The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-03
ONLY A COUNTRY LAWYER
But Just the Same He Wiped UP
the Floor with the Best Legal Tai
ent That Critical Boston Could
Boast
W. E. Curtis, in Chicago Record.

A jealous New Yorker-and the peo-
pie of that city are the most narrow
minded and jealous of any l have ever
known except those of Boston and
few towns in New Hampshire-said at
the Union League club the other night
with a slight sneer that the president
was intrusting negotiation of the peace
treaty to "a lot of country lawyers
meaning Secretary Day, Senator Da-
Wis, Senator Frye and Associate JUS
tice White, of the Supreme court.
1t reminded me of story which
Senator Fairbanks, of Indiana, is fond
of telling about an invasion of the
Boston courts by country lawyer two
or three years ago. A big litigation
was on, involving the control of an
Ohio railway, and seven or eight legal
lumnaries of the largest magnitude
from Boston were present to repre-
sent the bondhoiders and the 'reor-
ganizers." The local stockholders
and the management of the road, who
were fighting for their own preserva-
tion, were represented by an unassum-
ing attorney from small town in
Ohio, who appeared in delicate health
and was an entire stranger in Bos
estly took a back seat without any
other demonstration than polite bow
to the judge and a pleasant good
morning" to his formidable army of op
ponents. During the morning proceed
ings he did not open his lips and show
ed no particular interest, and when
| the Boston lawyers went to lunch at
Young's hotel during the noon hour
they were chuckling to themselves
about the easy manner in which they
We're going to dispose of what they
feared might be a very tedious and
troublesome litigation. Senator Fair
| banks was present as spectator, to
watch the collateral interest of the
Vandala line, of which he was gen.
eral solicitor, and was looked upon
as neutral party. So they invited
! him to lunch with them, and he heard
their humorous allusions to the coun-
try lawyer who had appeared to rcp-
| resent the other side.
Gentleman" said the senator al
ter a while II have had a good deal
of experience with country lawyers
and have learned not to despise them.
Your conduct in this case is, of course.
not my affair. but I advise you to be
on your guard. for if that country
| lawyer over there in the corner of
the courtroom wakes up he is likely Ia
give you trouble. l kept my eye on
him this morning and l have come to
the conclusion that he knows his busi-
ness"
The ornaments of the New England
bar laughed In derision, and when the
court adjourned that afternoon they
taunted Senator Fairbanks with his
warning, for the country lawyer had
not opened his lips during the day.
And so the case went on, the Boston
attorneys occupying all the time, sub
| mitting motions. suggestions and plans
for the consideration of the court which
were entirely in the interest of their
clients, and having everything their
own way. About the fourth day, how
ever, after the "reorganizers" had dis
closed their whole scheme and commit
ted themselves TO a line of procedure
which left the legitimate owners OF
the road in the cold the country law
yer came forward and modestly inter
posed a few objections in the interest
of his clients. The Boston crowd at
tempted to throw him down with a
rush, but he quietly plunged his spear
into the weak spots of the armOr OF
every one of them and drew blood al
every thrust. Before the day was
over, he had them all thoroughly de-
moralized and quarreling among
themselves, while he submitted few
motions to the court, which were i'm
mediately sustained. The result as
Senator Fairbanks tells 1t, was that
when the case was concluded the coun-
try lawyer walked off with the whole
thing, leaving the lights of the Boston
bar in a semi-comatose condition and
wondering what had happened to
them. The senator says it was as
keen and complete a case of legal
strategy as he has ever known in his
long practice at the bar. and thai
the country lawyer was William r.
Day, of Canton, o., now secretary OF
state and member of the peace com.
mission.