, 1900-06-02
FEES FOR LAWYERS
ENORMOUS REVENUES CULLED
BY CERTAIN LEGAL
PRACTITIONERS.
Fortunes Made in Consolidating Trusts
Interesting Information About
the Earnings of Some of the Big
Legal Lights at the Bar.

Bis lawyers and their fees are an in,
teresting topic or which people were
set to talking the other day by the re-
port that Levy Mayer was paid $780,
coo for his work in selling the Ogden
Gas company TO the Chicago gas trust,
If this enormous fee was actually re-
oeived by Mr.. Mayer it was the largest
ever paid for legal services in a single
case in the United States, says the Chi
cago Tribune.
Lawyers feel a delicacy when it
comes to talking about fees, and Mr..
Mayer is no exception to the rule. He
says it is a matter that does not con-
Germ the public. being purely personal
and in the nature of wages paid for
work performed in his private capaci-
ty. Still, 1t must be conceded that a
vast majority of the public likes to dis
cuss any man whose abilities are such
that he is able to command $500, 900 or
81 ,00O,0 900 for a single job.
Among recent big fees and contin-
gent earnings, Azel F. Hatch is said
to have secured a total Of s33O,OOO from
the promotion of the American Hide
and Leather company, only 500, 900 OF
the mount being for purely legal SER
vices. Max Pam and E. T. Glennon, it
is claimed, were made S265 900 richer
by their legal connection with the for
nation of the American Steel and Wir>
company, the bulk of the sum being OBJ
tanned by taking advantage of inside
information. A New York firm receiv-
ed a fee of 800, 900 in the formation OF
this company.
Harry Rubens Won a fortune of $780,
600 as promoter and legal adviser of
the Republic Steel and Iron mpan
and E. II. Gary was paid $50, 900 for le-
gal work in organizing the Federal
Isteel company, of which he is now pres
ident at a salary of SIS, 900 a year. Mr.,
Gary's contingent earnings were also
large. Moran, Krus & Mayer received
$3.50, 900 for three years work in tho
old whisky trust litigation and in the
formation of the American Spirits as
ISOLATION. The same firm got 500 COS
for services in recognizing the Blue
Island Electric Storage line. Edwin
Walker is said to have received a fec
of 5000, 600 for his services in fighting
the reorganization committee of the old
whisky trust in behalf of J. B. Green.
hut and Nelson Morris. John P. VIII.
son and Jacob Newman are Chicago
lawyers credited with having earned
s25 900 e in recent litigation.
When it was reported a few week
ago that James Brooks Dill, the New
York corporation lawyer, had received
81, 000, 600 as his fee in the Carnegie.
Frick suit and reorganization, many
newspapers printed his portrait ant
sketches of his career. Public interest
was focused upon the mar and his
methods as never before. But Mr.. Dill
himself neutraliZed this interest to a
great extent when, as later reports had
1t, he told some of his friends that his
fee was only a paltry $25O,OOO, instead
of s1.0OO,0OO
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 capt.
tai and large business interests, where
in perpleXities and causes for litiga-
lions. In such a contingency it is deem
ed both wise and in the long run eco
nomical to engage only the ablest law
yer and to pay him freely and gener-
ously, no matter how exorbitant his fee
may seem.
William NJ. Evarts, one of the most
honored men in the profession, was
paid a fee Of $3.50, 900 for giving a legal
opinion which he expressed in Just one
one little word of three letters. Eyes"
was the word, and the opinion was
iSHuSiSu upoh the itlueSl OIL Il great
corporation which had q 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
corporation put this vitality important
question to the great lawyer, with the
previous understanding hat the inter-
ested parties would abide by his de-
c%ision, win or lose. Mr.. Evarts sat
buried in thought for a minute, and
lthen answered in one word, Yes"
His bill for that one word was 500, coo,
and the corporation paid it without
a murmur. His answer proved to be
entirely correct.
When former President Benjamin
Harrison returned from Paris last fall,
where he had been engaged in the
Venezuela arbitration case as counsel
for the Venezuelan government, 1t was
reported that he had received a fee of
$250,O00. General Harrison has COM
manded large fees in many other cases
for legal services.
When the sugar trust reorganized I'M