Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-04
NEW YORK LAWYERS.
The Chances for Roscoe COnk.
ling Among Them,

New York Let er TO st. Louis Republican.
The New York lawyers are watching
the movements of ex-senator Conkiing
closely, as they apprehend that he will
carry out his rumored purpose OF set
Ting down here and beginning law
practice. New York is full 10 overflow
inc of lawyers Ii is said that there are
FIVE thousand lawyers here. The police
say that there ale just five Thousand
thieves in the city, or one client LOT each
LAWYER. Ii Conkling settles here 1t 10
naturally expected that he Will al once
stem into large practice; but II he does
| il will be through the combined efforts
Of the Old Guard. Mr.. ConkliDg has
many admirers bere for his pluck, his
power of invectiye an, his invincible
shirt. but it is commonly said OF him
nv l,wyers that he isn't versed IN the
| law Of today, IN al he Is about twenty
wears behind The profession, and that
he cannot disassociste the court rom
the political stump. He recently argued
case before the Court of Appeals,
and many lawyers went to hear hiin'
and they had rI'hcuied his effort there
without stint. but the more charitaDie
saw oil If that Mr.. Conkiing had made no
Preparation, that he seemed TO nave
put no study or thought into his SUB
irct, and thar he appea ed to be merely
talking against time. When John n
Porter came to New York he was given
Sl0 900 year TO unite himself with
yonnp firm. David Dudley Field has
the practice which Mr.. Conkling would
he ant 10 cut into. Field, like every
member of his family, knows how TO
make money, and the large fees he gets
afford gossip Tor hundreds OF striving
Young LAWYERS. Mr.. Field must have
money down before he hears any story
whatever from a client. Mr.. Evarts'
firm does large Office business, and 30
does s. l.. NJ. Barlow and his partners.
Roger A. Pryor, the ex.rebel General, Is
one of the successful lawyers In his
cases, and is an indeiatigable student
from early morning until night. Charles
OConnor, still very aged and apparent.
" feeble, and still wearing the same old
hat, rejects such practice as tends to ex.
haust him, and makes a selection OF
that which comes to him. But while
about a dozen lawyers IN New YORK
make from $4,000 to $4,000 year,
untold hundreds make barely enough
TO live decently. The common saving
is that a lawyer to be successful IN New
York has to marry practice, inherit
practice or steal practice. A success
ful LAWYER recently said to me that no
LAWYER in the competition that now ex-
lists can honestly make more than SlO,-
600 wear. A large share OF the bust
ness is done on contingent fees. This
is especially true in will contests and
attacks upon corporations. The latter
have to keep their armor we'll protected
or the nose of legal shark will be in at
the first crevice found. How MIR.
Conkling is to step in now as beacon
light OF the bar is puzzle to some OF
the old lawyers. 1t is not at all sus-
pected that he will abandon politics,
and some of the Stalwarts boast that he
is to be y candidate for Governor next
wear and for President in 1884. Financial.
iy Mr.. COnkling is poorer off than the
much ridiculed Thomas G. Plat. The
latter has $4,000 year salary as Presl-
dent of an express company and S2,5OO
year as Quarantine Commissioner.
Mr.. Conkling is said to have no income
of his own worth mentioning.