Evening star., 1911-08-10
HOME OF WEBSTER
House in Which Statesman
Lived and Died Burned Down.
MODERN VILLA ON THE SITE
Body of Great Orator, However,
Rests on Original Place.
GRAVE IS MARKED BY SLAB
Wife, Tive, Sons and Several De-
scendants Also Buried in
Old Cemetery.
GRAVE IS MARKED BY SLAB
BY WILLIAM F.. CT RTIS.

RECORD fcraM.
MARSHFIELD Mass, August s. 1911.
The house in which Daniel Webster
lived and died at Marshield (Which is
called ,Mashfield In the native tongue).
about twenty miles south Of Boston, on
the Pilgrim shore. was burned down in
1880, and the present owner of the farm.
Mr. Walton Hall. has built upon the site
far-spreading modern villa. with pin
nacles and towers and broad porches.
little one-story, one-room building,
twelve by fifteen feet in size, which Web
ster built and used for a study, and
where he kept his books, is now cream-
cry. while the old mill in which the 'ex
FOUNDER attempted to manufacture cot
ton cloth. whereby he lost good deal of
money. is blacksmith shop occupied by
Mr.. Wilson. typical Yankee. who owns
the clock that used to be in the law
Office and the flask in which Webster
used to carry his whisky when he went
hunting or fishing Websters carriage,
which was used for twenty years before his
his death to convey the members Of his fam
lily to and from the railway station at Marsh
field. to church and when they went visit
ing among hte neighbors. is still preserved
and in good condition, and thu Hall fam
lily sometimes takes favorite visitors for
drive in it as a special favor. There
are other relics of lesser Importance that
went with the place when it was sold to
Mr.. Hall many years ago. and are highly
priced by him. The old church which
Webster attended is still used' for public
worship, and the pew he occupied is
marked with an engraved plate
Webster planted more than thousand
trees upon the place-elms, oaks. NAPLES,
beeches and other varieties-and they
are now in their prime They are the
glory of Marshfield. The weeds in which
he shot birds and squirrels, the brooks
in which he fished and the meadows in
which he sometimes used to swing a
scythe and pitch hay are regarded with
reverence by the entire community, and
many strangers come on pilgrimages OF
respect.
Webster was attracted to Marshfield be-
cause of the hunting and fishing in the
neighborhood, and while he was young
man, practicing law in Boston. came down
here to spend his vacations and boarded
with Capt. John Thomas, an old seafarer.
who had a commodious farmhouse near
the shore In 1881 Webster bought the
farm for $500. and enlarged the house
The original place contained $50 acres and
lay on both sides of little inlet with
nothing between 1t and the sea. Behind
the house was a large bubbling spring OF
pure. cold water. and its overflow ran
into little fresh water lake. Webster
purchased additional land from time to
time until, at his death. he owned LIZA
acres, Wh1cn cost MIN altogether SsSf,Of4.%O-
1t was not fertile soil and most OF 1t
was in meadow and pasture, but he cul-
tivated a sufficient area to raise all the
vegetables needed for the household. and
to feed a herd Of cows. bunch OF swine
and a yard full Of poultry He made but
ter and sent it with eggs to the Boston
market, as Mr.. Hail. the present oc-
cup&nt of the place is In the habit OF
doing Webster was scientific farmer
and made experiments with fertilizers. ro-
faf nf methods
are conventional now, but were unusual
in those days.
Lies in Old Burying Ground.
The cemetery in which the great man
lies is familiarly known to Hle neighbors
as 1.-The Winslow and Webster burying
ground 1t is one of the oldest ceme-
teries in North America, and the tomb
stones bear dates as far back as 1880. 1t
stands at the summit Of bleak wind
swept HILL with only three trees-elms-
which are said to have been planted by
| Webster. but they are too small to con-
firm that story as he died In 1so2 Ihere
is a windowless tower in the distance;
the ocean is in full sight and the light
house on Minot's Lodge may be seen dis
tinctly on clear days. 1t is a lonesome
place. and in winter must be rather DIS
agreeable, but Webster was in the habit
of going up there for the view. and often
| sat by the Winslow mausoleum to medi-
tate and reason out his invincible and ir-
resistible logic. He doubtless thought
over some of his great speeches there.
There have been periodical agitations
in Massachusetts about the neglect OF
Webster's grave. and several movements
have been started for the erection of a
suitable monument to his memory. Al
though there are several statues In diner
| ent parts of the country, none OF them
are appropriate. A Webster Monument
Association has been in existence for
many years for the purpose OF erecting
| a proper memorial. and / believe some
/ subscriptions have been made from time
TO time. but nothing practical has ever
| been done. and the grave is now marked
only by a simple slab OF granite. which
stands in plot thirty feet square in size
surrounded by iron fence. and entered
/ by swinging back an iron gate The
plot is neatly kept the turf is perfect,
and the grass was evidently cut not long
| ago
Webster himself when the body of Maj.
| Edward Webster his eldest son. was
| brought home from Mexico during the
war of 1s4S His grave is marked by
neat shaft inscribed with the name and
date, with the line under them: "A dearly
| beloved son and brother.
Nearby is the grave of Fletcher Web
| ster. the other son, who also died In war.
and his brief biography is told in the
| epitaph:
! Colonel Fletcher Webster,
| 18th Mass. Volunteers.
| Son of Daniel and Grace Fletcher Web
Ster.
'Born in Portsmouth. y. F., July Is, 1873
''Fell at Bull Run. Aug. 3o. 1867.
| Erected by the officers of the 18th Regt.,
Mass. Infantry,
| ITO the memory OF their beloved coionei.
And il / am too old myself hope there
are those connected with me who are
young and willing to defend their
country to the last drop of