The Worthington advance., 1882-08-03
Judah p. Benjamin.
London Letter to the Atlanta Constitut

London Letter to the Atlanta Constitution.
Idoubt if there is at the south one
man familiar with his countly's history
for the last thirty years who is not proud
Of the career of Judah P. Benjamin. In
inquiring for his chambers, I learned
from middle temple barrister that Mr.
Benjamin was regarded to-day as the
greatest lawyer at the English bar. He
is in court all day till 4 o'clock in the af-
ternoon, than until 7.3O o'clock receives
the solicitors in his chambers After
this he goes home to dine at his club
in the west end. His only leisure is on
Sunday and al occasional evening.
Short Of stature, thick set, with strong,
bright eye, he is a man Of simple, nat
ural manner, relating his adventures,
-everses and successes with the charmi, e
ease, grace and naturalness, mingled
with Il subtle playfnlness Of Il
good reconteur. He said, in talking of
his adventures after the fall of Richmond,
that the confederate government left
Richmond in body. He and Mr.. Davis
were together on their way to the trans
Mississippi department., and Mr.. Davis
left the party to meet his wife, en- route,
and it was in her camp that he was cap
tured. The friends, did not
know that Mr. Davis was in the
wagon train which was transporting Mrs.
Davis and friend, and only approached
cniiously to see what it meant. Mr..
Benjamin continued his journey alone,
and hearing Of the capture ofMr. Davis,
gave away his saddle and bride, and Sc
curing an old tree threw over it a sheep
skin, and under al alias, playing farmer,
at length reached the gulf coast. Here
he took small boat, and coasting ar
West, he embarked in small sail boat,
open and without deck, for Nassau.
Here the small, Quaint-looking,
black and bright eyes glistened. as this
remarkable man related how, when the
gulf stream almost carried them out in
to the open sea; when battling with a
headwind, and out Of sight Of land (for
100 miles was the distance), and with
sone bushel of raw, sweet potatoes to
feed three men," when, almost without
hope, at the last moment, the wind
changed, filled their small sail, carried
them within sight of the lighthouse, and
enabled them to effect landing Just at
the extreme northern point of the Ba-
aamas. He landed in England in Sep
tember, 1900. In June, looo, ne was adj
mitted to practice in the English bar;
his admission was granted by the
benches of Lincoln's inn, in six months
instead of three years, as the rules gen.
orally require, on the ground that he
was an old member of the bar of a
eS9ntry coy gSyernsd under the system Of Of
was a political exile. He published
his Benjamin on Sales" in 1865, having
in the intervening years supported him
selfand his family by writing lea ling
articles for the newspapers The first
year he made about G30O, the next year
about e4O0, and in the fourth year, he
said my income was 81 900. 1t rapidly
increased after that" At the present
rate Of Mr.. Benjamin's income he will,
in few years, if he is not now, be the
possessor Of vast wealth. "My books
gave me my practice" and now, won
derful to relate, II have," said he, cup
on looking over my cases yesterday, Just
one-half of the cases from the realm ii.
e., the whole of England, Scotland and
IrelanD before the house of lords on
the appeal" Mr.. Benjamin's daughter
married a French officer of the staff and
his wife and daughter live in Paris.