Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-15
4 PASSION FOR LITIGATION
It Is the Craze of Some Benight-
 ed Human Beings.
SOME VERY QUEER LAWSUITS
The Late Mrs. Paran Stevens Famous for Her Lawsuits-Mrs, Hetty Greens
 Experiences.

After having read and studied War ren's famous novel, Ten Thousand a Year." it is hard to understand how any body would "go to law" as the saying goes. if they could help it; yet some peo- pie never seem happier than when fig uring as plaintiffs in a court of justice The smallest grievance, real or fancied, is seized upon as pretext for setting the costly machinery of the law in mo- tion and bringing into play the forensic forces of advocate, jury and judge.
 The late deceased Mrs. Paran Stevens was a memorable example in this re- spect. There was never a time that she was not actively engaged in one or more suits at law. That she was not al ways successful is but natural, yet it should be remembered that the lady was as often defendant as plaintiff. Mrs Hetty Green is another lady who is nev- CT Tree from an engagement at court and it is a memorable fact that she has won many legal engagements. It is thus that lawyers thrive and grow fat.
 students of 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 house. hold words" But every pertinacIous lit- lgant is not, for various reasons. hon ored by a public advertisement in this way, and there consequently remain a vast number Of lovers of litigation of whom the general public hear nothing
 There is a man well known to every reader of the daily press who has fig ured as plaintiff in d court of law something like 150 times during the last three or four yeafs and, as may be inn agined. some of the actions which he has brought have been of the most trivial A lo toned one which was simply a dispute about the possession of an old wooden post, to which he, in common with n neighbor. laid claim, and which marked the division of property belonging to each. The thing itself wasn't worth a shilling and not a ghost of principls was involved in the action, but it was carried through three courts, at a prob able expense to each litigant of some thing like $lO00
 The most ridiculous things are in this way frequently fought about Not long since an old lady brought an action against coal merchant in a western city, whose carter unwittingly shot a sack of coals onto the back of a favorite cat sleeping at the time in the coal eel lar, inhicting injuries thereby that neces- sitated its destruction In another case an iracible old gentleman sued a man for throwing a lighted fusee among some flowers in his front garden and burning hole in choice bud on which he set especial store
 Not less frivolous was the suit of a country clergyman who instituted an ac- tlon for islander against a member of his congregation who, on a particular oc- caS1n, in the hearing of several other parishionerS. Stigmatized the reverend gentleman's discourses from the pulpit as mot worth listening to-" This is partly set off by the case of a worshiper claimed in aa for being deprived of his customary seat Tn church on the occasion of a well-attend- ed special service. In the same way suits Tor restitution of congregational rights often figure in the cause lists of our courts.
 One of the most curious causes of Iiti- gation is ito be found in a case mentioned in the old law reports. relating to the possession of common horn snuff box of the value of $1, presented to a certain society by one of its snembers, and claimed by some one else. The costs incurred in the case amounted to $500, and extra expenses were tackled on to the tune of $370. all of which the unsuc- cessGil claimant had to pay.
 Probably the smallest suit on record was one recently tried in Scotland, for the sum of a halfpenny, and brought against tramway company. The plaint- if was carried beyond his destination, and compelled to pay the halfpenny as extra fare. He sued the company in the county court. and, recovering the judg- ment, compelled them to refund the coin with costs
 The spirit of litigation was perhaps never carried to a greater extent than in the cause between two potters al the end of the last century for a sum of $10 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 to pay all the costs incurred in the proceedings, which were assessed at $5000.
 As an instance of the unwisdom in rushing to the law to settle every little dispute may be mentioned the following case. which occurred only a couple of years ago. Two cottages were left by q deceased relative to twin brothers. The terms of the legacy were a little ambigu- ous, although the spirit of the be- quest was plain. The brothers sought the aid of the law to settle point that arose between them, namely, which was in reality the elder of the two. This proved nice little nut to crack, the mother being dead, and the nurse who assisted at the birth, and whose memory was naturally not very fresh after two and-twenty years, first asserting that one and then the other was born an hour before his brother, and finally ad- mitting that she couldn't recolcct."
 After being elaborately argued and spun out to a great length, the judge came to the conclusion that the best way to settle the case would be to sell the cottages and. deducting legal expenses, of course, divide the proceeds equally between the litigants. This was done. The cottages realized $2150, the lawyers fees ran up to $500. the solicitors en- gagged claimed $500 in addition, the auc- tioneers' commission and extras came to $250 more, and there was thus left 500 for division among the disappointed dis putants.
 STORIES OF MORRIS.