kicked the Constitution itself out of
his way when he desired to be sworn out"
", Y Times.