The evening times., 1895-12-04
REED IN A FIGHT.


him, Billie Crowell, was great tall,
lanky student, with shocky blonde hair, a
close friend If Reeds. A. W. Bradbury
laughingly told uf the Incident:
lone day, remember. Tom was leaving
lis ronnl,when he met rowell 3ust outside
the door. / do not know what passed be-
tween them. at any rate, Crewell was a
sturdy, athletic chap, handy with his
fists and-biffi he suddenly let out a
!right-hander which made Tom stagger.
The row continued for some time and Tom
was fully and finally licked. Remember
the incident? Well, / guess Tom duesi
II was talking of Cruwell to Tom the
other day and he said: Yes, nearly all
the members of our little circle are dead
now, Bradbury; but IL 1 could call just
one Of them back, do you know whom
would chuose?'
"'well,' 1 said, very slowly.
81 would choose Crowell. was what be
said"
Soon after Tom graduated from Bow.
doin he obtained n position as assistant
principal in the Boys High School Of
Portland. There he remained o year.
Never intending to devote himself pertna-
nently to teaching, at the end OF q year,
after performing his duties capably, Reed
resigned.
About this time q lawyer of the place,
s. c. Strout, received a letter from
friend, saying that q certain Thomas Reed
desired to enter his office as a law stu
dent, and asked what could be done.
HE HAD BRAINS.
"My first impression of the young man
was favorable" said Mr.. strout, land I
concluded to forego the legal tuition fee Of
500 a year. l soon learned that the
young man had braius. l used To send him
to look up Information for submission
to some law court, occasionally, and In
variably found that when he began a mat
ter he went thoroughly to the bottom of 1t.
/ did not have to overlook the ground to
verify 1t. That pleased me much, and grad
ually came to have warm place in my
heart for Tom. He stayed with me year
or more, and won my admiration as O care
full, capable student.
.'After the time mentioned had elapsed
he came to me one day and said that he
was going to California to try to build
up bis fortunes. Being too poor to engage
q, first-class passage to California, he en-
barked on schooner bound for the Isthmus
of Panama, going 10 the steerage. 1t was
O hard, rough voyage. Going back again
to Portland in 1864, Reed secured an ap-
poIntment as paymaster lu the navy, posi-
-tIon he held for about one year, when, re-
suming his legal studies, he was admitted
to the bar, finally, in 1865.
"He took in partnership with him a
young man named Smith, the firm being
Smith & Reed. They had little to do and
soon separated.
One Of Portland's lawyers says OF Reeds
law practice: "Thc first case Of Importance
that remember Reed had was homicide
affair, involving drunken sailor, wo-
man, q bottle OF whisky and several such
details. 1t was plain case against the
sailor. but Tom undertook TO defend him.
He lost, OF course.
ut was difficult for Tom or any other
young man to make headway at the PORT
land bar In those days. The lines were
closely drawn"
ACQUIRED A PRACTICE.
In three years Mr.. Reed had acquired
living practice. Then, one day. there came
to him what has since proven ono Of
the opportunities of = llftt1n,e-ths chance