The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-08-27
WATCH FOR A CHANCE.
And When 1t Comes Make Good
Use Of 1t.
An illustration of Lost Opportunity as
Related by Successful Man-How
Famous New York Lawyer
Got His Start.

Not long ago four old friends sat
down to little dinner together in New
York. One of them was a famous
lawyer. They naturally fell to talking
over old times, and, as men of fifty are
rather apt to do, whether rightly or
not, they agreed that young men now
adays are not what they used to be.
Il have had a striking illustration of
that fact to-day" said the lawyer, with
u shrug of impatience. "A young fell
low has had desk in my office for per-
haps six months. He seemed bright,
and came to me with u recommends
ton from Il man in whom l have conf
dc, II e"il tl.;t II l would only
giTc him c,iailce, that was all he
wanted. He was willing to do any
thing and all that sort of talk. Well,
nothing but routine work has happened
to come in to be thrown into that boys
way, until about week ago, when
was short for time to look up some
points about an important case
which is taking up most of cur
attention at the office Just now.
Here thought l, is the chance for our
young friend. Let's see if there is any
stuff in him. l sat down by him and
explained that l should like him to
hunt up all the evidence lie could find
bearing on this subject. After having
made the thing as plain as the nose on
a mans face, / added: Now, if you
want to know anything further about
this matter, come right to me. There
is no immediate hurry | said, as l
turned away; but inside of week we
shall want everything connected with
this point of the case put into perfect
order He said: All right, SIR and
dropped the whole affair off my mind.
for l have been completely absorbed in
an entirely different part of the same
case. To-day it occurred to me that
hadn't heard anything from him, and
that by tomorrow or next day the pa
pers ought to be in hand / went
around and asked him how he was get
ting on. He told me, with considerable
hesitation, that he had been meaning
to come and tell me that-he-' hadn't
exactly-undcrstood and so forth.
Then why didn't you come to me, as
told You to do?' l asked him. pretty
shortly. He stammered out lot more
about its being Il big job for little fell
low of his ineXperience; and then
fairly roared: Il was trying to give you
some experienced Then l got away as
fast as l could. j was afraid that
/ should say something that
should be sorry for. But that young
man is done for as far as 1 am con-
cerned. l shall get rid of him as soon
as possibly can. What chance he
had! Just such chance as I had at his
age-only / seized it. knew it was a
chance. This fellow acted as though
he didn't know a chance when he saw
it."
''How was it that you got your
start?" asked one of the party. 81
don't believe you ever told u.s."
"Oh, it isn't much of story" said
the great lawyer, modestly; but it
meant good deal to me just the same.
i was fixed something as this boy is
the one have been telling you about
in the Office of law firm who were do
ing big business. had had clerks
work for about six months, and was be-
ginning to think that 1 never should
get a chance TO do anything else, though
had seize d every opportunity that l
could make or find to tell the head men
of the firm that was ready to try my
hand at anything they had mind to
give me. Summertime came around
and things were as dull as dull. The
rest We're all going off on their vaca-
tions, and at last my turn came.
packed my trunk early in the morning,
and had written my friends to expect
me by the first train that left that city
after Office hours that night. / felt
pretty blue when wrote, too. / knew
they would ask mo how l was getting
on, and ! wasn't getting on at all.
had made up my mind that had been
fool to think l ever should be able to
do any law business anyway. thought
with some show of reason, that if |
really had any stuff in me some of these
smart men at the Office would have
found it out by this time and would
have given me something to do.
Well noon passed, and it ran along
TO three o'clock, 1t was a hot day,
and / was beginning to think
that it was time / was clearing my
desk, when l saw the head of the firm
coming toward my desk. My heart be-
gan to beat felt somehow as though
something was going to happen. See
here, he began, calling me by name.
Here's something which ought to be
done right away. The case itself isn't
hard one, but it is coming on in two
or three weeks, and can't see to it my
self. You have mentioned that you
would like any business which we could
turn over to you. You can have this,
If you like, and we'll see what sort of Il
brief you can get up. He went on to
axplain matteys little, and then left