The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-03
A STORY OF WEBSTER
ONE OCCASION WHEN DANIEL WAS
DEEPLY INUNDATED.
An incident which shocked and Sur
prfsed Him Into Tears - The Admit
ration, the Loyalty and the Gener-
osity of His Circle of Friends.

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 a farm, where he lived until
his death in 1855. He 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
ure. A 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, I think 1t
was), to be ready for use on that day.
In the morning of the Fourth he ap-
peared at Stewards stable Office and
requested Seward to go to the carriage
shop and get the chaise he had ordered.
Seward harnessed a horse and went to
the carriage shop as directed and told
the proprietor he had come for Mr..
webster's chaise. The proprietor in
firm and measured tones that could
not be misunderstood asked, did Mr..
Webster send the money to pay for the
CHASER
In relating this to me Seward said:
st was never so astonished in my lifei
I should have been less surprised IL 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 1t was possible to
grant. I 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 it
and not till then Seward said he
was never in such a dilemma in all his
life. He could not 60 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 q 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
had invented on the way home. Web
ster made no reply, but accepted Sew
ards statement as true and rode in his
chaise that day.
About a week later Webster came
again and said to Seward, II think the
varnish on that chaise is hard now,
and you may go down and get it."
Seward said: with heavy heart
harnessed a horse and went again to
the shop. 1 knew I should not get the
chaise, and l was not disappointed. In
the same manner 1 wcs asked the same
question as before. I could not invent
another story that would be credible
and was therefore compelled to go
back and tell him the truth" Webster
was impatiently awaiting Stewards re-
turn, and when in hailing distance he
called to Seward: Where is the
chaise? What is the troublew Seward
approached him more closely and in
tones so low that no one could over
hear him replied, He told me to tell
you that you could have the chaise
when you sent the money to pay for II
and not before" Webster stood silent
an instant and then with voice trem-
bling with emotion exclaimed, my
God, Joshua, did he say that?" and
sank into a nearby chair and cried as
would deeply aggrieved child of six
summers.
1t is well known that Webster would
incur debt, apparently with no thought
that there were two parties to a con-
tract, a creditor and a debtor, and
that their moral obligations were CO.
equal. Consequently his creditors SO
multiplied and his Indebtedness so in
creased as to interfere with his po-
litical plans, IL not, indeed. threaten his
political future. At this time his
friends came to his aid and, 1t is said
raised the sum of 0,OOO to cancel his
indebtedness and relieve him from the
further annoyance and pressure of his
creditors. When we realize that $40.
600 was a larger sum to raise then for
any purpose than would be 100000
today we have some measure of the
admiration and the loyalty of his
friends.-H. c. Hall in Boston Tran
script