The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-16
A Retainer" Explained.

The following anecdote is related
of Daniel Webster: When Webster
was at the zenith of his career, one
day a gentleman waited upon him to
engage him for the defense of an i'm
portant case at law-the amount at
stake in the suit being $4,000. Having
stated the case from his point of view,
Mr.. Webster said he was willing to
take it, but the client could not tell
exactly when the case would come
on. every WELL" said Webster, "if
you retain me for the defense will
hold myself in readiness and not en-
gage for the plaintiff" The gentle
man asked what the retaining fee
would be. "a thousand dollars" "a.
thousand dollarsp exclaimed tie gen.
tleman" ayes; only think for Ia mo-
ment what engage to do, sir. J 1 do
not he4d myself at your service in the
matter perhaps for a month or more,
but 1 debar myself from accepting
any offer, no matter how large, from
the plaintiff" The applicant was sat-
isfied with this explanation, wrote
out a check for the amount and gave
it to the great expouDder, who, after
he had put it into his pocket, said: 81
will now give you a bit of advice gratis.
If you can compromise this business
upon fair terms with the plaintiff you
had better do So" The client acknowl-
edged his thanks and took his leave.
In few days after the gentleman
called upon Mr.. Webster again and
told him that compromise had been
effected, and the matter was satisfac-
torily settled. Mr.. Webster duly con-
graduated his visitor upon the result,
and would have turned to other bust
ness, but the visitor seemed to have
something further on his mind. "Of
course" he ventured, after pause, 81
shall not require your services, Mr..
Webster" Certainly not, sir" "And
and how about the $1,000 paid you ?"
family asked the gentleman, who was
not quite reconciled to paying such a
sum for services which were never to
be rendered. "Oh, ah," responded
Daniel, with broad smile, "you don't
seem to understand. 1t is very simple.
That was retaining fee, called in law
a retainer. BY virtue of the contract
l also became d retainer. What should
l retain, if not my fee?"
The gentleman went away, it is said,
thoroughly instructed, if not quite sat-
iSfied with this practical illustration of
"a retainer"
Hot Water and Chopped Beef.
Correspondence New York Tribune.]
| Since you are giving every week di-
rections for high living and thus
bringing on dyspepsia, it is only fair
that you should reverse the card and
give the antidote Apropos of your
paragraph on hot water, you have
told the truth but not the whole truth.
Besides the hot water, if the noble
army of dyspeptic martyrs would be
entirely reconstructed, they must
adopt the chopped beefsteaks for diet.
To one who has not had the good for
tune to partake of these, as he may
now do at Delmonico's, the Bruins
wick or the Gilsey House, let me ex
plain that they are made of beef from
the most tender and juicy part of the
round, but in machine called the
American Chopper, in such a way as
to separate the nutritious part from
the tough, cellular or fibroIs structure
| that contains It and which forms
more than one-third of the substance.
This pulp is carefully removed with a
spoon and lightly formed into cake
of the thickness of an ordinary beef
steak, broiled and seasoned with salt,
pepper or other condiments. This is
perfectly digeStible and far more deli
cious than filet steak. Two glasses
of hot water taken an hour and half
before eating, and diet of this beef,
will give the most incorrigible dyspep-
tic new views of life.