Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-12

sion. The reason is that Mr.. Choate has de-
voted himself to general practice. He might
have made more money as corporation
lawyer, but he has preferred the keen intel
lectual enjoyment derived from the more
diversified work of a general advocate.
Choate Defines Success.
Choate is a man OF sane ideals. His head
has never been turned by anything he has
accomplished. 1t was suggested to him that
his new honors formed an appropriate
| rounding out to a successful career.
Success said he keenly, catching at
the word, "any man is successful who has
plenty to do-as long as one can honestly
perform his fair share of the worlds work
he enjoys the only success it is possible for
anybody to achieve"
His advice to young men intending to
enter the law is characteristic of his own
career.
I'm the first place. says Mr.. Choate, mo
young man should go into law unless he
, is irresistibly attracted by it, unless he is
prepared to make of it a profession instead
of trade. Next, he should convince him
self that law is not thing of bubbles and
crochets, but body of truth as broad and
well defined as human right. Next he
should study hard; it is impossible to get
| too much knowledge Of the subject at the
| beginning of his career. And finally, he
| should be always good -natured, honest and
| persevering, and he should get all the prac-
| tice he can
Choate's usual manner in addressing a
jury is to stand with one hand in his trous-
| ers pocket, his foot on the back of chair.
| Leaning forward, he talks easily, confiden-
J TALLY and with telling clearness and force.
Occasionally he warns up, however, and
| then would do credit to the immortal Rufus
| himself. Choate has the keen eye that can
| search the soul and he can make himself
| terrible to a witness when he chooses.
Chonte's Weak Spot.
| 'If there Is one weak spot in the make
, up Of Joseph Choate," a distinguished fel-
| low lawyer who has known him for many
years said the other day, "it is his fondness
for a joke. He would rather say a funny
thing than to score telling serious point.
BY this / do not mean to say that he tries
to be funny. 1t is natural; the fun bubbles
out He says what comes into his mind i'm
pulsively. without stopping to think whether
1t may offend some overtime sensibiities
But in spite of his reputation for sarcasm,
there Is not more kindly man in the coun-
try than Choate. His innate kindness of
heart was illustrated in the tribute which
he paid to Roscoe Conkling when Conklng
appeared against him in the Pacific railway
case. 1t was Just after Conklings bitter de-
feat Tor reelection to the senate Mr..
Choate said: However We may differ we
owe the senator one debt of gratitude for
standing always steadfast and incorruptble
in the halls of corruption. Shadrach Me-
shach and Abednego won immortal glory
for passing one day in the fiery furnace;
but he has been twenty years there ard has
come out without even a smell OF smoke
upon his garments 1t was a gracious speech
and Conkling remembered it gratefully to
his dying day"
1t is In the peculiar English and American
field OF oratory, after dinner speaking, that
Mr. choate appears in his happiest vein
The only men in this country to be com
pared to him are Depew and General Horace
Porter. They have appeared at the same
banquets many times, and 1t cannot truth
fully be said that Choate is inferior TO
either of the others.
How He Remains Young.
When he was asked the other day how he
had managed to remain so youthful, he
said:
by keeping good-natured and always
looking on the bright side OF life. | believe
there is nothing that affords greater re-
Taxation than a good joke. Men like
Depew are the real llfesavers of the eoun-
try II Is fact that a good many men take
themselves and everything else too seri-
ously."