Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-08
How Daniel Webster Spent
Some Of His Leisure Hours.
EXPLOITS WITH THE ROD.
peundcr as a Disciple OF I.aak Wal.
ton-Expeditions to the Little Falls
and Executions In Now Hampshire.
Written for TIE EVENING SrAr.1

salted down for the forthcoming and re-
vised edition OF my private Life" of the noted
statesman. In view of the fact however, that
many Of your readers will soon be getting their
fishing tackle ready for piscatorial foray along
| the banks of the Potomac, it has occurred to
me that repetition of some "reminiscences of
Mr.. Webster rs an angler might be acceptable
to your readers.
Nv personal acquaintance with Daniel Web
ster was brought about by Potomac rock fish,
and hence for me to write about him as an
angler Is both pleasure and privilege. 1t was
early in the summer of 1851 when after captur-
ing fne lot of fish at the Little Falls, distri-
buted my plumber among certain friends in
Washington One of these. to whom / sent a
l0-pound rock fish, was William ". Seaton, for
whose noted journal had long been corre-
spondent. About two hours after he had re-
ceived my present the editor called upon me
and requested as a favor that would let him
send the fish to Mr.. Webster with my compli-
ments. and as Lad no objection the prize was
duly delivered to the Secretary of State. After
the lapse of another two hours a messenger
came to me from Mr.. Webster requesting me
to call upon him at his department. and / Gid
so without delay. On making my appearance
before the great man he put on a very digniflcd
air, almost equal to a modern civil service COM
missioner, and thanking me for my present
said he wanted to consult with me on important
business. He desired to know where had
caught that big rock fish, and after telling him
when, where and how, he added: Il would like
to catch similar specimen in your company"
ARRANGING A FISHING EXCURSION.
After a full explanation of affairs took nv
leave and in the morning of that day proceeded
to arrange matters with Joe Paine. the fishing
king OF the Potomac, and special day for
sport was designated. At O'Clock on the
morning of that day Mr.. Webster called at my
residence in his carriage and off We posted for
the Little Falls. The weather was delightful
and the river in splendid condition. Joe Paine
bad everything i'll complete order and was in
fine spirits. He decided as a special honor to
Mr. Webster that he would take us in his boat
to a central rock in tine river at the head of the
big eddy, where good sport seemed most cer-
tain. AS we struggled to pass over the rushing
waters Mr.. Webster became excited and actu-
ally clapped his hands With glee. We fished
both with bait and a big yellow fy, and it was
not long before Mr.. Webster hooked a large
fish, which was saved with much difficulty and
when in the bottom of the boat the captor
uttered a regular yell of delight and in his ex-
cltement nearly lost his rod and reel overheard.
The fish weighed Is pounds. We continued
the sport until near O'Clock, when Mr.. Web
ster told Paine. as he handed him q $40 coin,
that as he President Fillmores clerk it
was time for him TO return home so as to reach
the department before noon, and thus ended
the mornings sport. Before the season closed
Mr.. Webster made number of visits to the
Little Falls, and though less successful than he
had been before he greatly enjoyed the early
morning drives. the wild scenery of the river
the singing OF the birds and the companion
ship of Joe Paine, who looked after his COM
fort and pleasure.
TRoUrING AT CAPoN.
Shortly afterward, while talking with Mr.
Webster about Capon Springs, which l had re-
Gently visited, he proposed that l should ioin
N nat MI xrhara ha II
on some good trout fishing We went and had
grand time, but the eXpounder did not have
the privilege of wetting line. The brooks
were too wild and his strength was not equal to
protracted tramp and so he spent the most
OF his time in talking with the Virginia farmers
who came to see him by the score and to
whom, OIL the occasion of u reception. he de-
hvered one of his most charming of off-hand
speeches. In letter written 10 his son
Fletcher at that time he said: There are
trout IN these mountain streams and of pretty
good size, but the streams are too far of for
me to visit them. There is fish in these
waters called the fall fish. resembling the
English dace or in some degrees our club. and
he rises to the fly and it is curious enough that
the people hereabout are unwilling this wear
to eat either the trout or the dace. The reason
Is that the surface of all the streams is covered
by millions of locusts, upon which the fish
gluttonously feed and the popular idea is that
by that means they become unwholesome
has brought home forty trout. some of them
decent in size and of good color-two or three
OF them being a foot long. But they are not
Marshpec, nor Red Brook, nor Wakquoit, nor
Hinkleys Mills, nor of that brook in which we
were always i'll the worst of it. ,"
Aprop0S to Marshpec, may add that it was
in that stream the orator WIS fishing when. as
he pulling the big fish and thinking of a
Forthcoming Grafton, he exclaimed, Venerable
man. you have come down to Us from former
5eneration.
FISH AND DIPLOMACY.
Another incident connected with Capon Springs
more diplomatic than piscatoriai--was to this
effect: Before leaving Washington he told ne TO
call on Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer, and. after tell
ing him about the charms of the springs as a
place to discuss diplomatic affairs. to invite
him to join the secretary among the noun
tains l obeyed orders. and Sir Henry took
the hint with avidity, and in due time all the
parties were assembled az the big hotel. AT
the close Of q week not one word had been ex-
changed between the diplomatic lions about
the notifications Of q certain treaty; and
while the American talked about books and
enjoyed the company of rural visitors the Eng
lishman Manifested some little uneasiness as
to the result OF his mission from Washington to
the mountains On certain Sunday after
noon Sir Henry sent for me and. after various
explanations, requested Inc to try and induce
Mr.. Webster to appoint a day for q full discus
sion of the treaty business then on the carpet
NY duty in the premises was duly performed,
aud il was when twinkle had reached Mr..
Webster's eyes that he made this reply: ave
must try for trout tomorrow and then. per-
baps, we may have time TO attend to Nicara-
qua" The time did not come, and Sir Henry
subsequently looked upon this whole visit to
Capon Springs rs a diplomatic joke.
On our return from the Virginia mountains
Mr. Webster talked great deal about the
pleasures OF fishing and of the wonders he had
seen during our trouting expedition, as ne
called it, and after politely saying to me that
expert anglers were very apt to be good BUSH
ness men he added that he wanted me to resign
my position as librarian of the War department.
and enter the Department of State as his pri-
vate secretary TO be followed eventually by the
position of Librarian OF copyrights. knowing
tina. even dolphin might nave a good time in
the wake OF q whale I listened and took the
bait.
TRIP TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.
When the summer of 1851 was half passed Mr..
Webster began to sigh for the cooling airs of
New Hampshire. He wanted to get there be-
fore the trout had left their favorite pools, and
OF course, ii was my official duty to get my
tackle ready and accompany HIM to Films farm.
The trouting and other expeditions that we
ventnred upon were not few nor fur between,
but they were chiefly of the imaginary sort
and the offspring of early memories on the part
OF mine host. When a boy he was wont to
catch trout only with the worm. He remembered
the time when the Merrimack was crowded
with salmon. but then nobody ever thought Of
taking them with the fly; and in all his talk he
seemed to look upon every kind of sporting as
really only sensible excuse for enjoying the
coupaniopship of the woods and streaYus And