Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-13
LORD COLERIDGE.
The Great Englishman Tells of His
American Tour

I had the honor, in company with
the late Lord Hammer, the late Lord
Bowen, Sir Horace Davey, Mr.. Bryce,
NJ. p, and Mr.. Marten, Q. c., formerly
member for Kilkenny, of visiting
America with him in 1888. We were
invited by the bar Of the state of New
York, and most of us were subsequent
ly the guests of Mr.. Willard, then the
president of the Northern Pacific rail-
road company, on the first through
journey by that route across the CONT
nent to the Pacific slopes. Lord Cole
ridge did not accompany US on this
part of our travels; but in several of
the New England states he received
marks of honor, and all Of us enjoyed
the proverbially generous hospitality
of the great American people. This
visit added a large number to his bud
get Of anecdotes which he used to tell
with much enjoyment, although now
and then some of them told against
himself DESTROYS of information,
Lord Coleridge was inquiring from Mr.
Evarts, the distinguished New York
barrister, formerly secretary of state,
how American lawyers were remuner-
ated for their work.
Lord Coleridge: Pray Mr.. Evarts.
how do clients pay their lawyers with
you?
Mr.. Evarts: Well, my lord, they pay
q REFINING fee; it may be $50 or it
may be $1,000, or $4,000.
Lord Coleridge: Yes; and what does
that cover?
Mr.. Evarts: Oh! that is simply the
retainer. The rest is paid for as the
work is done, and according to the
work done.
Lord Coleridge: Yes. Mr.. Evarts:
and do clients like that?
Mr. Evarts: Not bit, my lord, not
bit. They generally say, Il guess.
Mr.. Evarts, I should like to know hov
deep down | shah have to go into M
breeches pocket to see this business
through"
Lord Coleridge: Yes, what do you
say then?
Mr.. Eyarts: Well. my lord, I have
invented a formula which l have
found answers very we'll / say: 'Sir,
or madam, as the case may be, | can
not undertake to say how many judi
cial errors | shall be called upon to
correct before I obtain for you final
Justice
Lord Coleridge used to~tell with glee
an anecdote concerning a dinner given
to him in Chicago by a distinguished
lawyer, where a collapse of the ban
quet was threatened owing to the too
vigilant attention of the sheriff's Off
GERS who held a writ of fl. ia. over
the hosts goods and chattels. How
ever, the threatened danger was avert
ed. On the same occasion, he had
stipulated and was assured that there
would be no speeches; but, to his dis
comfture, he saw his host retire into
corner with his secretary before din.
ner was announced to settle the nnal
proofs of a speech which he later de-
livered with much success at the ban
quet. Lord Coleridge was a good dea
bothered by that product of the 10th
century, the interviewer; and On his
way to Chicago one of these gentle
men, failing otherwise to draw him
out. began to belittle the old country
in the matter of lakes and rivers and
mountains, and even men. Lord Cole
ridge bore it all patiently; finally, the
interviewer said: II am told, Ey
lord, you think a great deal of whA
you call Your great fire of London.
Well, 1 guess that the confagration
we had in the little village of Chi
cago made your great fire look very
small" To which Lord Coleridge
blandly responded: "Sir, have every
reason to believe that the great fire
Of London was quite as great as the
people at the time desired. Lord Rus
sci in North American Review.