St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-09
MEN AND THINGS.

MEN AND THINGS.
Daniel Our garrulOus st.
Paul man, who takes
Webster. such pride and inter
20 est in his juvenile OBJ
ServationS of the great statesman, DAN
EEL WEB STER, would not do for his
terian; but a few further points recalled
from the verbal flood may not be with
out interest. He insists upon the theory
that the greatest men have correspond
ing weaknesseS-that, as another has
said. no mah is great to his valet. 1t is
the fashion of the times to pillage the
records of men who stand out as lights
in the history of the country of the
picturing that has been so valuable to
those who illustrate tales and point
morals. WASHINGTON did not use
hatchet, but sawed down dead cherry
tree to geta birds neStin 1.-THE did nOtgO
out into snowdrifts for his devOtions, and
used the dash emphasis more than once.
So, as his st. Paul admirer relates,
DANIEL WEBSTER had weaknesses that
were emlnently human, and relieved the
awe that his intellectual greatness in
spired. In his days liquors were not
taxed as since the war, and the temper
ance work had not got beyond the moral
SuaSlOn stage. DANIEL. was member
OF the more prevalent church OF New
England, and occasionally filled rural
church pew, but he was not as Obdurate
as the first DANIEL of whom there are
stories, in his convictions, or perhaps
practices that flow from beliefs. At
times he would test his capacity of alb
sorption rather too freely. He had
very peculiar vehicle built for his fish
ing excursions, with number OF small
apartments securely closed. Each OF
these, it was alleged by the local gossips,
was for special brand of liquor. 1t
was an object of much curiosity
and furtive investigation by the
privileged to catch a glimpse OF
their circles and could always secure
audience. The legends had it that the
great statesman became exceedingly
mellow at times as the supplies grew
less. 1t was at the beginning of the
railroad era. The first railroad built
north of the capital in New Hampshire
struck directly across WEBsTER's anceS-
trail farm, almost grazing the mansion
and rendering it uninhabitable. But
DANIEL was a Wing, and in favor of
all internal improvements. He attended
a railroad meeting about this time when
he was little too mellow for fluency OF
ideas, and slowly enunciated, Il am in
favor of all roads"-here he paused as
if for effect, but really because he was
stumped, when more sober friend
whispered in his ear except the road
to ruin" This was added by WEBSTER.
aud rounded out his sentence in good
shape. While he could direct the ship
of state to the admiration of the world,
WEBSTER couldn't manage his own
finances at all. He seemed to have no
idea of the use of money. 1t was the
current impression among his New
Hampshire neighborS that when DAN
TEL became involved or in need. his
wealthy constituents in Boston always
came to his relief. They worshiped him
as the godlike DANIEL, and looked
upon him as their special property and
oracle. Several times they were known
to make up a purse of $4,000 or $4,000
for him. 1t was the special business of
his rural friends to aid him in disburS
ing these financial budgets, which
looked vastly larger then than they
would now. DANIEL used to pride HIM
self upon his fine stock, and bought
about all that was offered. His stand
ard beverage was brandy, and when it
was copious and mellowing the good
people would sell him finely groomed,
but inferior animals for fine stock at a
good many times their value. Even the
rural washerwOman would share the
harvest with bills of princely charac-
ter. If DANIEL ever took any money
back to Boston with him, 1t was due to
miscalculation of his resources by his
prudent Yankee friends.
What She There has been a
Found Out. written, especially in
the East, about the
esthetics and peculiaritieS of theater-
gOers, with, no doubt, more or less eXag
geration. The ladies with the tall hats
are not numerous or malicious: the men
who go out between acts are but frac-
ton of the audience. and generally not
on escort duty Oh such occasions. They
do not always go out to irrigate the sys-
tenn, and the bald heads do not attempt
to monopolize the front seats. The
practice said to be in vogue in some
other cities of attaching opera glasses
to each seat has not reached st. Paul
yet. 1t might embarrass those who do
go out to have the entire house turning
the glasses upon them. A st. Peter
street young lady, who attends the thea
tiers quite often, has had her curiosity
excited by the eXactnesS of the return
of those who go out in time for the rise
of the curtain. She puzzled and
watched several evenings, and inquired
of her gentlemen friends, who, OF
course, were entirely ignorant on the
subject. Her curiosity at last was so
persistent that on recent evening she
induced her younger brother,w with her, to
go out and try to ferret out the mys-
terry. He did so, and reported that just
two minutes before the curtain was to
rise little bell sounded in room
not very distant, where there were free
cloves and tOothpickS, and the go-OuterS
mostly met to discuss the play or music,
etc. He was told that there was an
electric button in the rear of the stage
that was touched about that time; but it
is probable that he invented the whole
story to allay the curiosity OF his sister.
Not Their There are dozen or
more of the alumni of
Game. Dartmouth college. in
New Hampshire, resi-
dents of st. Paul, and most of them have
recently received circulars inviting them
to contribute, according to their means
and beneyolence, to the erection OF a
spacious hail in which the students can
practice the game Of base base ball ball in the
spring fully developed and equipped
for triumph in the national game that
will shed luster upon the cherished
fountain of learning. The older resi-
dents of the city who received their
mental nutriment at that institution do
not respond to the invitation. The base
ball of the present was not known in
their academic periods. They had
) their development in the football age,
and still believe it is the better auxil-
larry of intellectual development. One
of them contributed a postage stamp,
, with various historic suggestions
among them, that in his time there was