The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-07-16
DANIEL WEBSTER.
Somo Interesting "Reminiscences OF the
Great Statesman.

a friend recalls Mr.. Webster's love Of
horseback riding by showing me an auto
graph letter from him which have not
seen in print. He had seen the good
saddles made by still noted Boston
firm, and finding himself in Washington
one spring with a good saddle horse,
but no saddle, he wrote to the head Of
the firm to make him one. That gen.
tleman, who was a great admirer Of Mr..
Webster, had his son make with his own
hands one Of the best saddles the estab-
lishment could turn out, and claimed
the privilege OF making Mr.. Webster a
present OF il. The autograph letter in
question was one acknowledging the re-
ceipt OF the saddle, and telling, in char
acteristic language, just how he enjoyed
its use. Mr.. Webster was also very fond
Of driving over the road from Boston to
Marshfeld with his horse and chaise,
and have often talked with old settlers
along his route who knew him and his
turnout, and had had many familiar
road chats with him. Mr.. Webster was
often reserved and quiet among public
men and politicians. But farmers in
the vicinity of Marshiield and Franklin
told me that he was the most accessible
and companionablc Of neighbors. I
close this little "reminiscences of Web
stcr by brief allusion to a conversation
about Daniel Webster that I have just
had with contemporary of his, who,
as President of an old insurance COM
pany of Boston, had long and intimate
relations with him. Mr.. Webster was
for long series of years retained as
standing counsel for the company
Says this venerable gentleman: If he
made his appearance on State street, the
word was passed around that Mr.. Web
ster was on Change, and all would want
to see him, his presence was so grand
and so entirely unlike that Of all other
men. ! can very vividly recall the sen.
sation Mr.. Webster's presence used to
make on State street in his rare visits
there, and just how he appeared. He
seemed to move among the crowd rs if
apart from it, not OF it, and as one be.
longing to some other and more supe-
rior order of existence. He passed
along with slow and majestic step, his
hat drawn low over his broad forehead,
and his deep set, cavernous eyes look
ing out from under his dark, shaggy
eyebrows in dreamy sort of way, as il
their owner found little that was con-
genial in the moving panorama about
him.
His commanding form and impres.
s!vc manner would cause the most in
different stranger to turn at once to look
at him and ask OF the nearest person,
"Who is he % can well understand
why il was, IS his best biographer has
told us, that the coal-heavers of London
stopped their work and turned and
looked at Daniel Webster when he
walked the streets Of that gay city.
have seen MIR. Webster many times and
heard him make many addresses. But
as speaker his efforts At the bar in some
of the famous cases in which he was re-
tained made the most lasting impress
sion upon my mind. His style before
4 jury was clear, transparent, direct,
simple. lie had what great writer Of
antiquity termed the greatest accom-
pliShment of the greatest minds-the
faculty of saying the wisest things in the
language of the common people. The
venerable friend to whom | have just
made reference says he served on several
juricS where Webster was pittcd against
the learned and brilliant Judge Hub
bard. And Webster would in these
contests grasp two or three Of the lead
ing points and pu, them in such clear
and simple light before the juries that
he would carry all before him. As
counsel he was universal favorite with
the jurymen.