The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-07-12
Love or LIrIoArloN.
a Curious Passion. but Some men -n-
Women cultivate II


Women Cultivate ".
Some people never seem happier tnan
when figuring as plaintiffs in o courv
of justice. The smallest grievance 80.
or fancied, is seized upon as q pre'eA.
for setting the costly machinery OF inc
law in motion, and bringing into play
the forensic forces Of advocate, jury
and judge.
The late deceased Mrs Paran stevens
was memorable example In TINS re-
spect There was never time tnat
she was not actively engaged IN one ~
more suits at law. That she was NO.
always successful is but natural, YET ~
should be remembered that the lazy
was as often defendant as plainti H.
Mrs. Hetty Green is another lady VINO
is never free from an engagement AZ
court, and it is a memorable 1act tna''
she has won many legal engagements
It is thus the lawyers thrive and grow
fat
Students of the daily papers will not
need to be reminded of names which,
by their constant appearance IN the
law reports, have been almost as
familiar as household words" But
every pertinacious litigant Is not'
for various reasons, honored by pup
lie advertisement in this way, ana
there consequently remain vast num-
Der of lovers of litigation OF whom the
general public hear nothing.
There is man well known to every
reader of the daily press who mas
figured as plaintiff in court OF law
something like one hundred and nifty
times during the last three or four
wears, and, as may be imagined, some
of the actions which he has brought
have been of the most trivial nature.
AS an instance may be mentioned one
which was simply dispute about the
possession of an old wooden post, to
which he, in common with nelghbor,
laid claim, and which marked the di-
vision of property belonging to each.
The thing itself wasn't worth snii-
ling, and not ghost OF q principle
was involved in the action, but it was
carried through three courts at prob
able expense to each litigant OF some
thing like one thousand dollars.
The most ridiculous things are in
this way frequently fought about. Not
long since an old lady brought an
action against a coal merchant in q
western city, whose carter unwittingly
shot sack of Goals on to the back Of
a favorite cat sleeping at the time In
the coal cellar, infiicting injuries there
by that necessitated its destruction.
In another case an irascible old gen.
tleman sued man for throwing q
lighted fuse among some flowers in his
front garden and burning hole in o
choice bud on which he set especial
store.
No less frivolous was the suit OF a
country clergyman who instituted an
action for SANDER against member OF
his congregation who on particular
occasion, in the hearing OF several
other parishioners, stigmatized the
reverend gentleman's discourse from
the pulpit as mot worth listening to.
This is partly set off by the case OF a
worshiper who claimed damages in the
county court for being deprived OF his
customary seat in church on the
occasion of a well attended special
service. In the same way suits for
restitution of congregational rights
often figure in the cause list OF our
courts.
One of the most curious causes OF
litigation is to be found in a case men
toned in the old law reports, relating
to the possession of q common horn
snuff box, of the value of 81, presented
to certain society by one of its mem
beers. and claimed by some one else.
The costs incurred in the case amount
ed to one thousand five hundred dol
lars, and extra expenses were tackled
on to the tune of three hundred and
seventy dollars, all Of which the un'
sue reEsful claimant had to pay.
Probably the smallest suit on record
was eoe recently tried in Scotland, for
the sun of half penny, and brought
against tramway company. The
plaintiff was carried in one OF the de-
PENDANTS cars beyond his destination,
and compelled to pay the half penny
as extra fare. He sued the company IN
the county court, and, recovering the
Judgment, compelled them to refund
the coin with costs.
The spirit of litigation was perhaps
never carried to greater extent than
in the cause between two potters, al
the end of the last century, for sun
of ten dollars. After being in court
for eleven years, it was put an end to
by being referred to arbitrators, who
decided in favor of the defendant in
the case, and ordered the plaintiff tc
nav all the costs incurred in the pro
ceedings, which were assessed at five
Thousand dollars.