The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-26
FAT FEES PAID TO
EMINENT LAWYERS
HIGH AWARDS FOR PROBES
sIoNAL SERVICES.
Fortunes Made in Bringing About
Consultations Of Interest-Mr.
Reeds Guaranty-$25o,OOo for
"Yes"-What Is Spent Yearly in
Attorneys Fees.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Big lawyers and their big fees is an
interesting topic on which people were
set to talking the other day by the re-
port that Levy Mayer was paid $5OOOOO
for his work in selling the Ogden Gas
company to Chicago Gas Trust. If
this enormous fee was actually re-
ceived by Mr.. Mayer it was the largest
ever paid for legal services in single
case in the United States.
Among recent big fees and conting-
ent earnings, Azel f. Hatch is said to
have secured a total of $330OO0 from
the promotion of the American Hide
and Leather company only $4,000 of
the amount being for purely legal SER
vices. Max Pam and +. r. Glennon
it is claimed, were made $685., 900 richer
by their legal connection with the for
nation of the American Steel and Wire
company, the bulk of the sum being
obtained by taking advantage of in
side information. A New York firm
received a fee of 100000 in the forma-
ton of this company.
Harry Rubens won a fortune of $780,
900 as promoter and legal adviser of
the Republic Steel and Iron company,
and +. II. Gary was paid $4,000 for
legal work in organizing the Federal
Steel company, of which he is now
president at a salary of $4,000 a year.
Mr.. Gary's contingent earnings were
also large. Moran, Kraus & Mayer re-
celved $2j0.00O for three years work in
the old Whisky Trust litigation and in
the formation of the American Spirits
association. The same firm got $780,
900 for services in reorganzing the
Blue Island Electric Storage Line. Ed
win Walker is said to have received a
fee of 100000 for his services in fight
ing the reorganization committee of
the old Whisky Trust in behalf of ].
=. Greenhut and Nelson Norris. John
z. Wilson and Jacob Newman are
Chicago lawyers credited with having
earned $4,000 fees in recent litigation.
ONE SMALL FEE.
When it was reported a few weeks
ago that James Brooks Dill, the New
York corporation lawyer. had received
81 l,000,0 600 as his fee in the Carnegie
Frick suit and reorganization. many
newspapers printed his portrait and
sketches of his career. Public interest
was focused upon the man and his
methods as never before. But Mr. Dill
himself neutralized this interest to a
great extent when, as later reports
had it. he told some of his friends that
his fee was only a paltry $3.50 900, in
stead of $1.OOO.OOO.
Big fees for lawyers of ability and
high professional standing are not so
| uncommon in this country as they
| were in earlier years. This is doubt
| less owing to the capitalization Of
| capital and large business interests,
| wherein perpeXities and causes for
| litigation sometimes arise involving
| millions. In such a contingency it is
deemed both wise and in the long run
| economical to engage only the ablest
| lawyer, and to pay him freely and
generously, no matter how eXorbitant
| his fee may seem.
William NJ. EVarts one of the most
| hOnored men in the legal profession,
| was paid a fee of $250000 for giving a
| legal opinion which he expressed in
| just one word of three letters. Yes"
| was the word and the opinion was
| rendered upon the request of a great
! corporation which had a difficulty on
! hand involving millions and threaten
| ing the existence of the corporate body.
| The question was wholly one of the
! correct Interpretation of the law, and
| when the regular attorney for the COR
| pOration put this vitally important
question to the great lawyer with the
| previous understanding that the inter-
ested parties would abide by his de-
cision, win or lose, Mr.. Evarts sat
buried in thought for a minute. and
| tn In I ic
bill for that one word was $25O,0OO and
the corporation paid it without a muir
mur. His answer proved to be entirely
| correct.
GENERAL HARRISON'S PAY.
| When former President BENJAMIN
| Harrison returned from Paris last fall
where he had been engaged in the
| Venezuelan arbitration case as coun-
sci for the Venezuelan government, it
was reported that he had received a
fee of $25O,OOO General Harrison has
commanded large fees in many other
cases for legal services
When the Sugar Trust organized
under the laws of New Jersey, Lawyer
John f. Parsons was employed to
draw up the agreement under which
that reorganization was effected. Fol
this work he rendered bill for $3.50, 600
which was paid by check without ques-
ton or dissent, It may have been
easy for Mr.. Parsons to draw up those
articles, and it may have been diff
cult, but the knowledge and expert
ence with the work called for he had
gained by long years of hard study
and application. 1t was probably more
| to recompense himself for those years
of effort than for the time he actually
| spent in drawing up the Sugar Trust
| agreement that he demanded a big fee
What a few years ago was said Ia
| be the largest fee ever received by
any lawyer up to that time was one
for $260000. which was paid to W. N
| Cromwell, the attorney who settled ur
the tangled affairs of Decker Howell
& Co. The difference between the
$3.50, 900 fees paid to Evarts and Par
sons and the $260,0O0 fee paid to Crom-
| well was that the two former earned
| their money by regular work in the
routine of their profession, while
| Cromwell got his big fee by settling ur
the affairs of a great firm and under
the laws of the state of New York he
was entitled to per cent. of the
| money involved.