Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-07-09
STORIES OF WEBSTER.
How tho Great Statesman Pre-.
pared His Famous Orations.
"A Personal Acquaintance Stin Living
Talks About tho Habits Of New Eng
ltnh'i Most Eloquent SOMA Truo
rricnd and Liberal Landlord.

IN Inc ilttlo town OF Franklin, N. n.
stands tho house Of George w. Nesraith
who had u personal acquaintance with
Daniel Webster such as no ono else
Eow living can claim. A recent visitor
to tho judge, says tho Chicago Herald,
found him halo and hearty, though in
his nf2cticth year, and his mind seemed
to be as cloar and bright as in tho prime
of life.
"lho first time saw Wcbstcr," he
said, 'waS in 1918, just after the do
ciSion Of The Dartmouth College case. ]
vas then q senior in that institution and
can remember having my attention
drawn to two men talking together in
front Of tho college church, and being
told that orc of them was Daniel Web
stcr, who was on visit to Hanover,
after his great triumph Ho was then
in the primo of life, and was tho idol OF
tho town and college while he remained
with us. A speech which he made at
All alumni dinner, held during this
visit, was unable to hear. as these cx-
crcises were not then public, but those
present informed me that It was we'll
worthy Of him.
"MY personal acquaintance with him
began in 1928 or 1924, when ORC day no
caClo with his brother Ezekiel, to visit
TIC farm where he had lived when boy.
was introduced to him as he stood con-
v"!"i!lT in front Of tho tavern, aid re-
member that his talk was of tho happy
tHyS he had spcnt there before going off
II school and college. 'Zckicl,' he said,
now would you like to take o third
s-ory room with me in tho tavern, as wc
r''rd To do whom boys? Do you rcmcm-
Ter how the rain used to pattcr on tho
1ooi, and carly in tho morning tho roos-
I ~ across the river woke us up with
tlcir c'owing?' But Ezekiel thought no
preferred high life below stairs You
don't understand tho pleasures OF living
IL garrett was tho answer. Don't you
remember that limo in No. III of tho
Gambler: GLOW sweet in sleep to pass
tho careless hours etc.?'
al remember that / was surprised at
his cXactnoss in fixing tho place of tho
quotation, and that 1 aftcrward looked
1T up to mako suro that no had made no
mistake. In 1920 Ezekiel Webster died
- heart disease in the courthouse at
concord, and Daniel camo into possess
sion Of the whole of tho old farm whcrc
tho Orphans Homo now is. IIo at this
tino had moro or less business to do
with his tenants and about tho farm,
G.id he applied to mo for help in this, SO
that by 1910 / got to know him quito
VOL, and after that saw great deal Of
lrm.
ION tho Fourth of July, 1916, no do
ircrcd the Grafton ut Salisbury. About
1850, We were down there, and walked
out into the pasture together, where he
showed the rock upon which no wrote
half OF that speech. At this timc no
told mo much about his speeches.
lhoSo wrote In carly l1Ic,' nc SAID, 4
was rttcrward ashamed Of, and l was
sorry that had ever had any of thom
ruhi&hcd. Whenever / camo across
orc J. used TO burn il up, but, of course,
t""re wore many that never could get
he'd Of. They were much sound and
D'.lo substance. Joo Denny, q local
critic, said that they wcro "full OF
emptiness" and this was kind of
t4itlciSm that did me good. From tho
d"E when heard it | altered my style,
ana tried to avoid sophomore display
and hombast In my writings
During tho first part Of his public
career Webster used to spend much
tlmc in tho preparation of his speeches.
lie would sit mp all night working over
them, walking about tho room and re-
p"ating them aloud. LIo was always q
bard worker. In ono of tho letters no
wrote INC and which has since boon
published, hc said: Il havo nevor eaton
Tao bread Of idl"ncss, but for tho last
forty years have worked twelve hours
day Still, in tho last part Of his
liio' he acquired Il faculty in the arrange
ri"nt of his thoughts which was simply
marvellous. was in Boston ut tho
house OF his brothcr-in-law, Mr.. Page,
On tho Friday before ho made his last
speech in public.
81 ucvrr saw him but oncc in Nlnrsn-
frld. At that tirno he used to rise bo-
twcon four and five o'clock in tho morn
iug, saying That it was then he could do
hly best work Ito showod mn ,o,,,, L.,