Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-16
a SINGULAR Elopsmrnr.
An Episode la the Lsfe oT Fhs Late j. r
Webster, the Composer "a lazy Popular

c@Aets
birmingham tcoan) special
On a farm about midway between this
place and Bridgeport lives James Web-.eS
with bis wife and one Son. Webstes 70
sboGt sixty years old aud Is nephew OF
Joseph Z. Webster, who composed the
music OF the song Sweet By and By
James was only fe~-years younger than
his uncle, aud was his lifelong associates
He tells a good story OF his uncle's life and
Of a romantic marriage % bic niece. The
story, although a go-od one, has never be-
fore been printed. The composer OF the
music that has aTiseL simultaneously from
every meeting house and beer saloon u
the land was born ia lsco on farm near
the Massabesec Pond, IL the town or Man
chester, n. II. When bat a small boy be
was an excellent singer and Was an expert
on the violin, although ho knew nothing OF
the value or the notes until ho was twenty
years old. A. this time . travelling Inu-
sieian came % the town. and Afte< receiv-
ing twelve lessons from him, Webster
taught music himself.
He had become very much attached %
Joan, the daughter OF his eldest brother.
John G.. W ebstor, and finally made her .
proposal of marriage. She referred him
To her parents, and when he went 70 them
to ask for the hand OF his own niece in
marriage his brother drove him from the
house and forbid his ever seeing tho giri
again. Shortly after this occurrence W eb-
ster left his native place and wandered
about, never remaining In any one place
more than q short time He frat went 20
Boston, whore he graduated from 81
academy kept by benjamin. F. Baker, then
Presidents Of the Handel and Hadyn 30
ciety In that city. After this young Web
ster Travelled about the country giving con-
certs at which he was the sole performsr.
He sang Scotch and Irish airs excellently,
and one of his New York critics
In lS43 said OF him that he
sang Dernpster's Scotch songs bet
ter than Dempster himself, and Lovers
Irish songs better than anybody but Lover.
Webster, although . very homely man,
was . great delineator. In one OF bis
songs, where he personated lunatic, sew
eral ladies in the audience tainted, while
others ran shrieking from the room. loft
In the Silly Night" was the only song he
could sing as he wanted TO.
He came here after leaving New York
and remained nine years. IL was during
his stay here that he eloped with his niece
by proxy from her home In New Hamp-
shire. He had induced his nephew James
to join him, and afterwards organised .
concert company, which "Joe P.," as he
was called, desired a young lady named
Jackson, OF this place, should join. She
declined unless female travelling COM
panion was furnished her, the other men,
bers of the company being all Of tho male
gender. James, who was the son OF still
another Of the Webster brothers, was sent
to New Hampshire by ~. p" with instruc-
hons that he must bring his cousin Joan
back with him to act as travelling compan-
ion to Miss Jackson On arriving at the
girls home the object Of his visit was
stated to her parents. Knowing that IL
she was permitted TO join her uncle q mar
riage would be the result, they refused to
allow her to go with her cousin. Young
Webster then proposed elopement TO his
cousin, to which she readily agreed. The
old folks, probably suspecting something
of the kind, locked the girl in her room that
night A ladder was, placed against her
window, however, by her cousin aud she
descended to the ground.
In assisting the girl over the garden
wall, which was of stone, Webster slipped
and fell, damaging his trousers so badly
that he was compelled to borrow q long
coat at q house in the village, after which
the couple proceeded to Birmingham. On
their arrival hero the four of the "Eupho-
nians," as the concert company was called,
commenced. 10 was = short tour. They
stranded at Stamford, in this State. The
members Of the company returned one at .
time, as they received remittanees from
home. zoe p" and his niece Joan re-
turned together as husband and wife, hsv-
ing been married on the tour. They after
ward went West and settled at Elkhorn,
Wis, where w Webster died about eight years
ago. His wife, two sons and one daugh-
ter survived him. Mrs Webster was tho
great t-granddaughter Of General John
Stsrkes, OF Revolutionary fame