The Irish standard., 1895-12-14
and made that winter just about 81 900.
q We YOU ever seen how they fish through

40 !.
and made that winter just about $1,000
We YOU ever seen how they fish througl
the ice?'' f'st .r 6. +. g.
no" / said. 'slow do they do it
# we built little. houses Oh the ice,
replied the senator. Each of thes
houses were just four and a half fee
square s and FIVE feet high. They wer
entirely closed and had. doors but u,
windows. IN the back Of the house Their
was LITTLE sheet iron stove, the pipe O
which went out Of the top and kept Ii
warm. We would cut a hole. in the ic
III front Of the stove, and. owing. 10 tn
comparative. darkness, were able to lool
fawa, into and see Hhe- fish as they swan
beneath. We used decoy bats OF wood
with tin wings fixed to them. Thes'
.Were..s fastened to the line that the.
twisted and turned as we pulled at it
The fish world nose about the bait, ant
we would catch them by driving spear
into them. Our best fish were pickersl
and those we caught weighed all tn,
way from two and one-half to twenty
five pounds. When the weather wa!
warm we oftenscut holes in the. ice out
side the houses, and fisheu with genuine
bait g..
'<You spoke about hunting. senator
II should have said trapping" was th
reply. 'sThis lake at Beaver Dam wa
surrounded by marshes, and these were
;Ile natural home OF 111l,skrats and minEs
I useit to set traps about the edge of tflt
lake, and | would visit them every morn
Ing to see what ] had caught. ] had, a:
many as forty traps some winters. ant
have. many times caught twenty rats in {
single morning. When the ice was good
could skate around from one trap to an
other and visit all of them before break
fast" -,
"Was there much money in it,"
Yes replied the United States senator
"There was good deal in it for boy,
used to- get 40 cents for muskrat skin and
maui OF twenty skins m can't just SIS t
me-" T..
How did"you come to sturdy law?'
II can It tell that" replied Senator Thurs
ton when was quite a small boy
said ( was bound to do two things One
was to be q lawyer and the other was to &C
to the United States senate. suppose my
father put the law idea into my head. At
least I studied law as soon as l got out OF
school and / Was admitted to practice al
Beaver DAM
80 you remaln Der your first case, SEN
ato-?" -
eyes," was the reply. at was Justice
Of the peace case A man had been ar
rested for whipping boy. The prosecut-
ing attorney was called away and he asked
me to try it. When the town learned that
I was to plead the case they crowded about
the office. The Justice complimented me
on my speech but he gave the verdict to
the other side. This was SO with nearly
all the cases of my earlier practice. |
did not seem 10 succeed and it was a long
time before made anything to speak OF. -
How did you happen to 90 to Omana?'
~ wanted to find new city and grow
up with it," replied Senator ThGlrston- II
studied the towns Of the west, wagering 3
long time between Omaha and Kansas
City. Omaha had then $4,000 people, and
l finally chose IT.
tIFow much money had you when you
got tlere?"
Gust $40, which / had made grading
wheat
'sThat was not much TO- start out life
with, was it. senator?" said I. 81. 4s,
cit seemed great deal then replied
the man who is now getting more than
$500 a month from Uncle Sam. 1T was
more than my partner had, and he, by the
way, had got married and brought his
wife with him; using the journey as z
wedding trip" " r.
How did you spend your $4o?"
.'"rhe most of it went into furniture and
food. Ny partner and his wife had moth
ing, and as I boarded with them my
money had to supply the kitchen We
waited for some time, expecting to get
practice, and finally matters became SO
desperate that my partner had to send
his wife back. to Beaver Dam, and
he left Omaha, and went further west.
He stepped at Denver, and he is now a
very successful lawyer there I stayed in
Omaha"
"But how did you get along?"
ooh, I managed to- make a little now
and then" replied Senator Thurston. II
had an Office with another firm, and they
gave me little ante-room, which l used
for my private office and sleeping room.
brought buffalo robe and a quilt with
me, and I made up a bed on the floor.
had to try all sorts of shifts to get
along, and one time, I remember, when
the financial skies were very black,
bought box of crackers at wholesale
and lived on them until the silver; lining
came out from behind the clouds. This
silver lining appeared in the shape of a
SIS fee, which sometimes lasted me for
weeks. After a time, however, I did
better. My practice gradually grew,
and had all that I could do. I then
became the counsel of the Union Pacific
railroad, which held until after my cleo
ton to the senate"
Senator, you have been successful
lawyer. DO you think the chances of
making a SUCCESS ait the law are as good
to-day as they have been in the past?'"
Eyes; the field iA,a large one, and there
will always be room for the right men
''Will you drop your prdotice now that
you are in the senator" .
ITO a large extent, yes' was the re-
ply. have resigned from the Union
statement that there would be no impro-
priety in my continuing my connection
with It. The Union Pacific railroad is
in the hands of receivers, which were
appointed almost directly by President
Cleveland and Secretary Olney. In act
Ing for It I would be acting for the
United States"
TELL me something about your work in
the United States senate, Mr.. Thurston
Along what lines do you propose to
move?" .
'tI can't say as to that" was the re-
ply. II shall probably not make any
speeches for some time. The position
Is new one to me, and without there
is some special demand for it I do not
expect to push myself forward ~
How about the silver sentiment of the
West, senator? How do the people feel.
In Nebras1a?' s-sg-.s 49,