The Portland daily press., 1895-08-10
WE6sTER's BROTHER.
Others Thought Him to be His Equal in
Intellect.

tBeston Transcript
Daniel Webster's sister in-law, the
widow OF his brother, Ezekiel Webster, is
solli hvlng. She is nearly nlnety-f
YEARS Oh age, having been born July y,
looi' at Dunstable (now Nashua), N. H.
ohe was married August 2, 1928 and has
peen widow over sixty-six years, hef
husband having died April 10, 1899 She
resides at 3S South Main street, Concord,
N. II. Her husband was born March IL,
lfoo-nearly two years before his illus
trlous brother Daniel, who was born a
January Is, 17S2-and was graduated
from Dartmouth College in the class OF
leo4, three years after Daniel. The sur
vlvlng widow was Ezekeps second wife,
his trst wife, whom he married January
IL, lS09, being Alice Bridge of Billerica,
Mass. The second wife (Achsah Pollard),
VINO still survives. was relative of the
nrst wife, the maiden name of the lat
ter,s mother being Alice Pollard.
Ezekiel Webster, like his brother Dan
iel, was lawyer, portion of his pre-
paratory legal studies having been pur-
sued In this city, in the office OF Gov
James Sullivan In 1907 Daniel Webster
removed from Boscawen to Portsmouth,
and Ezekiel commenced practice at
Boscawen, succeeding to his brother
business. Ezekiel was, by many persons
who had an opportunity to judge his
qualities thought the equal Of his more
celebrated brother in intellectual endow-
ments In his younger years he was in
cliDed to be timid while Daniel was as
bold as lion, and their father was won't
to say that Ezekiel could not tell half he
knew, but that Daniel could tell more
than he knew. In spite of his natural
timidity, however, his talents soon W on
for him an exalted standing as jurist,
and at the time of his death he was re-
garded as one of the ablest lawyers Of
New Hampshire.
He was not only a lawyer of distin-
guished ability, but a man of noble
morals and sterling uprightness. His
bearing at the bar won the respect and
confidence of both judge and july, and
he was esteemed and honoredi for his
courtesy, talents and integrity He was
elected to the Legislature twelve times
once as a senator and eleven times as a
representative, and at the election in
March, 1929, the month before he died,
he was candidate Ian unsuccessful one)
for a seat in the lower house of Congress.
He was a model lawyer, as he was a
model man. In debate he was dignlfied
and courteous, his weapons being sound
arguments, clothed in simple, but elegant
language. He was man of imposing
presence, having a mangificent form
crowned withia princely head. His man
ners were kind and courteous, his heart
warm and affectionate, his countenances
of rare and striking beauty. My brother
Ezekiel said Daniel Webster in 1916,
appeared to me, and so does he now
seem to me, the very finest human form
that ever l laid eyes on
Daniel Webster had for his brother
Ezekiel not only the most devoted affec-
tion, but the most exalted respect In his
early years he looked as anxiously for
Ezekiel's approval of all his acts as Cori-
olanus did for that of his mother His
confidence in his elder brothers. iudg-
ment was unbounded his reliance upon
his counsel and wisdom was without
limit. When nine months after Ezelxiel's
death, he had brought the whole nation
to pay homage at his feet for the splendor
of his triumph over the Southern cham
pion, Robert Y. Hayne, he had one keen
1CSlCO. IiON WELL, u6 SOfTOWIullY
exclaimed, "that my poor brother had
lived till nfter this speech, for I know
that he would have been gratified by it. -
In their younger days the two brothers
shared the meagre contents of common
purse until they had fully established
themselves in their profess ion.
On one occasion, while Daniel was
and at the same time eking out his in
come by acting as deputy register eof
deeds, he returned home by way of Han
over where Ezekiel was at college The
first thing Daniel did was too find out
whether his brother was in want of
money; and, although his salary as a
teacher was scarcely more than the wages
of a day laborer, being at the rate of $3.50
a year, he was ready TO help Ezekiel if
he was in need. The result Of this visit
of Daniels to Ezekiel may be told in
Daniels own words: "We walked and
talked during long evenings and, final
ly, seated upon an old log not far from
the college, gave to Ezekiel S100--the re-
suit of my labors in teaching and in re-
cording deeds after paying my own debts
leaving to mysslf but $3 to get home
with. T"
With all the assistance, however which
Ezekiel got from his brother and from his
father he was still unable to pursue his
college course without interruption. In
the spring OF his senior year, finding his
longer residence in college impossible on
account ef lack of funds, he purchased
the good will of private school in this
city, and he also took upon himself in
addition to this school, the teaching of
an evening school for sailors. At this
private school which he taught here it is
interesting to know that George Ticknor
and Edward Everett were among his
pupils.