Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11
REMINIscENcEs OF WEBSTER.

A friend recalls Mr.. Websters love of
horseback riding by showing me an auto
graph letter from him which | have not
seen in print. He had seen the good sad.
die made by still noted Boston firm, and
finding himself in Washington one spring
with a good saddle-horse, but no saddle,
him one. That gentleman, who was great
admirer of Webster, had his son make
with his own hands of one the best sad
dies the establishment could turn out,
and claimed the privilege of making
MIR. Webster present. The auto
graph letter in question was one ac-
knowledging the receipt of the saddle,
and telling, in characteristic language,
just how he enjoyed its use. Mr.. Webster
was also very fond of driving over the
road from Boston to Marshfield with his
horse and chaise, and have often talked
with old settlers along this route who
knew him and his turn out and had many
familiar chats with him. Mr.. Webster
was often reserved and quiet among public
men and politicians. But farmers in Marsh.
field and Franklin have told me that he
was the most accessible and companionable
of neighbors. / close these little rem
iniscences of Webster by brief allusion to
conversation about Daniel Webster
that l have just had with contemporary
of his, who, as President of an old insur-
ance company of Boston, had long and
intimate relations with him. Mr.. Webster
was for a 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 round that Mr.. Webster was
on 'Change, and all would want to see him,
his presence was so grand and so entirely
unlike that of all other men. l can very
vividly recall the sensation Mr.. Web.
ster'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 as if apart from it, not of it, and as
one belonging to some other and more su-
perior 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 looking
out from under his dark, shaggy eyebrows
in dreamy sort of way, as if their
owner found little that was congenial in
the moving panorama about him. His
commanding form and impressive manner
would cause the most Indifferent stranger
to turn a. once to look at him, and ask of
the nearest person, "Who is he?" | can
well understand why it was, as his best
biographer has told US that the coal
beavers of London stopped their work and
turned to look at Daniel Webster when he
walked the streets of that great city. 1
have seen Mr.. 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 retained made the most
lasting impression on my mind. His style
before jury was clear, transparent, di-
rect, simple. He had what great
writer of antiquity termed the greatest
accomplishment of the greatest minds
the faculty of saying the wisest things in
the language of the common people. The
venerable friend to whom have lust made
reference says he served on several iuries
where Webster was pitted against the
learned and brilliant Judge Hubbard,
And Webster would in these contests GRASP
two or three of the leading points and pu,
them in such clear and simple light be-
| fore the juries that he would carry all be.
| fore him. As counsel he was universal
favorite with the jurymen. .-[Cor Boston
! Journal.