Evening journal., 1915-04-29
New News Of Yesterday
Where Daniel Webster
Tried His First Case
BY Holland.

In many parts of New Hampshire.
especially amid the foothills Of the
White Mountains. there we're display
ed two or three years ago roadside
signs which pointed the way 10 the
birthplace of Daniel Webster. Many
persons. realizing that Wehster's is
about the only name of all those
from New England who shared in
public life in the first half of the
nineteenth century which is not for
gotten. were anxious to look at the
little farmhouse in New Hampshire
where he was born. They did not
find IL, for il no longer exists. al
though the spot whereon il stood is
still identified. These anuuuaries
and visitors, however, obtained some
compensation for their disappoint-
ment at not finding the birthplace Of
Webster in hearing various tradition
al anecdotes associated with Web
sters early life. For there are peo-
pie now living in New Hampshire
whose parents or grandparents were
able to report interesting anecdotes
about him which seem to be authen-
tic. and which related TO his early
days
There is one visible memorial OF
Webster's first practice at the New
Hampshire bar and It is as humble.
inconspicuOus and rustic as is possi-
ble TO find. There stands in the town
of Plymouth. n. H., which is at the
gateway on the west OF the White
Mountains. a typical New England
blacksmith shop. It must have been
built in the days when the black
smith was one of the leading citizens
OF a New England community. II was
so built that there were convenient
shelters for Ox-shoeing as well as
horse-shoeing. A little shed-liko
building adioins the forge and. ac-
cording to local tradition. the black
smith or possibly one of his assist
ants was a justice of the peace and
sat in that capacity when trials were
under way
One of the venerable citizens Of
that community, in pointing out this
blacksmith shop to me, said:
There is absolute proof that in
that little room, which was a part Of
the blacksmith shop. Daniel Webster
tried his first case as a lawyer. The
justice of the peace sat at A little
table and he was in his shirt sleeves.
The windows and the door were open.
hut this little trial which was for
the collection of a small debt attract
cd no attention. The young men who
appeared for one Of the parties to the
suit was Daniel Webster and he. him
self, has said that this was the first
case that came to him after he hung
up his shingle Webster did not live
in Plymouth, but he opened a law
Office not far from here.
What would people have said If
they could have known that the young
lawyer who was trying his first case
in the blacksmith shop was 20 gain
fame as one of the greatest of Amer
ican orators and was to hold-with
a single exception-the highest places
in public life within the gift of the
people? They would have hocked to
I this blacksmith shop for miles
around. as they did many years later
when Webster appeared as one of the
counsel in a famous case which was
held in Concord. Mass. ] have been
told that when IL was known that
Daniel Webster was 10 appear in the
little Concord courtroom people came
from as far away as Boston and from
all parts of the surrounding country
to see and hear this great man"