The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-09-10
"Going 10 Law"


Happening into lhe office Of % county Judge
recently, 90 have some documents made out
for tbe transfer Of piece Of property, We
overheard part of lho details Of o case some,
ding like thisi-Iwo mon-Hham we rccog-
-Ulls aa poor day laborers, were having papcr
drawn up for carrying o suit 10 q higher court,
where the expenses, which we're % be- secured
iG advance, would amount to about hund.
rcd dollars. A. near as we could learn, one
Of the parties bad agreed 10 purchase COW
Of lhs other, Tor thirty dollars, bpt before her
actual transfer sho died, Zach man bad al
ready expended about hhy dollars, in court
and fcc,, expenses 0fWitncsscs, Nc,uud NOW
they were preparing 10 continue the contest
at 900 expense equivalent 70 what they could
earn Zoo Sis months labor
There f. mo- doubt that most persons who
would G,l sit down and count thc cost Of %
,u,t 90 hv, would bc deferred from entering
into litigation, but Tor feeling Of false dig
u.y. "l would Hpeud the last cent before
! would allow him % trlwple on my rights
rs thr common expression, a story current
,p oaf Aa,lslaa 4sill illustrate tti- i',r
Dulohmcn came into court about dog TINT
Bad been Killed, and the following scene oc.
Cured i-
Judge 90 the defcndanp-" did YOU Nil
lhc plaintiffs dog 20
Defendant" 10 pc shurc Kilt his toN,
blt ho must yrorr IT,
Judge Go the plaintiff )--" low much was
your dog worth ''
Painu.F-" 10 pc shure tc tok WAS wort
noting, hpt since hrcsh been so mean ash to
KIT Uim T7'1iI compel tmr0Pry futt-vat7
ur."
We recently heard OF case OF the souJT
worth relating In illustration. \ whip was
borrowed, and on being returned, the lender
declared that seven inches had been worn of
from the end Of the lash. High words en-
sued, lcali9g 20 q quarrel, which was carried
into cour',nnd from ono cour, to another with
,hc usual delays, unlil.thc aggregate costs to
the parties actually amounted to seven thou
sand do,llrs--a thousand dollars an inch for
the worn lash, without reckoning time, trou-
be, and the bad feelings cngcndcrcd.
In another instance long legal contest en-
sued, the original cause Of which was n slight
tre,pls, by calf. The case ended by a COM
promise, each party paying his own costs ;
d., ,oia, amount rthrsc had run up 20 near
Is I.reu howaui dollars! How many sFh
cascs-uot quite SO striking pcrhaps-ha,c
e-i-p uLlps ihp nai.ra Of most pef2ans, lIaw
many estates have been wasted, and heirs
bossarcd, 10y an unwiingncss to make slight
concessions.
But the pceuniay loss, serious as it often
may be-, {, not the worst feature in the busi-
ness. The hatred cngcndcred, aud bad pas
,i1us uourj,hcd, react sadly upon the parties
engaged. The disposition is sourcd, peace
baui,hrd, and constant vcNotion and npprc-
hcu,ion cmbittcr lif", Said one who had fl
nally obtained his suit, involving a large
amount, and one which he could i'll afford TO
lo,c.--" bad foresecn the anxiety and vcx-
..atiou ! have suffered from this business,
would have given receipt in full for the
amount, yathcr than have commenced" Many
others will bear the same testimony. There
are cases where it is positive duty to invoke
the aid Of the law to secure or preserve rights
but reason, not passion should preside when
such interests arc involved.