The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-12-23
Believed in Fair Play.

Il was new in the business and as
ambitious as Caesar. / would tackle
anything, and, like most lawyers in
the early stages, had no trouble in
convincing myself that my client was
right and the other fellow a rascal An
old granger in the city in which l first
swung my shingle TO the breeze was
always in trouble with his neighbors, and
was rich mark for lawyers Hegathered
in some cattle that had broken into the
highway from the field of farmer near
byIstabled them, and refused TO give them
up unless paid an exoroitant price for
damages that were never committed. A
! writ Of replevin was issued. l took the
case for the.owner ofthe cattle, and early
one morning drove out TO the Office of an
old German squire, or justice ofthe peace.
His temple Of justice was an old rattletrap
of building with no ceiling but stringers
across where the clapb oards terminated
and the peaked roof BEGAN. The occup-
ants these stringers kept all below b1sily
lodging tobacco juice. The jury was
made up of lot of old soil-tillers whose
face. were as sphynx-like as that Of a
professional gambler. His honor occupied
a very uncertain chair that had earned
an honorable retirement, and kept his
owl-like wisdom in activity by constantly
whiting or a hardwood broomstic k
Pitted against me were two old lawyers
and il was their pleasure TO constantly
utilize my youthfulness in imparing my
standing with the jury. l was full of
fight, but what almost drove me from the
shanty was the fact that the squire ruled
dead against me every time. / argued,
pleaded, read authorities, but the whit
Ting representative OF the blind goddess
never turned a hair He would simply
say: Don't get excited, young man. /
vos der shudge. lust go ahead mid der
case. Shustice is shustice, und don't you
forgedt it,
The two old attorneys were not slow to
catch on, and they took the widest
iberities disregarding everything and
and ehuckling at every objection made.
| was on the verge Of insanity, and my
client looked like thunder cloud ram
pant. Dinner time came and the squire
had spread for jurors, lawyers, and liti-
gants. My opponents werei in high feath-
er, while my food nearly choked me.
"After eating ! handed the squire a
cigar, and We walk out into the orchard
where upbraided him for the course he
had pursued.
Young man. he said. vot is der
reason NIT you? know vot vos Law and
yustice, and equity. Gif efery man der
same chance. In der forenoon / let dose
two old lawyers have der vhay. Now
it vas your durn. Go in. / pelieve in
fair blsy don't gare how much dose
fellers object, it's your durn.'
"Did go in? claimed everything and
conceded nothing. I rode roughshod
over the rules Of testimony and the old
lawyers. ! had them wild, paving the
air and frothing at the mouth. The
squire was deaf to otheir appeals and blind
to their agony. 1 gif you half a day
apiece, was his sole justification. won
in q walk. The other side wanted to
appeal, bat their client was so mad that
twoold-timers should be 50 ignominiously
beaten by g young LAWYER that he settled
then and there, hired me by the year.
and gave me MY iirst good start. .n-Dstrof
Fro Pros.