Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-11-25
WEBSTER'S BIRTHPLACE.

wEBsTER's BIRTHPLACE.
US, - -
scenes which the Statesman Loved
Changes wrought by the Years.
Webster birthplace was formerly
situatedin Salisbury, N H., but many
years ago large tract of land. con-
tanning this and many other farms, was
set off to help in forming the town of
Franklin. The road approaches the
spot from the south, but, on reaching
it, turns at right angle toward the
west, so that the present dwelling faces
the south. 1t is a large, plain farm
house of two stories, with door in the
middle From the northern side just
flush with the east end, runs small
one-story L; adjoining this on the
north is a woodshed. The house and
J. were. once painted yellow, but the
sun and storms of many years have
been at work, and if not defeated by a
new coat of color will before long re-
duce the whole to that hue which ma
ture loves to bestow on all structures
reared by man.
Directly east of the L stands mag
nificent elm. it was planted by Dan
iel's father, Capt. Ebenczer Webster,
in 1868. and for nearly a century and
quarter has been nurtured by the sun
shine and the showers, and invigorated
by the pure air of this northern region.
It's diameter is more than five feet at a
height of nearly yard from the
ground. and its gigantic limbs have a
sweep of some seventy-tive feet from
side to side. Beneath it is well of
pure, cold water, dug by Capt Web
ster many years before the birth of his
illustrious son. The old-fashioned
well-sweep once erected above it gave
place to more convenient curb over a
quarter of century ago, and this in
turn has been supplanted by modern
wooden pump, which creaks and
"chugs," Indifferent to the fact that it
stands upon historic ground, and de-
iivers from its mouth of pine the water
from one of the oldest wells within this
soil. For this well and this noble tree
Daniel Webster never lost his fondness.
After resting and feeding our horses,
eating our lunch beneath the old elm,
and drinking from the historic well,
we drove down to the valley of the
MerrImac, a distance of three miles,
where is situated the Elms farm, to
which Capt. Webster removed his fam
lily two years after Daniels birth. The
old tavern in which they first lived, in
which the lad read the Psalms to the
Transfers when only years old and
in which he subsequently made his
famous defense of the woodchuck, has
disappeared with the march of i'm
provement; but the dwelling that they
subsequently occupied still stands. 1t
is one Of the broadest portions of the
Merrimac valley. and forms the central
part in group of buildings now occu-
pied as an orphans home. On the
death of Capt. Ebenezer Webster the
estate came into the hands of Ezekiel,
who sold the undivided half of it to
Daniel. The latter at the decease of
his brother, became sole owner. After
his own death it was purchased by a
gentleman by the name of Tay, from
whom it was secured for its present
use.
The house fronts north, and is
plain two-story structure, with door in
the center. The l. which adioins it on
the west was built by the statesman.
by whom a large number OF elms and
naples were planted about the place
Within everything is kept, as far as
possible in its former condition. We
see the same restricted front hall, the
same quaint, narrow staircase, with
square rail and baluStcrS; the same old
fashioned wainscoting: the small win
dows, with broad panneled shutters on
the inside. On the right of the door on
entering is the dinning-room, in which
the senator used to entertain his
friends, and on the left of the parlor,
from the rear of which opens the
sitting-room, originally with folding
doors between. These, however. have
been taken away, and only the broad
doorway remains.
In the parl0r formerly stood Mr.
Webster's table, at which he was ac-
customed to sit, looking out of the
east window down the valley to the
graveyard where slept his father,
mother, and several other members of
his family. 1t was the sight of this
burial ground that led him in later life
to exclaim: ALAS! while living all
change, the tabernacle of the dear re-
mains unaltered. 70 me my little ma
tive village is now hardly known but
by its sepulchers. The villagers are
gone; an unknown generation walks
under our elms; unknown faces meet
and pass me in my own raternal acres.
have no acquaintance remaining ex-
cept with the dead. Cor. Providence
journal.
u