The record-union., 1895-04-17
WBBSTER'S TALK ON POTATOES
An Ofhaud Lecture to Fellow Travel
erS on q Railroad Train,

erS on a Railroad Train.
One can always spend an interesting
hour with that fine old gentleman, h. b.
Grafton, the wellknown water colorist
Sitting at his easel the other day he told
a Cincinnati ItH1eS-St09- man the follow
ing personal recollection of Daniel Web
ster and his potato taik":
"lt was in the year lS49, the year of the
gold fever, that l was on a train return
ing to Philadelphia from Harris burg Pa
and Daniel Webster was in the same car
Everyone on board not only felt the in
tiuence of Webster's overpowering per-
sonailty, but the majesty OF his thought
tul look and speech, as we'll as that gran
deuf or simplicity In the familiar ease
shown toward some plain but INTELLIGENT
farmers whom he was entertaining while
they attentlVeIy listened to his agreeable
| talk upon the subject of the simple and
unambltlous potato. Others upon the
train, hearing of Webster's presence on
board, before his talk was over he had an
| audience OF nearly a car full of people
Said one OF the farmers from Lancaster ::
| Have you noticed how the Meshanocks s
and the MERGERS are losing their foothoId
and becoming shOckingly bad and taste
less! They are not dry and mealy AS
they were few seasons ago. l believe
they are running OUT Then some one
remarked that it was almost time for new
varieties 10 appear.
'Mr. Webster at this point took mod
est hand In the talk. AEOlogetically ex-
cusing himself he told his listeners how
ne had worked upon his fathers farm in
| his youth, and also upon his own at
Franklin, n. H., and he had had some
experience with the potato; knew some
thing about it, although perhaps not
enough to hurt, but he considered HIM
| self the better from having had some
agricultural experience. Having gained
their attention he now launched into q
pleasant little potato history, and held
their interest in the subject until the end
Mr.. Webster went back to the remote
times of the close OF the fifteenth century,
when the potato was a scrub plant and
the crew of the Pinta. with Columbus
had landed upon the Western continent
and found comfort in it as an article of
! food: how it was atterward carried to Eu-
| rope by the Spaniards and cultivated
with the potato merely as Il garden Curl
oslty; how Sir Francis Drake, Hawkins
and Raleigh in 1873 transplanLed it in
Ireland and England, and all the time
undervaluing its merit, and how lonp
while 1t took to awaken within the pub
lie mind knowledge of it's worth: how
finally confession was extorted from
European high authority that the potato
and Indian corn were the two greatest
blessings America ever gave to the
world; how, Notwithstanding all this.
they were still USED as food for cattle and
horses, though III a pinch it was thought
they might help bridge over starving
people who had met with failure in the
crop of cereals.
Mr.. Webster related that even in Wash
ington's day the father of his country had
proclaimed loudly against the vile 'and
vulgar horse food" as he called it, known
Jnen ana now as cOrnmeal, and which
was not considered good enough for the
soldier. Mr.. Webster spoke OF the Ger
man and French people, who wouldn't
eat either OF these articles of food: that
when Antoine Parmentier, a philanthro-
plst, had helped on and improved their
cultivation and urged their daily use.
Johnny Crapaud wouldn't listen to him.
Finally the Government felt the need OF
aiding this business, and the gendarrnes
were placed around the potato held, plen-
tltulIy planted with them, as if to guard
a hlghlY precious commodity, and Louis
AF. ordered the potato blossom to be
worn by the court ladies. This done the
tide turned in favor of the poor. Derse-
cuted potato, and, under the loftier name
OF pomme de terre, it came out of the fire
OF opposition cooked, as it is now said to
Oe by the French cuisine, IN some three
hundred different ways. By this com.
pulsory recognition it now holds an hon
orabIe place upon the table. an indispen-
sable adjunct. Interrupted occasionally
but respectfully, however. by some ques-
tlons bis hearers now and then put to
him, MIR. Webster cheeriulIy continued
his potato talk for nearly an hour, and it
was an admirable help to lessening the
monotony OF the trip can assure you.D