The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-05-21

| ed by a friend whose influence is recog-
nized, about the only ability they have
to prove themselves possessors OF is to
write their James legibly. This, III
nine cases out of ten, will land them on
the inside of the magic circle of legal
tapers that flicker around the north
western court.
In this city of between 5000 and 1000
people there are $50 lawyers Or pretend
ed lawyers, many of whom would not
know what you meant if you should ask
them if they had read Blackstone or
Kent. The library of the average Da-
kota lawyer consists Of stacks OF well
read seaside library tales, back numbers
Of the Police Gazette, and a Dakota code
superciliously kept. A large majority
Of the lawyers are poor, and those who
are not sit calmly down, elevate their
feet on the WinkoW ledge, and prompt
ly draw on the old folks when their
board and rent bills become due-rest-
ing quietly and independently under
their title Of lawyer" which they are
confident they have o at least three
years earlier than they would nave done
in the States.
The only point gained by aspirants to
legal fame in coming to Dakota is the
vestment Of power to practice there are
nc opportunities for him to suddenly
scale the battlements of fame, and thus
become rich and influential, lying
around promiscuously to every chance
Of this kind there are hundreds of eager
clamoring taspirants; and there is not
such a rich goal apparent for the hard
working, close figurer that the romance
writer and mechanical philosopher IN
fdently assert is sure to win there
are SO many hungering and furnishing
wolves that the feast they anticipate
when thrown to them affords each
but a frugal scrap. There can be found
to-day among the hard-palmed laborers
in the wheat fields dozens Of young
men who came from the east to this
country thinking success in the legal
profession was waiting for their coming,
and they had but to grasp it in the be-
grimmed, Woodworking employe of the
railroads, who earns an honest but mea-
gre living by turning and twisting the
brake crank of the freight car, is recog-
nized the disappointed lawyer, and he
is oftentimes found in the street with
shovel in hand earning the bread he
must needs have. It is not exaggera-
ton to say that, if there is one lawyer
in the territory north of the 10th paral-
lei who has gained a large and remuner-
atiye practice within the last five years,
he owes more to circumstances than per-
sonal effort.
It is pitiful to see the horde of petit
fogers that swarm in the cities and
toWns-young men who, did they pos
sess energy commensurate with their
general ability, might do themselves
and the country credit by abandoning
the idea that they are lawyers and en-
gaging in a business that would give
them dollars where they now receive
cents. They seem to be thoroughly
saturated with the impression that
they are born to become a Peel, Pitt,
O'Connell, Webster, or Henry, and any
labor other than making a brief Or fill
ing out a legal blank is disgraceful. Let
the young lawyer who contemplates
coming to the northwest look we'll be-
fore he leaps, for he can find no better
ground to pitch his tent than where he
is.