Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-04-04
ASTORY OF WEBSTER
ONE OCCASION WliEN DANIEL WAS
DEEPLY HU,nLiATED.

An Incident While Checked and Sur
prised Him Into Z .ars - The Admi
ration, the Loyalty and the Gener.
osIty of His Circle of Friends.
The following incident in the life Of
Daniel Webster was related to the
writer by the late Joshua Seward:
Mr.. Seward came to Woburn from
Boston in the early seventies and
bought q farm, where he lived until
his death in 1885. lie was a native OF
the New Hampshire Peace City," from
which place he came to Boston in early
manhood and later engaged In the liv-
cry business Off School street. He was
a genial. social. active young man, and
! in a short time many of the business
and professional men of the city were
his friends and patrons. Daniel Web
ster, then In the fullness of his mas
terly manhood. was his particular
friend and most favored patron. One
year Webster early engaged to deliver
the Fourth Of July grafton in the city.
A public procession was then an i'm
portant feature of the celebration, and
the orator of the day was the chief
person Of distinction In the parade. In
those days there were no four wheeled
vehicles for convenience or for pleas
ure 4 chaise was the proper carriage
for gentlemen to use. Webster was
popular and proud as popular. He saw
no chaise in the city as good as he de-
sired to appear in on that important
occasion, and therefore he ordered one
to be built by the principal carriage
maker of the city Sargent, 1 think it
was), to be ready for use on that day.
In the morning of the Fourth he APP
peared at Stewards stable Office and
requested Seward to go to the carriage
shop and get the chaise he had ordered.
Seward harnessed horse and went to
the carriage shop as directed and told
the proprietor he had come for Mr..
Websters chaise The proprietor In
firm and measured tones that could
not be misunderstood asked, "Did Mr..
Webster send the money to pay for the
chalseY
In relating this to me Seward said:
81 was never so astonished in my lifel
l should have been less surprised If he
had raised his fist and knocked me
down. had no thought that there was
a man living who had ever heard Of
the great Webster, the godlike Daniel,
who would or who could have denied |
him any request II was possible to
grant. | could only say, He sent no
money by me- Then said the pro-
prietor, tell him he can have the chaise
when he sends the money to pay for 1t
and not till them" Seward said he
was never IN such dilemma in all his
life He could not go back and tell that
great man, whom he adored, that he
could not have the chaise till he paid
for it. And yet he must go back and
tell him something. But what could he
tell him? Finally, after much thought
and study it occurred to him that he
had a new chaise which he would offer
to Webster and tell him that the var
nish on the one he had ordered was not
yet hard and that it would be liable to
Injure if taken out in the heat and dust
Of that public day. Webster met Sew
ard at the door when he returned, and
before Webster could ask a question
Seward was telling him the story he
lad invented on the way home Web
'ter made no reply, but accepted Sew
ards statement as true androde in his
,haise that day.
About q week later Webster came
again and said to Seward, II think the
1arnish on that chaise is hard now,
Ind you may go down and get it."
Seward said: with a heavy heart l
q horse and went again to
he shop. l knew l should not get the
haise, and was not disappointed. In
he same manner ] was asked the same
question as before l could not invent !
mother story that would be credible
nd was therefore compelled to go |
Jack and tell him the truth" Webster c
vas impatiently awaiting Stewards re- '
urn, and when in hailing distance he I
allied to Seward where is the
halse? What Is the troubleT Seward
pproached him more closely and In
ones so low that no one could over
ear him replied, Gle told me to tell !
on that you could have the chaise
'hen you sent the money to pay for 1t =
nd not before" Webster stood silent :
n instant and then with voice trem- =
ling with emotion exclaimed, "My Il
cd, Joshua, did he say thatT and l
Ink into nearby chair and cried as u
'ould deeply aggrieved child Of six =
-
1t is well known that Webster would y
cur debt apparently with no thought u
at there were two parties to a con- u
act, a creditor and a debtor, and ~
at their moral obligations were CO.
Iual. Consequently his creditors so u
ultiplied and his indebtedness so In u
eased as to interfere with his po- III
lcal plans, IL not, indeed, threaten his al
litical future At this time his ID
lends came to his aid and, 1t is said &C
ised the sum of $4,000 to cancel his pI
1ebtedness and relieve him from the
rther annoyance and pressure of his
editors. When we realize that $40,-
was a larger sum to raise then for III
y purpose than would be 100000 OF
day we have some measure Of the az
and the loyalty of his gu
ends.-H. c. Hall In Boston Tran re
'lpt. ar
&C
Just So. at
I thought you said you couldn't live
thout me" sneered the girl.