Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-30

tfans- Atiantlc liners were due tt
pause in the outer harbor and take
aboard the multitudes homeward
bound to America, the town wa,
transit CURED. The transfigura
ton, indeed, began on the prey
ious evenings, for it was then tina,
the less knowing and more timid
of the tourists began to arrive.
The knowing ones, having once
tasted the Lethe of Cherbourg, re.
manned in Paris until the last min.
ute, and stepped from the boat
train to the waiting tender. But
the less well informed came on the
day beforehand never, for the re.
mainder of their lives, forgot the
dullness of their last day in Flu.
rope. Then there were the nervous.
ly anxious, their peace Of mind al.
ready wrecked by the vagaries OF
the European baggage system,
who dared not run the risk of ar.
irving at the last moment. So
they, too, journeyed to Cherbourg
the day before the sailing date, in
order to have a clear "a hours in
which to search for the pieces
which were certain to be missing.
That day at Cherbourg was al
ways an expensive one, for the no
tel keepers of the place, having to
1--we for seven days on the proceeds
OF two, arranged their rates ac-
cordingly.
At the edge of the narrow strip
OF rock strewn sand which consti-
tutes the beach at Cherbourg,
stands the Grand hotel-familiar
name to every traveller in Europe,
where even the smallest hamlet
has its Grand The one at
Cherbourg is a rambling, three
stored frame structure, with a
glass enclosed dining room over
looking the. harbor, and here. at
10 o'clock on the morning of
"Wednesday, the 9th Of Septem-
Der, in the year of our Lord, 1911,
Daniel Webster was disconsolately
eating that frugal meal which is
the French breakfast. Not the
great Daniel-all well informed
persons are, of course, aware that
he passed to his reward some 60
years ago-but a we'll built, fresh
faced, rather good looking young
fellow, still on the right side Of
80, who had most inadvisedly
chosen to appear in this world of
trouble on the Tooth anniversary
OF the birth Of the great Daniel.
and who had forthwith been hand
icapped with his name.
John Webster, an honest farmer
OF the Connecticut valley, had al
ways been a worshiper at the
shrine of the eloquent New Eng
lander, to whom he fancied him
self related, and. when, having
taken to himself a wife, that wife
presented him with a son on the
very day when the centenary Of
his her0's birth was being cele-
brated, the coincidence appeared
to him too momentous to be disre-
garded, and the boy was christ
ened Daniel.
It wac Q thing no thoughtful
father would have done. and a.
Dan grew Older, he resented his
name bitterly. It was the subject
Of brutal jests from his playmates,
resulting in numberless pitched
battles, and Of still more brutal
hazing when he pursued his pre-
destined way through the portals
OF the university at. New Haven.
Here he was promptly rechrist-
ened Ichabod, and his real name
was gradually forgotten.
Ia the depths af his heart, John
Webster may perhaps have hoped
that this waa to be. q real reincar-
nation. Il 20, he was doomed to
disappointment, for the younger
Daniel gave no promise Of being
either : statesman or an orator.
But he took to ink 90 q duck to
water, was never 30 happy as when
his pen was spelling good white
paper was elected editor Of the
|NHNA,sAnd. commencement over.