Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-12-30
A YOUNG LAWYERS ADVENTURE.

w hiic hithuihs puh,S hiiu
-Housekceper.
A YOUNG LAWYERS ADVENTURE.
Can l sit with youP"
~ Certainly, sir" altL
fCs'Nice weather."
'tSplendid, indeed"
Crops growing finelyp"
"Yes, couldn't do better"
/ was sitting in passenger coach, on
Wisconsin railroad, one day, years
ago, when good looking, pleasant
spoken man came along, stopped at my
seat, and the above conversation took
place, the latter part of it after l had
given him part of my seat.
Now / am regarded rs social man.
like a joke, a good bit; and l think a
sour, morose man, who uses his tongue
only when obliged to, is bound to die of
some terrible disease, and go to some
place of red-hot punishment.
On entering railroad car / always
look about for talkative man, and then
get as close to him as possible, and
drain him dry, if the journey is long
enough.
And i want to state one thing more.
Left an orphan before could realize the
event which had made me one. I got
Kicked here and cuffed there, and "grew
up between folks" as they say 1
ought to have had, at the time of which
4 write, a pretty thorough knowledge of
human nature, and have been enabled
ytoread in mans face if he intended
|. me evil. did not pride myself on be-
sing over keen or extra sharp, but the
knocking around among strangers ought
!. to give one good experience.
Well, the stranger and fell into an
easy train of conversation as we rode on
together, and in ten minutes began to
ienjoy his company. He was we'll
made fellow, finely dressed, and he wore
a fine watch and simon pure diamond
ring. / never saw man who could talk
so easily and so pleasantly. 1t seemed
}, that he had but to open his mouth and
the words fell right out.
II Il had travelled in the South, so had he.
he knew all about it. had been up in
a balloon, down in mine; been blown
up, smashed up, and repaired again; my
& new friend had experienced all these
things; and was waiting for something
to turn up of a more startling nature.
We agreed on politics, and had never
met such a railroad companion.
,il Did you ever meet a man who, though
= stranger to you ten minutes before,
could wrest from you secrets which you d
sworn to yourself not to revealp Well
he was just such man. 1t was moi
long before he commenced asking mt
questions. He did not seem to be try
ing to quiz or draw me out, but he asked
me questions in such sly, round abou
way, that before knew it was giving
frim my history.
was just at that time on the point o
being admitted to the bar of Wisconsin
as a student of Law 81 Law, of Brier
vile.
n The firm were old lawyers, with
lucrative practice, and it had bee
talked over that in about a month l wa
to become the $50" of the firm. .
year before, an old farmer named Pres
n ton, down about four miles from Gra
ton, had died, and his matters had bee
put into the hands of Law & Law fC
settlement. Preston had died rich. II
had money in the bank, railroad stock,
mortgages, ETC., and everything wa
d settledup to the satisfaction of the r,
q lict and the fatherless.
- About year before his death, bein
short for money and not wishing to sc
anything at sacrifice, Preston ha
given a mortgage on his farm ft
$4,000. While the papers read '' OF
year from date" there was verb
agreement that it should be lifted G
any day when Preston desired
month after, when, having the none
he desired to clear off the paper, the o
( money-bags holding it refused to di
Z gorge, wishing to secure his interest Fl
a year.
l was on my way to ascertain the da
of expiration. A fire among our off,
papers had destroyed the memorand
and must go down and get the da
: from old Scrip, who lives south of Gra
ton about five miles. The stranger h,
pumped all this out of me in ten mi
m utes; and yet / never once suspect,
that he was receiving information.
+" j am not positive" / added, :" but
49,. am pretty sure the time is the 18th
: which would be Tuesday,
ht ." And then your folks will send dov
~ the money and discharge the mortgag
of courseP' he inquired.
oh, yes. should most likely bril-
il down." replied, and itnever occurr
TO me how imprudent was.
He turned the conversation into 9th
n, channels and did not once attempt
~ pump me further We got TO Graft
y at half-past ten. and to my surprise
announced that he was to stop in t
town on business for few days. h
not asked his name or vocation, VIII
he knew everything about me.
,sa'l We went to the hotel, had dinner, a
then | secured lively team and dro
g.out, getting through with the busint
q so that was back to take the half-pi
two express east. My friend was on I
porch of the hotel as / drove up, carr
y ing that same honest dignified face.
yllt We'll, did you find outp' he
quired, in his pleasant way.
It's on the 18th, as / expected,
replied. 1fif'
sifs We had lunch together, and when
M shook hands and parted had no mt
idea OF seeing him again than l have
shn0sd hS sapd y0q xas "a parting mSgasss as gass Cjsss
- pasteboard, and bore the name Of sc
Raleigh" " in script.
Everything at the Office went on
usual, and the 18th came at length. l.
& Law had arranged for me TO go do
with the money, and looked upon 4
business of no special importance.
- We know you are all right"
marked the senior partner, as F,
about TO 60; but want 10 give yo
word Of warning, nevertheless, Dc