The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-28
Anscdots Of Daniel webster.

Ticknor Curtis's s'Life of Daniel Web
ster" will remember John Taylor, Mr..
Webster's tenant and factotum at Frank
lin, N. H., and Robert Wise, the old
Revolutionary soldier who came home
from the war with Captain Ebenezer
Webster, Mr.. Websters father, and
built for himself little cottage on one
corner of the Webster farm, where he
lived and died. Skirting tho Webster
property, and passing by the spot where
Robert Wise took up his humble abode;
there had long been aferryway, leading
to a 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 ferry
way was originally fenced on both side.,
and 1T ran between the Webster farm
and farm belonging, at the time
of which we are about to speak,
to Deacon Farley. Tho fence on Web
ster's side of the ferryway had been
allowed to fall into decay, but the fence
on the Farley side had been we'll kept
up. In the year 184S, after bridge
had been 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, 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
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 lsnd?" 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 q
towering passion. Mr.. Webster order
ed him, in tones of thunder, to 20 and
bring Deacon Farley.
The deacon came, and he, too, was
saluted with burst of terrible wrath
that made him tremble. He modestly
replied that he believed the land was
his; but Webster could not be pacified.
Thereupon the deacon and John Tay-
lor jumped into q wagon and drove in
great alarm to see young lawyer Of
the name of Pike (now senator in Con-
gress from New Hampshire), who lived
two and a half miles up the river. They
told Pike that he must 60 down and
see Mr.. Webster and endeavor TO ex-
plain the matter.
Pike went, but az soon as he was in
MIR. Webster's presence the latter roared
out, "Young man, did you advise Dea-
con Farley to steal my land?"
"No, sir" said Pike; II did not. But
If the statements that we've laid before
me are true. the land belongs to the
deacon"
"Well. sir" replied Webster, "if 1
can find lawyer in this county, I shall
bring an action.
"There is no need of that, Mr.. Web
ster, ".said Pike. II will get the prop
er 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, if you pro.
pose to leave the case to me-" said Mr..
Webster. "But do as you please. I
give you fair warning that I 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
out of the fcrryway, and that oil the
land wac taken from the property Of
Farley-s grantor, and none of it from
the Webster propety, and a copy
of the vote of the town discon-
tinuing the ferry, 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 discontinu-
ance of the ferry way took off from what
Mr.. Webster had always regarded as
his own property extended the whole
length of ono 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 hear
1t.
In half an hour Pike returned With
the deacon, who expected nothing but
repetition of 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
ray the foreman, so say all the jury.
And now, Deacon Farley, I have, IN
ApOlogy 70 make 70 you for having
treated syou very roughly. But / never
dreamed that this land was mot q part
oemy fAthers fAsm and Jou knoMwhak
ny a6ection lor this Rkoperty q
: - 6, q eas &! 4