Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-15
New News Of Yesterday
=Z=-
Some SidelightS on Daniel
Webster
BY Holland.

The late william T. Davis, of Ply
mouth, Mass, combined the business
OF a banker with the ayocation of a
writer, as did Samuel Rogers, who
gained his fortune as a banker, but
his reputation and fame as poet
and lltterateur.
Mr.. Davis was president for years
of a bank at Plymouth, hut he was
known especially in New England, as
the first authority OF his kind on the
history of Plymouth Rock and the
Plymouth colony He was an inti-
mate friend Of the public men Of his
/ day and also of those who constituted |
I what used TO be called the Boston |
school" of authors.
Mr.. Davis was a man Of great per- !
sonal charm, florid complexion, some |
what above the average stature ana |
\ well proportioned i'm figure, and he |
wore a heavy and flowing mustache.
I His manners revealed HIM as having
by Unborn disposition and by lifelong
! association with those who were of
2 gentle refinement himself attained
+. hiph degree of cultivation. IL was
4 uHIEnI AOI AMNrN WIN WAAN -
o 10 know him to spend an afternoon
I or am evening with him, for he pos
e sessed an unusual gift OF anecdotal
Is description o. men ana events.
Ralph Waldo Emerson married Miss
lydia Jackson, of Plymouth She
e was Emerson's second wife, his first
'ei having fallen victim 20 consump-
s. ton within year after her mar
rage. Emerson was thus brought
into close personal touch with those
o who we're active I'm the intellectual
q life of Plymouth. Mrs. Emerson s
brother, DR.. Charles Jackson, gained
international reputation 40 geolo-
gical surveyor OF the State OF Maine.
With Dr. Jackson, Mr.. Davis was IN
cordial personal relation.
In his early life. Mr.. Davis had
/. many opportunities to meet Daniel
~ Webster. He occasionally went with
! Webster up and down the brooks OF
- Marshfeld trout fishing. That was
Webster's recreation in the summer
~ and Marshneld was only a short dis
lance from Plymouth. Probably 4
u was upon one Of the occasions wheI
w. Emerson and Mr. Davis met that thu
- conversation turned upon Webster
whom Mr.. Davis knew so well ant
N whom Emerson had, as he said, en-
y tertained at his home H. Concord
Mass, at a time when Webster wa
engaged as counsel TO one OF tn
, parties of an important lawsuit.
Mr.. Davis long afterward said; EN-
4 erson told me that when he saw Wei
n ster in the courtroom, surrounded a
he was by distinguished lawyers,
ne appeared to be like the president OF
40 great college in the presence OF h
faculty. Emerson also told me that
discovered that Webster possessed II
rare gift which enabled him to remen
p Der faces and 10 associate the nam,
of the persons thus remembered viii
+ their faces and TO recall the inciden
z which subsequently he met those pc
sons.
"Of course. that is one OF the choi
est OF compliments which a great ms
can pay 70 any one with whom |
~ chats ! said TO Mr.. Emerson that
had found Webster very companio
able. of simple dignity. and yet alwa
conveying the impression that he W
~ man distinguished above his {,
lows, although he was not console
OF IT,
Hsi Emerson, in reply, told me n
ny while Webster was in Concord he
orc tended quite a number of social ever
( and that it was amazing 20 see h,
~ well and simply he bore himself up
some occasions Of that kind. althou
. some Of them must have appeared We
tame TO him. ! knew exactly WI
Emerson meant. for / had discover
the same quality in Webster during I
delightful association with him."