Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-08-28
Anecdote of Daniel Webster.

Every one who has read Mr.. George
Ticknor Curtis's Life of Daniel Webster
will remember John Taylor, Mr.. Web
|ster's tenant and factotum at Franklin,
New Hampshire, and Robert Wise. the
old Revolutionary soldier who came
home from the war with Captain Ebs-
nezar Webster, Mr.. Websters father,
and built for himself little cottage on
one corner of the Webster farm, where
he lived and died. Skirting the Webster
property, and passing by the spot where
Robert Wise took up his humble abode,
there had long been a ferry yway. leading
to ferry across the Merrimac river.
The ferry was established during the last
century, and after Robert Wise had lived
there for some time it came to be called
Wise's Ferry. The terryway WAS orig
inally fenced on both sides, and it ran
between the Webster farm and . farm
belonging, ut the time Of which We are
about to speak, to Deacon Farley. The
fence on Webster's side of the ferry way
had been allowed to fall into decay, but
the fence on the Farley side had been
we'll kept up. In the year 1S4S, after =
bridge had been built across the river,
the town voted to discontinue the ferry
way and the ferry, and the land reverted,
of course, to the original owner. Deacon
Farley, assuming that the land belonged
TO himself, removed all traces of the fence
on his own side, and included the whole
of the land in his own territory up to
the line where the Webster fence for
merly stood.
Mr. Webster came up to Franklin soon
after this had been done, and was greatly
lncensed by what he saw. He ordered
John Taylor into his sitting room. and
said to him, sternly, John Taylor, how
came you to stand still and let Deacon
Farley steal my land?' Mr.. Webster
was in one of his biackest moods. Poor
Taylor was terribly frightened. for in all
his life he had never seen his great friend
in such towering passion. Mr.. Webster
ordered him, in tones of thunder, to 20
and bring Deacon Farley.
The deacon came, and he too WAS sd
luted with a burst of wrath that made
him tremble. He modestly replied that
he believed the land was his; but Mr.
Webster could not be pacifed
ThereupOn the deacon and John Tay-
lOr jumped into a wagon and drove in
great alarm to see young lawyer, of .he
name of Pike (DOw Senator in Congress
from New Hampshire), who lived two
and half miles up the river. They told
Pike that he must go down and see Mr..
Webster aud endeavor to explain the
matter.
Pike went, but as soon as he was in
Mr.. Webster's presence, the latter rosred
out, Young man, did you advise Deacon
Farley To steal my land?"
mo, sir" said Pike; Il did not. But
if the statements that were laid before
me are true, the land belongs to the dea-
con-"
"Well, sir" replied Webster, "if can
find lawJ er in this county. shall bring
an action" Il
There is no need of that. Mr.. Web.
ster." said Pike. 81 will get the proper
documents and submit them to you, If
You will hear me, and believe you will
be convinced that the land is not yours.
"You are bold man, sir, il you pro-
pose TO leave the case to me-" said Mr..
Webster. "But do AS You please. give
you fair warning that consider this
lapd mine. and will aght for every inch
of my fathers property"
Pike went away and procured copy
of the record which showed the laying
out. of the ferryway, and that all the
land was taken from the property OF
Farley's grantcr and none of it from the
Webster property. copy of the vote Of
the town discontinuing the ferry. and 90
affidavit of former teDantof Websters
showing that the fence on the Webster