The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-12-03
new NEWS 0f YESTERDAY
One Of Grants Ways of Reward
ing Good Service.
Or. c. D. Webster of the Sanitary
Commission Was Given the Luz
cratIve Post Of Consul at
Sheffield, England.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.


When General Grant became presi-
dent one of the country's most famous
war governors" William A. Bucking-
ham Of Connecticut, became a United
States senator, and almost at once
there sprang up between the two men
cordial relation that lasted until
Governor Buckingham's death. in
1875.
About year after this friendship
had been formed the president be-
came the guest of the senator at his
home in Norwich, and that the people
Of the town might meet the head of
the nation Senator Buckingham gave
q large reception In his honor.
Among the citizens introduced to
General Grant was DR.. Webster. No
soner had the president heard the
name than he detained It's possessor.
"On my stan, DR.. Webster" explained
the president, was a Col John Web
ster. He was one Of the best stan OFF,
GERS | ever had, and always think
Of him when l hear the name Of Web
ster spoken"
HE was my brother" said Dr. Web
ster.
Then l am more than ever pleased
to meet you, Dr. Webster" replied the
president, and, now that come to
think of 1t, you must be the brother
of whom l have heard Colonel Web
ster speak as having served without
remuneration in the hospital service
of the sanitary commission"
| Yes, Mrs. Webster and | were with
the sanitary commission throughout
the war" DR.. Webster answered. And
then, because the line behind was
pressing, the brief interview came to
an end
Late that evening the president told
his host the pleasure he had re-
ceived from meeting DR.. Webster. Il
know something of the very great
service he gave as member of the
hospital staff of the sanitary commits
sion, whose work wos of inestimable
value to the Union army" said the
president; and then he asked: rs Dr.
Webster practising medicine here?"
In reply the president was told that
DR.. Webster was now bookkeeper on
a small salary; that the prosperous
school he had founded and conducted
before the war had broken up when
he went with the sanitary commission,
and that, returning from the field, he
had been glad to get work as book
keeper. "Ah,' said the president, med
itatively, there have been many such
cases." And then the subject was
dropped.
A few weeks later the president re-
turned to Washington. He had no.
been there more than week or ten
days when official announcement was
made that President Grant had ap-
pointed DR.. g. D. Webster Of Connect
cut United States consul at Sheffield,
England, at that time one of the coun-
try's best paying consulates. 1t came
as a perfect surprise to all Of Nor
wich, Senator Buckingham and DR..
Webster included. 1t was an appoint
ment made entirely on the presidents
own volition, and made, undoubtedly
that DR.. Webster might be recon-
pensed in some measure for the, loss
3, of his school through his devotion tc
? the cause of the care Of the Unior
e / soldier.
= For fifteen years DR.. Webster served
as consul at Sheffield, and In all tina
time he was not once on a vacation
When Grover Cleveland became presi
e dent he was disposed to continue thu
o doctor In that post, but political pres
sure against this policy was too grea
for Mr.. Cleveland not to heed it ant
regretfully he named a new man "a
consul
(CopyriEht, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. Al
t Rights Ressrvsd)