Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-04-18

HOW DANIEL WEBSTER BROUGHT
SOME SELecTMeN TO TIME.

SOME SELECTMEN TO TIME.
He Was q Young Student In the Law
once Of Judge Thompson in Boscawsn.
The Story Told by the Son Of the En-
| Str..r Who Bailt AN Old Turnpike Road
| can probably furnish to readers Daniel
Webster's earliest experience in managing
a difyicult legal case give it on the au
thority of my father. for the scene dates
back to lSt5
| Al that period there was no good ROAD
from what were called the Ports, to VII
the towns OF Boston, Salem, Newburyport
| and Portsmouth, through the State OF New
| Hampshire to the Connecticut river at the
noint now known as White River juno
tion The means of communication were
80 wretchedly bad that the merchants
could not send goods to the interior except
nj q great Inconvenience The Legislature
of New Hampshire finally chartered the
"Fourtb New Hampshire Turnpike" TO DE
| constructed over the route mentioned. Inc
stock was principally taken in the towns
on the seaboard and the corporation OF
| Portsmouth itself subscribed largely 10 ohe
undertaking special tax was ievied 10
meet the subscription, the money coiiecteo
and paid into the treasury rms money
was only to be paid over to the turnpike
company when the road had been finished
| to a certain point
| Myfather was the engineer Tor the upper
| part of the road, and when all was ready
the proper documents we're prepared 10
verify what had been done. These were
taken by him to the Office OF Judge Ihomp
son in Boscawen, the attorney for the turn
nike company give what follows in my
| fathers own words
STORY or THE CASE.
"On handing the papers to Judge Thomp
sou he told me he would send his son-ln
| law, who was his partner, Immediately TO
Portsmouth, and requested me to call IN
couple of days, when the money would be
ready for me At the appointed time was
at his office. His partner had returned
without the money 1t seems there had
been change of political parties, and the
new selectmen decided that the action OF
their predecessors was Unconstitutional
and declared they intended to test the ques
tions in the court,
81 was dumfounded had felt sure of
the money The company was in great
need of it, and know how much this fail
ure would embarrass them. My face
must have exhibited intense disappoint
ment. Suddenly Judge Thompson ex
claimed;
"T believe will send Dam
| AT this thin face was turned up from
desk near by, showing pair OF immense
black eyes and swarthy visage 1t was
Daniel Webster, then twenty-five or TWEEN
ty-three years old. He was law student
| J,,l, nd hoI r q
finished his course.
"'Yes, will send Dan.' Judge Thomp
son repeated Come again in three days.
"All this time Dan did not utter b
word, but continued his reading
"At the end of three days | returned.
Young Webster had collected the money
| exchanged but a few words with him at
the time When in Judge Thompson's
private office | asked how it was done
This was his explanations
Taking letter of introduction to the
Judges correspondent in Portsmouth,
young Webster presented himself and
asked permission to use his Office to trans
act little business He at once proceeded
to issue, in Judge Thompson's name
separate writs for each of the town officials
holding each to bail, after the practice of
that time, in his individual capacity. The
sheriff was sent for, the writs put in his
hands with directions to serve Immediately
and to inform the persons against whom
they ran that Judge Thompson's repre-
sentative would be- for that day. at the
Office designated
! WEBSTER WINS.
| In short time they came running in"
80 Young man. said the spokesman,
uor ,uki mis- 10 Nnt, che 4
sue the corporation We as individuals
have nothing to do with the matter
"'You are yourselves mistaken, gentle
men, was the reply The corporation has
nothing to do with it, for the corporation
has done it's duty prosecute you indi
vidually for malfeasance in of1icel The
money has been paid in for this specific
purpose, and the turnpike company will
hold each of you personally responsible for
heavy damages for obstructing its works
1.-THE result was that the proper order
was signed and the money paid the next
morning."
| My father afterward saw much of young
Webster, and it was in this way their ac
quaintance commenced
What gives special value to this anec.
dote is that many years later, after my
self had become intimate with Mr. Web
ster, repeated it to him. He recalled the
affair distinctly, and even corrected Inc in
one trifing particular
During the later years of his life was
often at Mr. Webster's house, especially
when he visited his New Hampshire home
at Franklin | have frequently been with
him when he was quite alone, but gen
orally the place was enlivened by the pres
ence of congenia friends He was fond of
sitting on the piazza in the summer even
ings, and enjoyed and entered into the
pleasantries of the company
When at Franklin his habits were print
tive and temperate He always asked a
blessing at the table standing He did not
slight the service by uttering few unin
telligible words, His nature was devout
mo one can fully appreciate the Psalms
of David until he is past fifty" he said to
me one evening On another occasion
after he had been making a search for a
second cousin, who he thought lived near
Franklin, he said; When we are young
every one is for himself We give little
thought to relatives. As we grow old and
approach the confines OF age we cast about
for kindred. - Richard B kimball in New
York Times
willing 10 Save His Teacher.