Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-08

| Of his early life. which was ALREADY hoping 10
utilize in coming private biography. 1t was
while We were driving about the country, on
| what he called fishing frolic, that he took me
TO the house where he was born, and OF which
took sketch for Mrs. Webster, and which in
. letter to Mr.. Everett he described as .'accu-
! rately depicted"
Other places that we visited were Pinch
brook, where he used to catch the "whoppers"
when boy, and also beautiful pond or lake
let where he had fish house and a boat and
whence he had taken many pike and perch in
the olden times.
HIS DECLINING DAYS.
It was my privilege to revisit Elms farm with
Mr.. Webster in the autumn Of 1851, but time
was now beginning to tell upon his manly pr.-
portions, and he talked more about the men
and books OF the olden times than he did about
| fishing. Before leaving Washington. on the
occasion Of dinner that he was to give GER
tain piscatorial friends, sent him two dozen
trout which had taken in Difficult run, only
fifteen miles from the metropolis and it was
only few weeks afterward that sent him q
twelve-poupd salmon from the coast of Labra-
dor, carefully packed in snow, which was also
served at one of his dinners and was the text
for much agreeable talk abou. fishing, when he
| alluded to the two incidents just mentioned as
truly remarkable, never dreaming that a trout
could be caught within sight of the Capitol or
that fresh salmon could be transported III
good order from Labrador to the Potomac.
During brief visit that Mr.. Webster made to
Nahant in 1851 he was not well and seemed de-
spondent. and yet on one brief morning ho was
seen TO walk slowly down to the waters edge
where he boarded fishing smack and sailed
ont to sea. He Was gone all day and on his re-
turn reported that he had enjoyed himself i'm
menseiy and had fish enough to supply the
whole town. From the skipper l subsequently
heard that he had not even attempted to wet a
line, but spent most of the day asleep. basking
in the sunshine and drinking in the air OF the
ocean.
WHAT he WROTE ABOUT FISHING.
But it was at Marshfeld that Mr. Webster
had the best opportunities for fishing in his
old age. There, in his much-loved vessel
called the Lapwing, he had his old friend. Seth
Peterson, for commodore. and minute &C.
count OF their experiences would make charm
lns volume. In one of his letters to II. NJ.
B!atchfOrd inviting him to Marshfieid he
wrote: Come and Won may so 10 Edgartown
with Fletcher or to Seconet Point with me.
For blue fish merely nothing can be quite SO
good as Edgartown. For blue fish, bass
and tautog altogether SecOnet is better"
On another occasion he wrote: II have
a world of talk when l see you on the phe-
ncmena of the seasons by sea and land. I'M
derstand the fish die by thousands aud hum
dreds OF thousands in the Chesapeake and the
rivers Of Maryland and washed ashore.
We have seen nothing like that here In
dHOtiieF letter he maue tnlS aftuSfOn TO Dlt OF
sport: Thursday l caught thirty very fine
tautog under sunk rock. 1t was just the day
for them-mild, still and little cloudy. On
such day and at the commencement of flood
tide throw your hook in the den and the chiefs
will contend for it. took one 7-pound fellow.
On Saturday l went out IN the Lapwing with
Fletcher and some of his Boston friends. We
had no great luck and it came on to rain during
a perfect calm. We did not escape a wetting,
but took little harm from it. In the after
noon caught some skippog, the same, sup
pose, as are called porgces in New York"
No matter where Mr.. Webster might be, in
the city, among the mountains on the sea
shore, he was always ready to talk or make
plans about fishing. He loved to praise the
sea air OF Marshfield because it made him
grew strong by touching the earth, the same
effect was produced on him by touching the
salt sea shore near his home.
In April, 1852. the year of Mr.. Webster's
death, his health began to fail, and on recciv-
ing 4 new rod and reel from his son Fletcher
he expressed his doubts about his ever being
able to capture another big rock fish at the
LATHE Falls. 1t was then, although in Wash
ington, during his efforts to keep warm, that ne
signed for a warm wood fire, made out of
John Taylor's chips and logs" showing how
his mind loved to wander Off to the region
where he was born.
PERTINENT GIFT.
During his confinement within doors at this
time he was told by his physician that he must
remain in bed, but no would no. or could not
do so, but spent his time in debating letters or
rlmmaging among his books; and then il was
that he went to q particular shelf, took down a
small volume, wrote omething Oh the fly leaf,
and IN most majestic manner presented it to
me without uttering single word. The title
Of that book was Fish: How to Choose and
How to Dress" published by LonGman Il CO.
in 1S43, and the writing alluded to was as fol-
ows: Washington, April 10, 1852. To my
much respected friend and junior brother
angler, Charles Lanman, present this volume.
Possibly he may hereafter attach some value to
1t for my sake. Daniel Webster" The cold
that Mr.. Webster had taken at this time caused
him to hasten his departure, so that he might
partake of the joys of Marshfield, where Tor
time he did recuperate his health. shortly
after he had become settled by the sea a
neighbor presented him with a foreground
trout that had been taken on his domain. He
was delighted with the gift and when its fame
had extended to the town of Plymouth an old
friend residing there invited him to come over
and enjoy some very easy fishing for trout in
private and well-stocked pond. This invitation
he accepted, and presuming that the book he
had given me had instructed me in the art OF
choosing fish. il nothing more, was invited to
pilot the way to Plymouth.
The ACCIDENT NEAR PLYMOUTH.
And it was while on that expedition after
trout that the terrible accident took place which
nearly resulted in Mr.. Websters death. We
were in an Old-fashioned carriage. and while
was driving up q gentle hill near Plymouth
the transOm bolt of the carriage was broken
and We were both thrown hcadiong upon the
ground. In a letter to President Fillmore de-
scribing the narrow escape lie said that a
similar accident had happened to him some
twenty years before and that it was q great es-
cape. Il was pointing out to Mr. Lanman" he
wrote, "whero the Mayfower came to anchor
and showing him the island, still called Can
tains leland, which was the possession of Miles
Standish and where his descendants now reside"
He caught no fish on that occasion and never
afterward, although about month before his
death he wrote to his friend, Il. NJ Blatchford,
Il have had bad turn, but the fish are COM
ing in i'll multitudes. Hope to be able to work
next month"
In one Of his letters. after describing
savage blue fish while devouring their fellow
creatures he wrote: III this be SO il will be the
more patriotic in you and me to take as many
OF these blue fish to land as possible"
ANENT NEW FISHING OUTFIT.
After receiving and describing a superb lot
of fishing tackle which had been presented to
him he once made this allusion to the great
angler of England: "Poor Isaak Walton! Little
did he think when moving along the banks of
the rivers and brooks of Staffordahire with his
cumbersome equipments that any worthy dis
cIple OF his would ever be so gorgeously fitted
ont with all that art and taste can accomplish
for the pursuit OF his favorite sport. Among
his followers are thousands OF better anglers
than myself, but challenge them, one and all,