Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-08-31
When the Lawyer Came.

When the Lawyer Came.
~
The village Of Hillsdale, containing
400 inhabitants, had grocery, a
cooper shop, a blacksmith shop and a
saw-mill, but when any of its people
visited other towns they didn't brag
of these things. If they boasted at
all, it was of the fact that the village
never had had lawyer or lawsuit.
Now and then differences Of opinion
arose among the villagers, and they
always went to old Silas Warner to
settle them. He was the father of
the village. When he said it was
going to be a hard winter or hot
summer no one thought Of doubling
his word. He was ready with advice
to old and young, and no one ever
knew him to say mean thing about
anybody. He would hear both sides
of story, and then decide according
to his judgment, and it was seldom
that his decision was appealed from
or created hard feelings.
Uncle Silas had been fathering
Hillsdale for 20 years, when an event
happened. A boom struck the town.
Someone sold his house and lot, the
cooper got an order for 100 barrels
all at once and it was discovered that
the waters Of the spring emptylng into
the millpond was good for sore eyes.
1t wouldn't have been called much OF
boom out in Kansas, but it was
enough to make them hold their breath
in Hillsdale, and it led to results.
One of the results was move to get
lawyer to come there and open an
office.
q amt goin to say yes nor no to
it." Uncle Silas said when he heard
of it, "but if we get a lawyer here we
can look out for mumps and measles
to foller."
The lawyer came. He was an OBJ
iect Of curiosity for the first two weeks,
and then he was an object Of some
thing else. To do him justice, he was
no pettifogger to set neighbors by the
ears, but the fact that there was a
lawyer in town to be consulted had
an influence with the villagers, and
soon most of them discovered chips
on their shoulders.
The cooper had plot of ground OIL
which he raised about fifty bushels Of
potatoes. The sawmill man had six
or eight hogs running at large that
always managed to get in among the
potatoes and reduce the crop by ten
bushels. Heretofore this matter had
been carried to Uncle Silas for arbi-
tration. He had taken a couple ol
days TO think it over, and then said
"Wall, nayburs, hogs is hogs and
'taters is 'taters, and it is mighty hard
to keep EN- apart. Fact is, hogs have
got to have EN-, l can't say that it
was anybody's fault in this Gaze, but
I guess if the owner Of the hogs pays
the owner of the taters about dol
lar and half no one will be the wust
off"
That sum had been paid over with
out demur, and there never had been
hard word between the two princi'
pals. Things were different now, how
ever.
One day the sawmill man got let
ter from the lawyer demanding SIC
damages, because his hogs had made
their annual raid on the potato patel
Of the cooper.
"Yes, Joe, said the cooper, when
his neighbor came to see him, II told
the lawyer to write you that letter
It's time you took care o them blam'
ed hogs o yours. You've got to pay
me $40 this time.
"But you owe me s. for lumber
jim"
"Then sue for il"
Hanged if I don't I'll show
you that l can START just as many
lawsuits as you can !"
For ten years people had been il
the habit of taking a short cut across
Jabez Smiths lots when going to the
postofice, and Jabez had no mole
thought of complaining than he haC
of flying. All of a sudden, however
he puts up signs of mo Trespassing,
| i IL IL L. Tboro,,son I; =