, 1897-04-09
ADMITTED TO THE BAR.

luey Nefc opC2Alu8 VI duuulsolou "
the bar. One Of than had begun in the
country.
III was in a Kansas county, said he,
Il had gone out there 10 practice law,
and had found two terms OF court a
year. That WIS too Glow. So I bought
a printing office and got acquainted. l
kept my sign on the door and my card
in the paper, and and then some
one would ask me about taking a a
but l would explain that l had no idea
cf getting into the practice while l had
the paper. And they came to think l
really a good lawyer and might be
winning half the cases in the docket II
it were not for the demands Of the now
paper. So when l sold out at last and
got a partner who was really a good
lawyer, and opened the old Office and
declared myself. they came in good
style.
We'll, in Kansas the judge of the dis
Lrict court appoints a committee Of three
to examine applicants for admission to
the bar, and old Judge Peyton named
George Mcconnell. James Redmond and
Charley Graves. l was just cleaning up
the last job in the printing office, and
was to get out that day for good and
all. when the committeeman came up
stairs and said they had been appointed
to examine me for admission to the bar
of Kansas. They said they had stopped
al Clark's restaurant on the way up
from the court house aud arranged for
n little supper, to be served at 8 o'clock
that night, l was invited. Further, the
bill was sl3. and they Herewith pre-
scented it.
and when the supper was over the
committee made its report, and | was a
member OF the bar"
THAT reminds me-" said another Of
the lawyers. Il was very modest as a
young fellow"
WHAT" demanded his hearers.
And. while l had learned the prin-
ciples all right, I had the greatest posi-
BILE difficulty convincing anyone of it on
examination. Well. the committee that
examined me mighty near drove me to
drink. l could not tell the difference
between a residuary legatee and the rule
in Shelley's case. One OF the committee
it's chairman, by the way. and best
read lawyer in my county-was clear
out Of patience with me. There was a
class OF five other young fellows, and
they all did very we'll.
"The I'D chairman was given to drink
or OCCASION. and two or three times in
the course Of the examination he ex-
cused himself and went out for a drink.
1t did lot make me any the more COM
Portable to observe that he always went
right after 1 had failed to answer a
simple question.
and when he would come back he
was always more and more dignit1ed and
legal. The man couldn't be anything
but a lawyer. And finally the examina-
ton was over, and they all went away,
and l sat there in the judges room in
the old court house and pretty nearly
cried. l had tried SO hard to master the
rudiments of the law. and did really
know them. And here l had convinced
a lot OF excellent gentlemen that I was
trying to break into their ranks on a
series OF false pretenses. l tell you 1t
was a mighty unpleasant situation.
81 sat there grieving and wondering
what I would better do, since l never
could be admitted to the bar, until near
midnight. And then 1 went out on the
street and started home. AZ the foot Of
the court house steps sat the old chair
man Of the examination committe. He
had drunk TOO much, and he was there
in the middle OF the night. arguing a
motion to the fence and posts and trees,
l forgot all about the report he must
make regarding my application and
thought only Of his condition, and that
it was time for a man Of his years to be
abed.
so I gathered him up and helped him
down street, talking with him all the
way. 1t was his mood to argue legal
questions and raise legal points, as If
this were a court trial with a wide range
OF subject matter. And do you know
my tongue was loosed, and / could quote
whole paragraphs from the textbooks?
Things l thought I had forgotten all