The Washington herald., 1915-04-29
HISTORY BUILDERS.
by DR.. E. j. EDWARDS.
Where Daniel Webster Tried His First

| In many parts Of New Hampshire.
especially amid the foothills Of the
I White Mountains. there were displayed
two or three years ago roadside signs
which pointed the way to the birth
place of Daniel Webster Many per-
sons. realizing that webster'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 forgotten, were anxious
to look at the little farmhouse in New
Hampshire where he was born. They
did not find it, for il no longer ex.
lists, although the spot wherein IL
stood is still identified. These anti
quaries and visitors. however. obtained
some compensation for their disap-
pointment at not finding the birth
place of Webster in hearing various
traditional anecdotes associated with
Webster's early life. For there are
people now living in New Hampshire
whose parents or grandparents were
able to report interesting anecdotes
about him which seem to be authentic,
and which related to his early days
There is one visible memorial of
Webster's first practice at the New
Hampshire bar and ii is as humbis.
inconspcuous and rustic as is possibls
to find. There stands in the town of
Plymouth. y. H, which is at the gate
WY on the west OF the w mite NOUN
! tains, typical New England black
smith shop. 1t must have been built
in the days when the blacksmith was
one of the leading citizens of a New
England community. II was SO built
that there were convenient shelters
for ON-shoeing well as horseshoe
ing. little shed-like building ad-
joins the forge and. according to local
tradition. the blacksmith or possibly
of IStn to iuSt Eaa
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 black
smith 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 lawyer. The
justice of the peace sat at little
able and he was in his shirt sleeves.
The windows and the door were open,
but this little trial which was for
the collection of a small debt attract
ed 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 shingIe. Webster did not live
in Plymouth. but he opened a law
office not far from here.
"Wha, would people have said IL
they could have known that the young
lawyer who was trying his first case
in the blacksmith shop was to gain
fame one of the greatest of Amer
lean orators and was to hold-vgth
a single exception-the highest places
in public life within the gift of the
people? They would have fiocked to
this blacksmith shop for miles around.
as they did many years later when
Webster appeared as one of the coun-
sci in famous case which was held
in Concord. Mass I have been told
that when it was known that Daniel
Webster to apear in the little
Concord courtroom people came from
as far away as Boston ana from all
parts of the surrounding country to
see and hear this great man"
Copyright, 1915 BY z. ]. Edwards. All rights ~
srsed.I
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell of
The Real Originator of the Civil War
Strategy"