Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-16

pany the Judges at these sessions.
and as look back over the fight of
years, deem my association with
those judges and lawyers one of the
dearest privileges of my life.
Another change that has taken place
Is In the mode of preparation for an
admission to the bar. The usual
course then for young man who de-
sired to become a lawyer, was to en-
ter the office of some eminent or good
lawyer, and study the books and prac-
tice under him for couple of years;
going to court with his preceptor, car
rying his books, assisting him In the
| collection OF the witnesses, observing
the private preliminary drill-a very
important function, by the way, in the
preparation OF the case--the manner
of opening the case, the examination
of the witnesses, the drawing of In
structions the final argument, and. In
deed, all the steps taken from the be-
ginning to the end Of the cause. AT
ter this course OF study and discipline
had been finished and Blackstone's
Commentaries, Kents Commentaries,
Chitty's Pleadings. Greenleafs Evil
dence, Parsons Contracts, Story's
Equity Jurisprudence, Bishops Grim
inal Law and Practice, and lastly the
Gods, had been read by the student,
his r>aceptor. who had become a sort
|
appoint committee to examine the
student for admission to the bar. Ac-
| cordingly committee of three would
be appointed from the lawyers in at
tendance to examine the student and
report upon his qualifications. II the
report Of the committee was favorable
he was admitted and sworn in. If not.
study. 1t was popularity supposed
that In rare instances, the committee
in forming it's Judgment considered
along with the legal qualifications of
the applicant, his ability to set up the
oysters with the appropriate cordial,
as supplement to THE examination.
But I feel sure this was popular
SANDER. After all, 1t is a question
whether this old mode has not turned
out, In proportion more better equip
| ped and successful lawyers than the
one now generally in vogue, of send
ing the young man tu law school
and, at the end of his curriculum,
having him brought down in class
to be examined by the supreme court
or rather, it's judges: shortcomings
occasionally appear in either mode.
Almost everything depends upon the
natural fitness, caliber and character
Of the student In either case very
many are admitted that ought to be
doing something else. To Illustrate.
Some fifteen or sixteen years ago
was obliged to go to Iowa to argue a
case In the supreme court 1t happen
ed to be when a class from the State
university law school was before the
| court for examination. The answers
OF one of the boys We're so decidedly
nebulous, that Judge Beck was in
doubt as to whether he had any just
conception of legal principles. So the
| judge in his delightfully."- amiable way,
put this question to him: What is
the most essential element Of prom
issory e?"--referring of course to
| the consideration. THAT it should be
paid when due was the answer. In
a practical sense 1t cannot be denied
4 that there was more truth than poetry
| in the response. And here Is an instance
under the old system. Judge Knapp
| OF Keosauqua, who was one Of thf
| great lawyers of that period, was al
times very gruff. He, Robert Sloan
| hereinbefore referred to as one of your
present Judges, and some other MEM
bers whose names have escaped me,
| We're appointed a committee to exam
Inc a certain applicant. The other
members OF the committee asked him
number Of questions the answers to
which disclosed the fact that his legal
attainments We're very slim. Finally
| Judge Knapp thought he would ask
him practical one, and said, Sup
pose Cox and Shelley Of Keokuk (then
/ a wholesale market for this part of
the state) should send you an account
for collection; what steps would you
| take in the matter?" We'll" was the
answer Il would sit down and write
to the man to come in and pay it.
Then I'd wait on him three or four
days. and If he didn't come in, I'd put
1t in the hands of a justice of the
peace, and in about week I'd go
around and get the money Yes,
| like hill you would" growled Knapp.
He had been there himself.
Another difference between the con-
ditions of that time and this, is the
curtailment which the banks have
made of the lawyers business, Then
foreign collections We're sent to and
made by the lawyers Of the different
towns. Now, they are sent to and
made by the banks. For instance, If a
wholesaler in New York, Chicago, st.
Louis, Keokuk, or Burlington, held an
overdue claim for goods sold to a local
merchant 1t was sent to lawyer
VINO made the presentment, coll
lection and remittance-less good
round percentage. Now they are sent
to the banks, which were then few
and far between, which charge very
| little for their trouble, and as conse-
quence do all the business in that line
IN respect to claims that are not me-
cessary to be sued upon; and then
they go into the hands OF some attor-
ney which the bank has selected
| Another difference between the old
and the new is in respect to forensic
eloquence, the eloquence Of the bar.
II was formerly cultivated as one of
the fine arts, and to hear the lawyers
plead" as it was called, In an i'm
portant case always drew a goodly
| number to the court room. Unless a
young man gave some promise of be-
| coming speaker, he was hardly
deemed fit for the bar. They general
| ly made preacher of him. The
tropes and figures of forensic elo-
quence have given place to those made
by the cold hand of commerce and the
lightning calculator. The old time
aspiration for eloquence at the bar
has been quenched by the roar of the
stock exchange. The occupation Of
the advocate, like that of Othello is
virtually gone
We had some strong speakers
among us, who on occasions displayed
the power of stirring advocates. To
look at Henry Trimble as Judre Knapp
always used to call him. vow might fail
to see amid the lines of that furrowed
clio nf