The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-20
WHY THEY ALhLAuGHEn.
A Remarkable Scene In tho Supreme
Court-Room.
'Decldi 10 the baltimore America,

SPECIAL 10 the baltimore American.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec 10 --Sena.
tors and Representatives coming through
themain corridor of the Capitol past the
sacred shrine where sit the honorables
the justices Of the Supreme Court of the
United States, were amazed to-day to
hear peal after peal of uproaious mirth
and merriment issuing from the room.
They entered and attended probably
the most remarkable scene ever witnessed
in that room, for they saw the nine lights
of wisdom leaning back in their solemn
oakcn chairs in very abandon Of
laughter
John Wise, the Virginia lawyer, was
addressing the court. 1t seems that some
clever person had patented a device for
strengthening the seams and, crotch of
mems drawers. (Nlr. Wise and the
other lawyers used this unblushing Ian
guage in the Supreme Court, without any
attempt at cuphemism; therefore others
may repeat it in all modesty). The patent
consists really of what might be called n
"lay-over." 1t is a very simple idea and
exceedingly practical. Mr.. Wise's client
was charged with infringing the patent.
of able-bodied drawers thus reinforced to
the stern justices, and they examined the
familiar garment with keen and tech
nical interest. The able counsel showed
the great value of the patent, and con
tended that through it Cone pair was as
good as two pairs" and he discussed
learncdly the impossibility of any splits
in such drawers.
| Mr. Wisn N, a5e n aolau,n how to tho
| honorablcs, and then devoted himself to
! the pair of drawers He argued that it
was totally against the laws Of nature.
The patent proposed TO patch drawers
| before they were torn, while the logic
of events was never to patch drawers
until they were torn, No patent like this
| should ever have been granted. From
! time immemorial. he said, with fine
| burst of eloqucnce it had been the proud
/ prerogative of wives, mothers and sisters
| 10 patch the drawers of their own hus-
/ bands, sons and brothers, and yet this
! patent struck boldly at one of the sacred
| privileges of the domestic hearth.
! Referring to the claim that one pair
was rs good as two pair, Mr.. Wise claims
| boldly and without fear of successful
! contradiction that in the one game of
draw" that he had learned that zone
pair could not possibly be as good as
two pairs and that in another game
"splits" were always in favor of the
dealer; but in the remarkable case here
presented, the reverse was true, and the
splits were against the dealer.
Associate Justice Lamar was the first to
fully understand Mr.. Wise's clever allu-
sion to the games of draw poker" and
faro He smiled at first, then
laughed. Turning to interpret Mr..
Wise's remark to his associates, he
found that they knew all about the two
games and were enjoying the parallels
as much as he. AS Mr.. Wise proceeded,
the solemn judges laughed loud and
long, and at last they yielded inconti'
nently to the droll humor of the situa-
ton Senator Edmunds, entering the
courtroom, was struck dumb at seeing
learned counsel waving pair of drawers
before the Court, while the portly, white
haired justices were shaking with laugh
ter. 1t was a remarkable scene. De-
cision in the case was reserved.