New-York tribune., 1905-02-05
VAR OF WALL-ST. Law.
Continued from nth paga

Then I went out on some bills for my stationer
1 collected for s32 from lawyer. He Ia
turn gave 81 200 note to collect made
s120 on this without suit Two weeks later
filed a mechanics lien against big hotel up
town In another week settled another
claim out of court. securing 5000 for our client
Our charge was $3.50. 1t is still charged
Then came long days Three life Insurance.
men would come In in one hour; boys would
bring in calendars pedlers arrived; street pianos
played; the postrnan occasionally brought let
ter. more often a circular. I'd put diamond
shaped pane Of glass In a bookcase: then I'd
polish my pipe; then I'd turn through the NOM
ing paper for the fourth time Reading law was
impossible because Of nervous waiting Finally
the wait became intoleIable. I roarned the
streets. and in two days picked up five cases
some Of which we are still working
"One Of these cases threw me into contact with
a group of men: one Of these men wanted 70 in
| corporate 1 Incorporated him and got 500
worth of business from him besides Then
drew his viii
I'VE worked night and day. one OF Us gener-
ally outside the Office always on the lookout for
clients. never varying from the ethics. but al
ways alert. Some days were deadly; others
bright The net result has been that all bills
have been paid.
I'VE never lined up a row Of old corporation
seals. so that the people would think busy.
Friends never called US up when clients were
in to talk of 100000 mortgage foreclosures
receiverships. We were not in politics. and
couldn't knock at judges chambers for refer
ences- We knew few lawyers and so could not
hint at appointments Of special guardianshipA
We were sensitively oblvious OF the approach
of ambulance. and invariably turned into
a side street hearing approaching bell
We never subscribed to the association for
| the getting Of accident news out OF first edi-
tions of morning newspapers. believing that al
men should sleep long as possible in the
morning. We Just fought straight on dazed
| sometimes that every wished well and
| yet wouldn't help at all.
Finally mild hammered man from COnnectt-
cut came in. took of his rubbers and sat down
His name was Addison c. Getcheu. or some
| thing equally distinguished. He was trustee
| of estate which held. among other assets,
| 800 shares Of stock in a Massachusetts, water
power company. worth 1885 share The COM
pany had declared a dividend of 65 per cent
| and 100000 had been paid by il on the shares
held by this trust The trustee wanted US
substituted as attorneys for him in an action
brought in another State over two years ago.
The question was whether this dividend was
income and belonged TO the life tenants. or
capital and belonged to the rernaindermen- We
/ began study <of the question by taxing the
trustee $780, thinking that a retainer would
make our attack upon this proposition OF law
a more spirited one.
THAT was last week Since that day We
have made a corporation of partnership; have
settled a family dispute of not inconsidera5Ie
Importance and difficulty. In other words. We
sometimes get the impression that We have
! arrived
| This Wall Street game is the very stiffest
| one to play; it takes more nerve and primordial
brute courage than any other particular con-
| test of which I have read or have had per-
sonal knowledge. 1t is every man for him
| self, and the last man a pretty good runner.
| No one should attempt it unless he has an
| independent income sufficient to last him over
| the first three years Of his experiment Plus
his income he should have bravery sufficient
| to meet discOuragemen Of the most subtle
| type, good nature sufficient to overcome the
| hourly anxieties which arise. large purse for
| his insults and small one for his fees"