Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-05
ROOSEVELT ON ENTHUSIASM.
He Gives Some Good Advice to a
Young Lawyer.

Some years ago when Governor
Roosevelt was at Columbia Law School
an associate Of his was young man
from st. Paul, Mimi, who was very
anxious TO make 4 successful start in
ife. and yet was uncertain just how to
begin when ne should have graduated.
lie admired the character of Roos,\ 1t
and determined to SOCK his advice.
One day. meeting HIM. KY said:
Il nave chosen the dar 'u~ my pro-
fession. and | wish to commence prac-
tic IN the city in which ! was raised.
| HAY" friclds there, but also many
cOmpe titors. old and established law
yers. ana l am afraid that l may not
have the courage to wait for business
or even to develop it. / shall start my
practice with very little money, but |
need advice more than money. Can
you help me?"
Roosevelt carefully questioned him
IS to the character Of the city, the ci.t.ss
his friends belonged to. ana some Other
points, and then said to hlii.
If | We're you | would. OH reaching
home AID hanging out my shingie. get
case. | don't care how you get ii
Your own wits ought To find one case
at least which no ether lawyer has.
wouldn't take a justice shop case
either. Ia find a case that uls right
up in the regular courts. ana which
possessed some merit. l Wouldn he
it for nothing, either, or on J con-
tingency. | would have a decent fee
attached to it. In other words.
would have as many respectable
features attached to the case as pos
sible under the circumstances.
Having got that case" continued
Roosevelt, Il would try it as if it were
the last case | ever expected to have
or which would ever be in the courts
/ would not make a nuisance of my
self. You know enough to avoid that.
but you can be so persistent that you
will win the respect of everyone who in
any way comes into come lion with
the trial. Put all of yourself in the
case. Get every side of it, and above
all things hammer it into your client
by the force of your actions that your
integrity is above reproach. When
you get done with that case you will
have a reputation that many lawyers
waste years in other ways trying to
obtain. You will find that a second
case is certain to come to you whether
you lose or win the first one.
II would treat the second case he
continued, Just as / did the first one
Live and act as if there was never
such case in existence before, and
master it just as you are required to
master your studies here. If you find
yourself weakening at all use the spur
and whip until you have created an
enthusiasm in your work that imparts
itself to client, court and jury and re-
suits in your victory"
He paused after saying this and the
young man ventured to ask.
How about the third case?''
go at it the same way" was the
reply. And for that matter, as your
patronage increases give the same
treatment to all your cases. You will
create confidence in yourself that
viii insure You n constant practice
ana your clients, once secured. will
never leave you.
Enthusiasm in work is the best
autidote for no patronage that / know
of for any professional man. In fact.
the rule applies to every walk of life.
If your heart is in what you have to
do. no matter how small the under
taking, the greater things are certain
To come to you, and in rich reward"
1t SO happened that the first case
which this young man ever had IA
VOWED at the time a technical point.
not first noticed by him, which it would
necessitate the United States supreme
court to pass upon. He put what he
called "Roosevelts enthusiasm into
the case. found the technicality. car
ried it through all the courts of the
state, took it to the highest tribunal
and won. The case made his repIta-
ton and fortune. j earned for lim
also the title of being -ho most dis
asreeably persistent" loe ser that ire
old bar had yet encou. erred. But,
after all. he was only an eXemplifca-
ton of what Roosevelt is himsclf-the
strenuous man.-Thc Chicago Times
Herald.
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