The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-11-22
Anecdote Of Daniel Webster.

Anecd0te OF Daniel webster.
Every one who has read Mr.. George
Ticknor Curtis Life of Daniel Web
ster will remember John Taylor, Mr..
| Webster tenant and factotum at Frank
lin, New Hampshire. and Robert Wise.
| the old Revolutionary soldierwho came
home from the war with Captain Ebe-
nezer Webster, Mr.. Webster's father,
and built for himself little cottage on
one corner of the Webster farm, where
he lived and died. Skirtiug the Web
ster property, and passing by the spot
where Robert Wise took up his humble
abode, there had long been aferryway,
leading to ferry across the Merrimac
| River. The ferry was established dur
ing the last century, and after Robert
| Wise had lived there for some time it
came to be called Wise's Ferry. The
ferryway was originally fenced on both
| sides, and it ran between the Webster
farm and farm belonging, at the time
| of which we are about to speak, to Dea-
con Farley. The fence on Webster's
side of the ferryway had been allowed
| to fall into decay, but the fence on the
| Farley side had been well kept up. In
a
built across the river, the town voted to
discontinue the ferryway and the ferry,
and the land reverted, of course. to the
| original owner. Deacon Farley, as
Stunning that the land belonged to him.
self, 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 formerly
stood.
Mr.. Webster came up to Franklin
soon after this had been done and was
| greatly incensed 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 blacklist
moods. Poor Taylor was terribly
| frightened, for in all his life he had
never seen his great friend in such a
towering passion, Mr.. Webster ordered
him, in tones of thunder, to go and bring
Deacon Farley.
The deacon came, and he, too. was
| saluted with burst of wrath that made
him tremble. He modestly replied that
he believed the land was his; but Mr..
Webster could not be pacified.
Thereupon the deacon and John
Taylor jumped into wagon and drove
in great alarm to see a young lawyer
of the name of Pike (now Senator in
| Congress from New Hampshire), who
lived two-and-a-half miles up the river.
| They told Pike that he must go down
and see Mr.. Webster and endeavOr to
explain the matter.
Pike went, but as soon as he was in
Mr.. Webster's presence the latter
roared out: "Young man. did you adj
wise Deacon Farley to steal my land?"
mo, SIR" said Pike; II did not. But
if the statements that were laid before
me are true, the land belongs to the
deacon"
''Well. SIR" replied Webster, .'if
can find Lawyer in this country, shall
bring an action"
..There is no need of that, Mr.. Web
ster," said Pike. Il will get the proper
documents and submit them to you, if
if you will hear me, and believe that
you will be convinced that the land is
not yours"
''You are a bold man, sir, if you pro-
pose to leave the case to me-" said Mr..
Webster. ''But do as you please. l
give you fair warning that | consider
this land mine. and / will fight for
every inch of my fathers property"
Pike went away and procured copy
of the record which showed the laying
cut of the ferryway, and that all the
land was taken from the property of
| of Farley's grantor and none of it from
| tl,a Vol Of a
vote of the town disseminating the fer
ry, and an affidavit of former tenant
of Webster's showing that the fence on
the Webster side had been removed
and the whole ferryway taken into the
Webster field. The strip of land which
the discontinuance of the ferrywav took
off from what Mr.. Webster had always
regarded rs his own property extended
the whole length of one of his best
| fields.
When Pike submitted the documents
to Mr. Webster. the latter read them
very carefully, and then said: 'Mr.
Pike, in half an hour the Jury will be
ready to render their verdict. Go and
get Deacon Farley, that he may hearit."
In half an hour Pike returned with
the deacon, who expected nothing more
than what he had met before.
| Gentlemen, said Mr.. Webster,
"hearken to the verdict. The jury find
that the land is Deacon Farley's. and is
not the land of Daniel Webster. So
says the foreman, SO say all the jury.
And now, Deacon Farley, have an
| apology to make to you for having
treated you very roughly. But never
dreamed that this land was not part
of my fathers farm, and you know
what my affection for this property is.
was very angry, but l hope you will