Evening star., 1900-05-19
Mr. Albert Dakin Gihon has again bee
ANECDOTE OF WEBSTER.
How He Got an Expert Witness Fro
n Boston Schooner.

How He Got an Expert Witness From
Boston Schooner.
From the Boston Transcript.
Old Boston school boys of sixty years ago
realize that no greater change has taken
place in Boston than on the wharves, which
in 1910 were all open, with no sheds built
on them as at the present time. Vessels
in the East India trade We're docked at
Irdia wharf w. F. Weld & Co. had their
slips docked at Central wharf. Lombard's 5
and Hemenway & Co.'S ships We're at Com
mercial wharf. Long wharf was lined with
vessels in the coasting trade; they had large
canvas signs attached to the yards stating
the port hailed from and the port they
wanted freight for.
At that time there were no steamships,
and all transportation was done by sailing
craft For instance. a sign would read:
1.-The schooner Eagle Captain Smith. will
sail on Saturday for Bath. Gardiner and
Hallowell." The wharves were a favorite
resort with the boys Wednesday and Sat
urday afternoons. AT that time school kept
Wednesday and Saturday mornings. and
we had the afternoons for vacation. In the
morning after school we would decide
where we would spend the afternoon, and
it was generally on the wharves. Five out
of ten boys went to sea after leaving school.
AT the head of Long wharf, where the
State street block now stands was an cid
hulk of vessel with a house built on its
deck; it was fastened to the dock, and this
was used by the bingham Bucket Company
for 4 Storehouse. On the side of the house
was sign, "Hingham Station Packet" 1t
was standing joke with us to ask the
man who had charge If he was the captain
and when he was going to sail, as we want
ed to ship before the mast.
1t was a favorite amusement with the
boys to climb up the rigging of ships and
stump" one another as to who would climb
the highest. There was one of these boys
bn fnulI heat all in climbiDg nick
named him Monkey Jack" On one of the
ships the down-haul of the signal halyards
broke short up to the flag at the truck. The
captain, pointing to the flag, said: Il will
give any boy that will bring that flag on
deck a ninepence." We all started up the
shrouds, but Monkey Jack" was UP to the
royals before We got to the yardarm. When
he left school he went to sea, and became
master of one of the largest clipper ships
that sailed out of Boston.
Captain Mahan of Long wharf had a fine
schooner yacht in which he took parties
down the harbor. He often invited the boys
to take sail with him. I remember once
he told us a story about Daniel Webster, as
follows: about o'clock in the morning
was on deck putting the boat in shipshape
order and swabbing up the deck. I was
going to take a party down sailing that
day. 1t was raining quite hard. There was
an old fellow standing on the wharf with
an old cloak and slouched hat on. under a
large cotton umbrella. He hailed me, asked
if 1 was the captain. and said he would like
to come aboard. / supposed he was some
old farmer from the country who had never
seen salt water before. SO l said: Certain
ly come right aboard He looked over the
boat spell, and after while came up to
where I was and said: Captain, if you
were sailing a ship down the harbor and
another ship was coming UP and the wind
was northeast which side would you sail
of the ship that you were going to meet?'
1 said, I would put the helm hard to port
and go to the windward He seemed to
understand, and asked me a great many
questions. I thought he was taking up
good deal of my time. and answered him
ra ther short. He thanked me for the infor-
nation 1 had given him and bade me good
bye.
II had forgotten all about the old coun-
tryman, when one day, about a fortnight
afterWard, a constable came aboard and
asked to see Captain Mahan, stating that l
must appear in court the next day at 10
o'clock as a Witness could not think for
the life of me of any case in court that 1
knew anything about. You can judge my
surprise when I saw Daniel Webster and
recognized him as my old friend that asked
so many questions. He was laying down
the law to the court in great shape using
ALI the nautical terms in Bowditch'S Navi-
gator, and TO hear him talk. boys, you'd
thought he'd been to sea all his life.
TT appeared that there had been COLI
sion in the harbor and the owners were set
tling which ship was to blame in court
Webster was counsel for one of the mer-
chants. He introduced me to the court as
Captain Mahan, one of the ablest sea cap
tains that sailed out of Boston. Well. boys.