The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-09-20
LIFE ON WEBSTER FARM
OWATONNA MAN WHO WORKED
FOR GREAT STATESMAN. n
Deacon C.. Woodman Relates Incl
dents OF this Days Down on the
Massachusetts Ranch.

few Owatouna citizens know that {
man who was acquainted with the fam
ous American statesman and orator
Daniel Webster, and who knew the
great man well as private citizen
has for many years lived in Owatonns
and is now living there.
Deacon l.. c. Woodman, octogenariar
and pioneer citizen of Owatonna, is
the man referred to. He was EN-.
ployed by Daniel Webster on his great
Marshfield farm nearly sixty years
ago, and came into personal contact
with that statesman of mighty brain
and powerful tongue.
Mr.. Woodman was about twenty five
wears of age and working out" when
chance secured him position on the
Webster farm This was a great es-
tate of 600 or 700 acres, located in
Marshfield, Massachusetts, on the ocean
side. 1t was Webster's home when
the statesman was not in Washing
ton or making political or business
pilgrimages. The farm produced about
200 tons of hay, corn and vegetables
of all kinds, such as the Massachu
sets farms are devoted to, but little
or no small grains.
Six to eight men were employed un
der foreman and teams of oxen were
used exclusively for the farm work
Webster was rather proud of his oXer
and looked after them sharply. 1t was
thus that Mr. Woodman, employed tC
handle two of the team, came into
contact with Webster with comparative
frequency. However, Webster so de
clares Mr.. Woodman, was better
Judge as to good looking beast thar
as to its strength and usefulness. He
wanted pretty animals and he want
ed them kept sleek.
When Mr.. Woodman became an EN-
ployee of Webster he knew nothing
of oxdriving. He was assigned as one
of his teams fractions, pair which
had repeatedly run away, smashing
things up as only a runaway OK team
can. Mr.. Woodman got real experience
handling this pair, but he conquered
them at last so that finally he was
able to ride on the wagon. For Ions
time it was the joke among the othel
help that Woodman kept one of The
oxen i'll the pasture and the othel
in the barn so that only one could
kick him at once.
Webster on occasion would lool
sharply into the affairs of his farm
Particularly on rainy days would HI
appear in the barns to see what wa!
going on. He was not much of hant
to 'call down" his help, however, bu
preferred to administer rebute in /;
roundabout manner, sometimes over Thu
shoulders of another man, but Away!
in way which the culprit could no
miss if he had any wit whatever.
Webster was well along in years a
the time and Mr.. Woodman refers tt
him as ''the old man. In fact Web
ster's death occurred only a year o.
so after Woodman left his employ.
Mr.. Woodman worked for Webste
two summers and one winter. In thu
fall after leaving the Webster farm HI
was married, and purchased farm
I'm New Hampshire. He ran that TO
several years, and then became over
seer of the poor farm in Canaan, Graf
ton county. New Hampshire, wher
he remained for -four years. Afte
that he came west, in 1859, and tool
up land in Owatonna.
Later he sold this farm and in part
nership with NJ. Gould, purchased /;
tract in Clinton Falls, where they raj
lime kiln for year. He then sol;
out to his partner and removed t.
lOwatonna, building home and re
naming for one year. Then he re
purchased the limekiln and conducted
lit for year after which he devotel
his attentions to farming until 1882
when he sold out and moved into DIVA
tonna, which has been his home eve
since.