The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-07
WON A MILK CASE
LAWYER TELLS HOW HE GOT HIS
PROFESSIONAL START.
PHYSICIAN GAVE HIM ADVICE
Beginning With Blind Lead the At
torney Secured Aid From the
Doctor and His
Books.

1T was a crowd of milkmen iha; gave
me my start in my profession,' began
James Coyne, an attorney who formerly
lived in Chicago. at the Thornton this
morning when it came his turn to enter
tain the party that was going back to
the beginning of things in the business
lives of thosa present. When l got
enough law into my head so that the
courts of my state Thought l was ready
to give advise to other people on how
they should do things l opened an office
but clients We're a long time in finding
their way to my door. After l had had
my shnsle out about three months some
gentlemen who derived their authority
fom a law that allowed the milk that
was being sold by dealers in the city to
be inspe tied became very active. l think
they received their revenue through fees
CT something Of that sort. Anyhow the
inspectors made life burden for the
men who drove wagons and sold milk
for a living. Three or four of them We're
convicted of violating the law and others
began to wonder when their time was
coming to walk up to the judge and de-
pcsit fine with him..
"One fine morning about dozen milk
men were arrested and ii SO happened
that my father was acquainted with sew
eral of them. They came to him and
asked his advise about what they would
best do. With the natural solicitude OF
a father he suggested that they come TO
me and see if l could not help them out
Of their trouble. l was little agitated
when the clients walked into my office.
The idea of seeing anyone in my place of
tusine-s. outside of a collector of law
book agent was new one, and it took
me a minute to become accustomed to
the situation. The milk men explained
Their difficulties to me and | promised 10
do the best l could for them. At this
late date, however. / don't mind con-
Tossing that l had not the slightest idea
of how l could make any defense for
them that would amount to anything.
had grown up on farm and knew few
things about cows and milk. as most
country people know them, but when it
came TO connecting milk with law l
was several lines short on knowledge of
the subject. l pulled down all the books
l had on the shelves and thought over
all the things the professors haa told me
While l was in college, but l wound up
without much that was likely to help
me out materially on that milk case.
Among my intimate friends was a
young physician who was also trying to
start in his profession. we frequently
had long talks together about the cases
we did not get Naturally l went to the
doctor to tell him about the milk men ana
the way they had come to me to get me
to defend them. l told him frankly that
I seemed to be up against it and vas
little blue at the poor prospect hao Oh
winning my first case. The doctor look
ed at me and smiled. Then he began 10
explain to me what an easy thlhs ~
would be to make defense IN the hil'h
cases. He pulled down books on chenlls-
try and several other subjects mat con-
tained more information about mix thah
I ever dreamed existed IN PRINT. MANY
kinds of milk were explained anu AS
on their analysis were set forth IN tilose
books. The doctor told me 10 starr iish'
IN and learn all could about the differ
ant Kinds Of milk. OF course, l was
not slow i'm catching his idea and spent
tha newt three days studying those
hooks When l got through With them
thought I knew almost as much about
Viii. as the men who wrote Them
"The day for my trial arrived and the
Mill, mon were lined up on one slde OIL
tha courtroom and the inspectors win
tha;, witnesses were seated on the other
siaa The attorney for the prosecution
called the chief inspector for MS liist
,,.;,nass The inspector had down the
ran,as of the men who We're accused oi
violating the law and the dates on "ilch
thew were alleged to have sold mix 'iia'
contained water. chalk and other foreign
substances. Before he got through WITH
h;c story | began to think that the cans
contained almost everything except MIX.
Whom got around to cross-eXamlne nm
T hogan to ask him what he knew ABOUT
milk He seemed sure that the cans III
Question contained stuff that should NOT
lave been in them, but he could not tell
whether there was any difference pe-
tween coats milk and COWS milk. l IL
nally made him admit that for all ne
knew from the result of his tests the
cans might have contained any kind OF
wholesome milk except COWS milk. Ihat
ended the case. My clients We're charg-
ed with selling impure milk, and the in
spector was in no position, as it deVel-
oped to say whether it was pure or not.
"All the milk men Were discharged and
my start as a lawyer was made. AS you
may magine the milk men stood by me
after that and l was not long in getting
on the way to prosperity l was CRATE
full to my friend the doctor. especially
in view of the fact that he was kind
enough not to mention to others the fact
that he was really responsible for my
first victory in court. | afterwards
found way TO repay my young friend,
hut to this day am willing TO go 10 the
front for the young physician and the
milk men who helped me get my feet in
my profession"