Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-31

him in weight. lie took the examina-
lions, passed the mental, but lacked
ten pounds in meeting the weight as
scheduled in the physical requirements.
He was passed over until the fall OF
the same year, but was still short IN
the second examination. He remained
in Washington, d. c., four months be-
fore returning home.
Is Admitted to the Bar.
His failure to meet the physical re-
quirements necessary to life in the
government service probably changed
the entire career of Byron Webster.
He decided on making law his profess
sion, and entered the law office OF
Henderson & Binford. Here he re-
manned until the fall of 1858. when he
went to Ann Arbor and enrolled as
student in the law department OF the
University of Michigan. In the spring
of the following year, at the April term,
he was admitted to the bar by Judge
d. d. Chase.
Quits Law Because Of Health.
While his practice gave great prom
local prominence, Mr.
Webster was compelled to abandon 1t
on account of poor health, and in the
early '70's he gave up his practice for
an outdoor life, and devoted his time
to looking after the raising of tine
stock and to real estate holdings In
which he had become interested. He
lost money in the stock business. and
after three years time tho he had re-
gained his health, he found that much
of his property had been absorbed and
sacrificed. He had established rep
utation for himself, however, in the
fancy stock business, especially IN
horses, and was known to stock breed
ers and fair managers turnout the
west.
Enters Newspaper World.
In the spring of 1876, just after the
municipal water works plant had been
built, Mr.. Webster received the APP
pointment Of the city council as city
clerk, and took charge of the water
rents He was also chosen secretary
of the school board, and held both
places until the spring of 1878. During
this period he acted as special cor
for the old Chicago Times,
and did much feature work for Storey s
great paper.
This insight into newspaper work
set Webster thinking. and the longer
he remained at it the more he felt that
he might be cut out for a newspaper
man. E. N. Chaplin. then editor OF the
Marshall County Daily Times. was
quick to recognize his ability as a
writer and made him city editor of the
paper, in which capacity he continued
until change in management, in the
early part of 1879.
Buys the Statesman.
In September, 1879, Mr.. Webster pur-
chased the Marshall Statesman, DEM
ocratic paper, then owned by Sanford
& Burkart He soon made himself
known turnout the state as one of the
ablest of writers on democratic doctrine.
In 1880 he sold a half interest in the
to Mr.. Burkart, and for many
years the paper was run by Webster
& Burkart, with Mr.. Webster as editor
and Mr.. Burkart manager. This paper
was one of the neatest geographically
of any weekly ever published in Iowa
or anywhere, for that matter, and Mr..
Webster's pen was power in demo-
cratic politics.
6ooms Cleveland for President.
Immediately after the election OF
Grover Cleveland. as governor Of New
York, in 1884, Mr. Webster was the
first editor in the west to boom the
governor for the presidency. and he
was untiring in his efforts to secure
a Cleveland delegation to the Chicago
convention. In this. he was success
full, and in return for his good work
the president appointed him collector
OF internal revenues for the Third dis
trict of Iowa, with headquarters at
Dubuque. which position he held I'M
til Oct. /, 1889. While holding that po-
sition a controversy arose between
Mr.. Webster and B. F. Wright, then
ance Alliance. which resulted in a COM
plete victory for Webster over the
great temperance advocate.
Brings Out Boiss for Governor.
Mr.. Webster, thru the Statesman, was
the first man to suggest the name and
urge the candidacy Of Horace Boies fol-
governor Of Iowa, and helped draft the
platform on which he was elected. He
was consulted on all democratic poll
tics in both county and district fol
many years, and from 1872 until he
gave UP the Statesman, excepting, OF
course, the time he was q federal Of
flee holder he was prominent in the
central committees Of his party. He
was county chairman for great many
years. also district chairman.
Elects "sen" Frederick.
One of Mr.. :Wehster's. greatest polit.
ical achievements was the election OF
ben" T. Frederick, of this city, as
democratic congressman Of the Fifth
district, in 1882. AS chairman of the
Fifth district committee, and by his
influence thru the Statesman Mr.. Web
ster brought victory to Frederick over
''Tama JIM Wilson, now United
States secretary of agriculture. This
was when the district had, but two
years before, gone 1000 republican
Mr.. Webster accomplished the same
feat two years later, in 1884, when
Frederick defeated Milo p. Smith.
Mr.. Webster in Later Years.
In more recent years, or since his re-
tirement from the newspaper field and
state politics, Mr.. Webster had devoted
his attention to large insurance and
bonding business, in which he had as
ISOLATED with his son, Mr.. Percy Web
ster. In recent months his attention
was divided between his private bust
ness and a newspaper position with the
Reflector Printing Company, which en-
gagged him last summer to take charge
of the local democratic weekly He has
hoop looking offor tho affairs ne tho4