The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-02

heard before.
He made everybody look blank, too.
not long ago, at dinner given by the
dry goods men to Mayor Strong. by al
1uding in q highly undiplomatio man.
ner to certain transactions alleged to
have been carried on between the rner-
chants and the police. Even his warm
est friends thought Mr.. Choate indis-
Greet on both these occasions, but he
never seemed to mind the gentle
''roasts, - and some not so gentle, that
were administered by the newspapers in
each case Mr.. Choate is perhaps stron-
ger with jury than with judge. but he
is weak nowhere. When he is talking in
court, he likes to lean his right elbow on
his right knee aud TO juggle pennies
from one hand to the other. When he
strikes this attitude and begins his Jug
Cling, it is time for the witnesses of the
other side to look out Choate is about
to make them believe he is their friend
and then get them to betray themselves.
James C. Carter.
James G. Carter is quite another sort
of man. He is bachelor He is not
clubman. He is not rhetorical. He is
not magnetic In all these things he is
the very antithesis Of Choate. But he is
a power with the judges, who are al
ways delighted with the clear and lucid
English in which he couehes his argu-
ments, so great contrast do they afford
to the involved and turgid verbiage of
some legal utterances.
Mr.. Carter has found the law hard
mistress, but his devotion, which has
involved many occasions of all night
study, has been rewarded by the reputa-
ton which he certainly possesses among
the judges of being more profound in
his knowledge of the common law and
the statutes than any of his brethren.
Mr.. Carter is now we'll along in years,
for he was born in 1897 He was an in
innate friend of the late Samuel J. Til
den. He was not friendly with the late
David Dudley Field, whose codes were
more than once the object of his Keen
analysis and effective ridicule.
Other Successful Lawyers.
After these men, if / were writing an
exhaustive study of the prominent MEM
bers of the New York bar, should act
according to the Judgment of my lawyer
friends and take up a group of about 80,
some of whom are we'll known to news
paper readers while some of them are
not Among this score and half
should include such men as Frederic R.
Coudert, Benjamin F. Tracy, Elihu
Root, Wheeler H. Peckham, William
B. Hornb1ower, John E. Parsons, De-
lancey Nicoll, Francis L. Wellman,
Colonel John R. Fellows, and so on. Of
these it is understood that Mr. Parsons
has been the recipient of the largest
single fee. The figures. as / remember
them, were so high that I shall not ven
ture to name them. Certainly they were
high enough to furnish man of mod
crate wants with the nest egg at least
of competency This fee was paid to
Mr.. Parsons by the Sugar trust, and it
is stated that it was larger not only
than any ever received by any other
New York lawyer, but positively the
largest ever paid to any lawyer in Amer
lea. Mr.. Parsons, however, has not the
biggest practice in New York by any
means, and there are probably not a
dozen who make more than $50, 900
year. Colonel Ingersoll cannot properly
be included in this number, l am told,
but it is currently believed by the legal
fraternity that Mr. Carter earns $780,
900 or more every ye by his profess
sion, and that this ca Igs of Messrs,
James, Root, Wheel FL. Peckham,
Choate and Tracy all run from $75, 900
to $1OO, 900. Mr.. Parsons earnings are
estimated at from $50, COO to $75, 900.
Mr.. Coudert, however is probably in
receipt of a larger regular income from
his law practice than almost any other
practitioner. He is of French descent
as his name indicates, although he was
born in New York. 1t has been said
that his most regular clients are ''the
crowned heads of Europe but that is
obviously joke. However, the fact re-
mains that he has acted for many for
eign governments when the extradition
of criminals has been desired, aud he
has two or three European decorations
granted to him in recognition of his
services of this sort.
Delaney Nicoll' s practice is set down
at from $50, 900 to $50, 900, Mr.. Well
mans at rather less and Mr.. Hornblow-
er's at $40. 900 to $780,
An Extraordinary Legal Firm.
After all, it is popularly believed that
few New York lawyers make more
money than W. F. Howe of elephantine
tread and enormous waist, and Abe
Hummel, so little in person as always
to amuse the man who sees him for the
first time. No two men could be more
dissimilar as to personal appearance or
temperament than these. A great source
of strength with Mr.. Howe before a
jury lies in the fact that he possesses at
all times an inexhaustible supply Of
tears These are somewhat of a rarity
among men in America, at least as far
as any one is privileged to know by ocu-
lar demonstration, for when American
men cry they are apt to be ashamed of
themselves and to get out of sight
When Mr.. Howe cries, he ia anxious to
have the fact known. He is always par
ticularly DESTROYS that a certain 10 men
shall understand all about it. and it is