Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-13

! eled in curcuit, going from one court tc
another and taking what practice came tc
| them at the various county seats. l wal
| asked by some of the lawyers to make the
| circuit with them at the close of my legis
lative term and did So 1 found 1 ha6
plenty to do and at some places 1 made
very good fees. The result was that when
got back to Santa Fe, / was 81 500 ahead.
1 went on with the lawyers through the cir.
cult to Messilla, and there had a good
practice and in short time found to my
surprise that nv savings amounted to S10,'
600. Money was then bringing from 20 to
80 per cent a year, and when L found that
this money would bring me in an income OF
from 50, 600 to s., 600 year, and that it was
SO easily made, saw this was better than
could possibly do in ST. Louis, where
would probably have to starve for years be-
fore made competency and decided to
stay"
81 suppose, MIR. Elkins, it was then that
you found money was a good thing?"
''Yes," replied Secretary Elkins, though
don't think ever grew fond of money as
money, nor have ever cared for the max
ing OF it with the idea of boarding it.
Began to Deal in Land.
cit was at this time that thought dis
covered that had in me to certain extent
the power to make money, and / began to
buy land. 1 could see, it seemed to me,
that railroads must come through the Terri
tory, and I tried to buy as near as possible
along the lines where the roads would proba-
bly, run. You could get lands then for al
most nothing. L was a lawyer and knew all
about the land laws. ] examined the titles
of such property as / purchased, and I
bought great deal. I had at one time 600,-
600 acres of land, and though squatters and
others have fought me 1 have always been
able to show that my titles were good"
81 suppose you still stuck to the law?"
said i.
'Yes," replied the Secretary. "I con-
tinued to practice and soon became pretty
well known. was the only young Amer
ican among the LAWYERS who could speak
and vas free from the vices which many of
the older lawyers of the West had, got
plenty to do. Before was 80 was making
S17, 900 year at the law.
Made Ten Thousand in an Hour
'.I remember I had for time s., 900 year
as a regular salary from Maxwell, who
owned the big grant. The Maxwell grant
had been sold and the title of it was dis
puted. Carl Schurz was then the Secretary
of Interior and presented the case to him.
The fee was partially a fixed one and par
TALLY contingent one. 1t took me little
over an hour and got S10, 900 for it,
"You did not go back to New Mexico
after leaving Congress-
'tNo," replied Mr.. Elkins, 'T remained
in Washington for couple of years. The
first year made $50, 900 from my law busi
ness alone, and the second year did equally
well. 1 decided, however, to leave Wash
ington and 60 to New York, and found
plenty to do. got into business in rail-
roads and otherwise, and 1 have been there
ever since. Of late years, however, have
been concentrating my energies in West
Virginia, and Senator Davis and myself are
doing all we can to develop that State and
its resources. We believe it is one of the
best States in the Union, and it has a coal
area larger than Pennsylvania and larger
than the combined coal areas of England,
France and Germany"
West Virginia in 1892.
81 see. Mr.. Elkins, you are the prospect
i've Governor for West virginia."
mo, am not candidate" replied Sec
retary Elkins. 'My business arrangements
are such that could not remain at Charles
ton for four years, though would appre-