Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-01-20

am doing three weeks jury duty and
although 1t is looked upon as a penance by
most persons, and | find nothing attractive
about it, | submit gracefully to the inevita
BILE and try to make the best of it. | am
not sure but it would be good plan for ev-
cry young man to take term of jury
duty, and have an opportunity to study
courts of iustice-so caed-and make up
his mind as to the probabilities of his find
ing it profitable to go to law. have been
singularly Fortunate for although on the
shady side of fifty | never employed
lawyer in my life, and this is my first term
as II juryman.
What little / have seen of courts leads
me TO the conclusion that one is wise to use
every means possible to bring about a com
promise and amiCable settlement of IA diff
Guilty rather than to go into the courts with
it. There are thousands of lawsuits where
even the one who gains the suit is loser
as the lawyers fees and the time lost by
the vexatious delays more than counter
balance any verdict that is possible in the
case. Solomon wrote, The beginning of
strife is as letting water, therefore leave off
contention before it be meddled with No
one can tell when lie begins "A lawsuit when
it will end. You begin suit against some
one who has wrunged you, full of zeal to
have your wrong righted: but when "A
year or two passes, and your case has not
reached II hearing, you are likely to find
your ardor cooled. This court in which |
am now serving as a juror is working ON
old cases which have been pending some of
them for years.
Not long ago | was strongly tempted to
begin suit for 500, which was Justly due
me, but could not be recovered without
lawsuit. | consulted an able lawyer, who
after investigating the case said to me
You have u good case, but ! will say to
you candidly that you will probably make
little or nothing if you gain it, | shall
charge you $25 for my services, and there
will undoubtedly be an appeal or an attempt
for one if you gain the case ON the first
suit, and it is probable that it will be a year
before it will be reached at all" | then
and there decided to lose the hundred dol
lars rather than to try the uncertainties and
endure the delays of the law, and | have
not regretted my decision. So far the ju
ry on which | am serving has not had
case before them but could have been set
tied better for both parties by compromise
than to have brought it into court.
There will be differences of opinion be
tween neighbOrs, | suppose, until the mil
lennium, and if when these difficulties
arise men speak hastily and angriy they
arc hlillpob SURF " 20 " XIV. \ lult WHICH
| have followed for many years, and whist
has kept me out of more than one lawsuit,
is this When a difference occurs between
any one and myself | refuse to talk the
matter over when either of us is angry.
| say to him, If he comes to me i'll heat, Il
want a little time to look this matter over
and get him to wait day or two. Then
when | am alone put myself in the other
mans place and ask, "What would | de
mand of him if he was in my place - And
after looking at the matter from both sides
l am in suitable state of mind to talk the
subject over If one will do this, and be
very careful not to lose his temper and say
hard things, even if true, the case is a rare
one where there cannot be IA settlement bet
ter than the courts would be likely to give.
or at least cheaper.
About four years ago an administrator
sold piece of land which joined my farm
to an lrishman, and through ignorance of
the fact that all the fence on the line be
lonsed to me, he failed to tell him about it,
so that the lrishman really supposed he had
bought the fence. Not knowing of the
failure of the administrator to reserve the
fence, sent the new purchaser word in
spring that | wished to take away one half
of the fence to repair the other half with.
His Irish was up at once, and he sent me
WOTu Jndl ne NOulu nOlu Une fence IN spite
of me, and was ready for u lawsuit at any
time. l went to see him at once, and told
him that recognized his right to the fence,
and that ! should have no trouble with him
about it, and the result was that he has
jeen one of the warmest friends | ever had:
although single harsh sentence from me
would have made him an enemy for life
The theory held by many, that if man
does not resent all encroachments ON his
rights he will be imposed upon, and made
to suffer loss, has a grain of truth in it
but there is Il hundred dollars lost from
being too ready TO defend our rights, and
plunging recklessly into litigation, to where
there is one dollar lost by obeying the
Scripture injunction to RESIST not evil. -
once saw picture illustrating the prob.
able end of lawsuit. Two farmers quar-
relied for the possession of COW. One
seized her by the horns, the other bv the
tail, and the lawyer sat down and quietly
drew the milk, while they held her still
Perhaps have never given better advice
than this-Dont 20 to Waldo r.
BrOrH IN National StOckmdn and Fdr'mer.