The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-01
CITY'S LEGAL LIGHTS.
There Are 1853 Law
yers Practicing in
Worcester.
THEY ARE NOT ALL WEALTHY,
But No One Of the Fra
ternity Is Being Sued
for Taxes.
THEY ARE NOT ALL WEALTHY,

There are 1853 lawyers in the city of
Worcester. There is one for every ZOO
inhabitants. According to the court
dockets each lawyer has about four or
five appearances in court annually, yet
they all thrive and do legitimate bust
ness.
The business is a peculiar profession.
The story is told of the rural gentleman
who wandered into a law office in
search of learned counsel His neigh
boris dog had jumped into and torn
numerous patches of wool from off the
pelts of his sheep. He was hot for sat-
isfaction and wanted it through the
medium of the courts.
He stated his case to a legal light
who had drawn his fathers will where
by he had come into possession of the
family farm not many months before,
and he had confidence in his ability to
draw the blood of revenge from his
neighbor who owned the dog The law
yer listened to the farmers talk of suf-
fering by reason of the vagaries of his
neighbours dog, and when the narrowing
tale was ended the rural visitor said
Now what 1 want is not SO much
damages in money, but l want to have
b showed" The lawyer listened
and asked questions, and when all was
said and done advised the rural gentle
man to do nothing whatever. 1T will
cost you more than ever you will re-
cover" he said, land l advise you to
let the matter drop"
The farmer could not see it in that
light He argued and debated, but the
lawyer was firm and refused to take the
| case.
The client started to leave in haste.
"Just a moment" said the legal light.
do you want to pay this little bill
now"
Five dollars for professional advice.
That's my regular fee" and the lawyer
made out the invoice.
Five dollars! You want five dollars
for telling me to do nothing? l re
fuse to pay it. It's outrageous. on
second thought, tho, I'll pay it under
protest and I'll make you suffer for the
outrage. It's robbery, sir, robbery
With his receipted bill in his hand
and the fire of vengeance in his eye
the farmer stamped Indignantly out
into the hall and across the way into
the office of another lawyer
He wanted satisfaction and was go
ing to have 1t.
"I want to retain you in little sui
1 am beginning" he said. 81 went int
the office across the way and wanted
him to begin an action for me. He al
vised me to do nothing. He did moth
ing Then he presented bill for S.
and paid it under protest. want t.
know how to go about to recover"
There's nothing to be done. That
his charge for legal advice and his bill
is just" said the learned counsel
There is no reason to want redress ant
no way to get it. If you spend a for
tune in the courts"
Then can't do anything?"
Absolutely nothing" was the reply.
The farmer was apparently satisfied
and started toward the door,
Just moment" said the learned
counsel for the prosecution. You hav
forgotten to pay my bill. My fee 70
advise is $40. Do you want to pay /
now" There was no escape. The farm
er settled and went out too full TO
utterance. well, I'm burned. Tel
dollars for doing nothing" he muir
INJURED as he started down the stairs
, apparently in fear lest he should hav
to pay the elevator boy S. for takinj
and rubbed wheel grease on his un
wColed sheep.
And so a constant stream Of troubled
souls Is pouring in and out of tn
offices of the lawyers. Some in searcl
of Justice, many in search of vengeance
and few in search of equity. Bust
ness is always brisk, and the story i
largely one of sorrow or trouble.
In no profession does merit win as a
the law. The orator or the student il
quickly marked and in no profession il
there a greater opportunity for rapiC
advancement than at the bar Tn,
struggle of the young lawyer during tn
early days of his practice, for mann
and fame is proverbial, but merit il
quickly recognized. One successful cas-
of some prominence is oftentimes sufh
: cient to give the recruit the opportunit,
for advancement and to show his abili
! ty and his fame is made.
There is many a young lawyer il
Worcester who possesses marked abili
: ty but who has thus far lacked tn,
, opportunity for its display. Meanwhile,
i he Is very much in the position of tn,
sick man who has not strength enough
to go to work until he has proper fooC
and can not obtain such food until hi
Is able to go to work.
And while the struggle at the bottom
is constant, the young lawyer remem.
bers the trite saying about there being
ample room for accommodation on top
and grinds his teeth and collects his few
bills that come into his hands from
the larger offices.
The iiistalment mani think you ought
to take my case for nothing
lawyer wish you would tell me why
For ali ~