Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-14

VA RoEtsf 8t1 -
torian thunders Of a scratchy pen, 70
know why his benighted vicinage a
been altogether ignored. With viva
flashes of mutllated grammar he PIC
lures the sluggish cess-pools OF MS
neighborhood, n demands his pound OF
ffesh-to wit. q sewer for his section.
Investigation committees are appointed
and everybody is investigated, after which
the investigation committees them
selves are Investigated. Then there Is
peace-blessed, w~hite-winged peace
which lasts for an hour and a quarter.
How ioyously we breathe it-nay. SUCK
Il in our lungs. But bark! what Is the
roar we hear. Mark the black cloud on
the horizon. Thunder and lightning.
The Common Council has refused the
necessary appropriation for the schools.
Let loose the dogs Of war. hurry
"Senex'' to the front. Place "~Scrivenor
for the flank movement, and let "husti-
Gus" bring up the rear. Send the EDITORS
to the batteries in a double-quick. HIP
hip, hurrah! sick him. Towser. lnats
tho little boy, "Senex." Bully for you'
"Rusticus." Now they're at 1t. Watch
the fur fly.
And through 1t all there are a horde
Of shivering, weary spectators. 1t Is the
1900 or more poor. little children
drowsily s~queaking their pencils on slate
and wistfully looking at the autumn
skies without. They have heard and
seen the tumult. Victory for the Counch
possibly means a months emancipation
for them-freedom from the awful tread
mill. surcease OF their loathsome grind
ing. So. after all. whichever way the
cat jumps, somebody's going to be
pleased. And mean while, Pax Nopis-
cum"
The Legislature is going to meet next
month. and we are to have more
laws-yes, bushels OF them. When, after
ninety days, the great body adjourns
sine die, our respected friend, the vener-
able Code OF 1857, will appear, pasted up
with amendments like a prize fighter
bedecked with sticking plaster. There
will be acts to amend the acts amending
the acts amending the acts amending
the acts amending the various sections
of the care-worn Code, and lawyers Will
worm in and out among the statutes
like a bagatelle ball seeking It's Ultimate
goal. 1t will take forty pounds of books
for them to tell just where they stand,
and then, about the time they put their
fingers on their much sought lex
scripta" the courts will declare the same
unconstitutional. This will necessitate
the purchase OF the court reports and
thus another volume will be added to
their collection. Shifting, shifting, shirt
ing, ever changing and shifting, are these
legislative sands, as the judicial pillows
burst upon them and add them to the
sea of accumulated law. And momen-
tarily, hourly, daily, and yearly, this sea
is increasing. and encroaching, and
swallowing up all available space within
its vast domain. Think of 1t an hundred
years hence. Pause and refect-and
gasp! Nlnety-third Virginia Ii just out
from the printers and Ninety-fourth Is
en- route. Their successors are going TO
follow semi-annnually, and as the volume
Of work In our tribunals increases there
may be annual ~triplets. Forty-nine
States are adding their contributions to
the mighty calfskin influx. and where,
o! where will it end. Methinks ere ten
decades have past the newspapers Will
be publishing such items as this:
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF
TUCKER COOLEY DOE. A LAWYER
The friends of Mr.. Tucker Cooley Doe, a
prominent young attorney Of this city,
are greatly exercised as 10 his where
abouts. When last seen Mr.. Doe was
in the new State Law Library, which
has Just been erected and which, as Is
well known, covers the territory inter-
vening between Fulton. and the former
town Of Ashland. On May 22d Mr.. Doe
appeared In an action Of trespass on
the case before the Law and Equity
Court, and by permission Of the honored
Judge he was allowed to have the roof
OF the City Hall taken off In order that
he might bring in a few volumes con-
tanning authorities to which he desired
10 call the attention OF the Court. Du-
ring the brief recess which followed Mr..
Doe repaired TO the Law Library to seek
further authorities, and while there he
was seen by John Minor Grattan and
Greenleaf Roe. He was then In that part
OF the library which covers the upper
end Of Henrico county. At that time
he was reading the syllabus OF q case
printed in 565th Michigan, though an
hour later the Librarian heard him ask
for Volume 600 OF the Indexes to the New
York Reports. 1t Is supposed that Mr..
Doe has been lost in the recesses Of the
library. At a late hour last night a
party consisting OF Crutchfeld Minor,
Giles Jackson Lawton, Brockenborough
Lie. and Grattan Milford determined 10
explore the library in search Of the I'M
fortunate attorney, who has probably
wandered miles among the books. They
had as their guide Littleton Coke Kent,
the worthy colored %janitor of the building.
who. after seventy years experience
among the books, has become greatly
familiar with the various recesses and
shelves. II is hoped that Mr.. Doe Will
be discovered in the course OF a week
This accident. like many others OF a
similar nature, which have occurred,
points out the necessity Of having some
sort of printed guide for the library. Mr..
G.. Pollard Meredith, a grandson or the
distinguished jurist whose name he
hears. attempted such a work, but, on
account of Ill health, was forced TO
abandon It after the completion OF
Volume 161.
THE IDLE REPORTER.