Telegram-herald., 1889-10-28

H0s he @sz AzssAsr Lz~y~r Admitted .
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EN@&Ss - A-N A~A
.SSsea4- c0srusIasaszoel
WArPEc2, y b., Oct- 14.-1heFe are
many fictitious anecdotes saosE, and
mzny qUainE c0ings and say ings are al
triDutsd - '-Old Ate which. without
beng nxed upon somebody, would soon
die.
A few of them. however, are genuine
When duly oorrobolated, they should be
preserved, while the spawn thai tTles -
i've y attaching itself by dishonest
means 70 al eminent name. should os
permitted ~ 20 tAs way Of al hesh, u
wIt, 70 grass.
have the honor Of having discovered
q thoroughly genuine one. and 70 prove
It's integrity, propose 70 give It ss
heard II with ali the names and facts.
dropped sometime ago into the Office
Of Judge Brosaweil and Col (also judge
Gross, Ia Springfield, Ills. and heard
tie story as IL Vas being told IN al ex-
ceedingly witty vein by the veteran hu-
mOrlst, Noah DiyelOiss.
The name Is not by any means the
least attractive part OF air. Dlyelbiss,
who has been ia and about the Illinois
state house for more than forty years.
his memory Of certain things which took
place IN the early day is intensely keen,
and his style o; delneating events is III
imitable. A thin face, 4 close clipped
gray mustache, a bright, dancing eve,
and nervous energy, make his utter
ances extremely attractive, and / will
endeavor 10 give, ia his own language,
the scene and the method by which Lin
coin converted a layman into a lawyer
one day in 1914.
The story teller sat astride the corner
OF table with one hand on top the
other, and the other on Top cane, and
addressed the little group OF law digs
who sat before him:
/ say, judge, speaking Of McDougall,
you mean Jim, don't you, James A, the
one from Morgan county: Yes, |
thought SO. He afterwards went west,
and turned up in California. Imust tell
you how he and Abe Lincoln admitted d
fellow To the bar once. 1t was Bill
Hacker. When he afterward became
prominent in the political world, he was
the Hon. William A Hacker, Esq, but
when he was pitching into his law
studies he was simply Bill. Twas deputy
clerk of the supreme court at the time,
and every candidate for admission TO the
bar was obliged to make his application
to that court. The eminent court APP
pointed pair of examiners as a com
mittee TO examine the applicant, and TO
them the candidate went. In Hackers
case McDougall and Lincoln were APP
pointed, and at the time of the examina-
ton both happened to be in the clerks
office, where Bill found them, and the
examination was held right there.
Bill had read mighty little law, but he
was bright, and had knack of getting
to the end somehow. A little Chitty,
and little Graham, and little Black
stone, read in our office, where he had
made his headquarters, was all he had
tackled; but he had the effrontery TO go
in. So he went in, an1 he won.
The examination was as follows: Heck
er handed the examiners commission to
Lincoln. Lincoln looked it over and
said: "Well, Bill, sit down here:" then.
turning around, said, "3lcDougall, you
question him."
Nc. took him in hand with the ques-
ton, what is law, Bill?'
Bill promptly answered, "Rule of ac-
tion."
Lincoln winked with his weather eye
and began TO grin.
The next question was: "How many
kinds of law are there:" and in the an
swer Bill ran the gamut something
as follows: Statutory, common, eccle-
siastical, municipal, supreme and crimi-
nal"
Lincoln began to swing his legs and
look wise.
"Who made the constitution of the
United States?"
The answer came out like the pop Of a
frecracker, Congress.
Nc. looked at him doubtfully and
said; "Did congress make it, Bill?" And
Bill corrected himself just as promptly
by saying: "No, committee of delega-
tion."
What is lawyers first duty, Bill?'
"To take care of the fees"
Correct, Bill" said McDougall, "and
now, Bill, let me give you some good ad-
vice, for we must not let you 20 without
some good advice, Bill. A lawyer owes
three great debts, the first to his God,
second TO his country, and the third to
himself. But you'll find, Bill. in the
practice of law, that God and your coun-
try will be forgotten, and you'll find
yourself coming in first all the time.
Take him, Lincoln"
Then Abe said: bill, hand over your
certificate aud We'll sign it."
Bill had already prepared it. The pa
per only wanted the signatures, and he
was ready TO go before the court and be
sworn in. And he was.
CHARLES ROLLIN BRAINARD.
For a a dieordnred livor try Rppcham's