Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31
family young German governess came

her, announcing. The price / pay Is
$500 year" The Young women rose
from the conference at once on this. and
said :" In that case. Madame, it is OF no
use TO treat With YOU further, as could
not hold the position at such a price"
md she beat permanent retreat, al
/ though Mrs Vanderbilt endeavored TO
call her back. She has never ceased TO
marvel that an intelligent woman should
be willing TO pay $1,000 q year 10 have
her GRAVES cooked, and but 800 TO one
who was TO supply mental and spiritual
food 10 her children.
cLEvRLAED's Law PRACTICE
al wonder il Grover Cleveland will
make as large an income ont of his law
practice as he earned in the past four
years"
This remark came from n tall, striking
man who sat at table in O corner OF the
magnificent dining-room of the Lawyers
Club in the Equitable Building. 1t was
Saturday afternoon. A number Of law
yers were taking leisurely dinner at the
club and the most MISUNDERSTANDING
among them was the gentleman whose
curious remark opens this paragraph.
He is o member of the law-frm OF Hoad-
ley, Lauterbach & johnson.
Z" His gross income may equal or even
exceed his former salary" said another
prominent lawyer, " but what will be left
when all the expenses are deducted z"
THE LAWYER or YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY.
Twenty years ago lawyer whose
income amounted TO Sic, 900 year was
considered TO be at the topmost round of
tho ladder. lie had dingy Office away
up under the roof % some tall building,
and his clients pulled and perspired as
they climbed up to his den. There was
no elevator then and no easy chairs to
rest in.
Things have changed. The lawyer
of exactly the same calibre as the one OF
twenty years ago is no longer musty,
dried-up bundle of legal lore. He is o
handsome, smiling, well-dressed man.
His face is round ard full his clothes
are OF tho most fashionable cut, probably
made by Bell, aud he Is a society man
and DOHUjpNUi.
Instead OF paying $50 year for his
S20O or less, he pays from 1000 to
200 rent and perhaps five times as
much for fitting 1t up. He employs a
dozen assistants.
SHARP PRACTICE.
"Another significant thing must be
mentioned. The old-time lawyer made
his fortune out OF hard work and solid
attainments. Some Of the most promi
nent and successful lawyers Of to-day are
businessmen who have shrewdly sur
rounded themselves with clever lawyers
or society men who can influence wealthy
clients.
"Taken altogether. the rent, the sala-
ries of assistants, the furniture, the com
missions the tip3 to politicians who have
the ears OF the judges. amount to vast
sum annually, and lawyer with gross
income OF SIS, 900 may be considered
fortunate If he carries away more than
one third of it as profit.
SWELL LAWYERS.
! visited some prominent law Offices
with my friend. The most elegant | saw
is occupied by Sewall and Pierce, the
counsel for the New York Mutual Life
Insurance Company. Mr.. Robert
Sewall's private room looks more like
the study of Vanderbilt than the Office
of a lawyer. All the furniture is ma
hognny, artistically carved \ wonder
mi sofa. high backed and upholstered
in pressed leather, is the most striking
piece. 1T is about fifteen feet long and
four feet wide. 4 beautiful wool carpet
and an immense carved desk are other
objects of Wonder. A private toilet
room and a private elevator add 10 Mr..
Sewalls comforts. From his windows
can he seen the New York bay, Brook
lyn bridge, and the East river.
IN the same building Judge Leslie W.
Russell. senior counsel for Judge Hilton
in the Stewart will case, mas beautiful
suite Of Offices commanding the same
roynl view of the bay and river. The
JUDGE is an athlete and has a pulling
machine and pair of Indian clubs in
corner of his Office.
CLINGING TO THE OLD.
found two law firms OF universal repu
tation that are exceptions to the modern
rule Eyarts, Choate, and Beaman oc-
cupy very plain Offices. They are far
superior, however, to those they left re-
Gently. There is a wicked rumor aioat
TO the effect that Senator Evarts was OPP
posed to moving until one rainy day the
water leaked through the roof and
blurred thiriy-iive words in a sentence
that he had spent three hours in build
ing,
Shipmsn, Barlow. Lsracque &
Choate, the firm that lost over quarter
of a million dollars through their man
aging clerk, James l.. Bedell, cling to
the rsmshackle Offices they have occu
pied for years. Though the members
are nearly all mil.ionaires the walls of
their offices are cracked and the floors
are bare and dirty. Yet these two firms
make very large fortunes. Bangs d sStet-
son, the firm with which Mr.. Cleveland
has thrown his fortunes, occupy hand
some but not magnificent Offices