The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1906-01-24
THE PIONEER LAWYERS
OF BARABOO
(By Elbridge D. Jackson, Minneapolis, Minn.)

tagonist in court that could not be
downed by bluffs, and not always by
argument, tor he was like Gold
smiths attorney, who though van
pushed, could argue still.
There was nearly always some
thing doing in the courts between
Bill Brown and Philorman Pratt,
mostly growing out of water power
interests along the Baraboo river
in Browntown as originally called.
Each had about equal staying quail
tiles and never knew or seemed to
know when defeated. Besides this
good bit of real hot blood often
mingled with the litigation and left
it's stain long after. Both lived to
a ripe age and are gone now while
the unvexed Baraboo flows on as
though these two doughty antag-
onists had never contended in per-
RENAL strife.
Nels Wheeler was among the
elders Of the law, and continued to
be lively factor down to the times
fifty called recent. He was not so
much lawyer as a wag, good fell
low, man of humor and entertain
ing speaker. In fact he was in
great demand in the school districts
round about Baraboo and also
Chippewa Falls, where for several
years he practiced. as a funny
lecturer in which he certainly had
real talent. He wrote book en-
titled "Old Thunderbolt in Justice
Court" which was an attempt to
portray his experience at the bar,
but it tell so far short of reaching
the mark as to be disappointing.
While there are some really good
things in the book. it only serves to
show how impossible it is to trans
fer a living personality to the cold
printed page, and especially so such
a rollicking, side-splitting, good
natured fellow as Nels Wheeler
really was. And yet he could try
case in court very we'll. It depend
ed on the kind of case. If such as
to afford a field for the play of his
fun and sarcasm, he could utterly
annihilate his adversary and win
victory with flying colors. But if
a close knowledge of the law was
required, then he was at a disad-
vantage, for he did not claim to be
studious, and preferred to sit and
Joke and tell stories in the hotel
than be thumbing the dusty vol
umes in his office. He was not diff
ficult with his clients in matters of
fees, and would often take his fee
from a farmer in a basket of veg
etables and carry it home himself.
He was a pleasant appearing man
of stout build and rather dark COM
plexion. His countenance was full,
broad and prepossessing. His
mouth was large and it was the
easiest thing in the world for him
to break into a hearty laugh,
though he rarely laughed at his own
Jokes, which made them all the
more comical. He was a veritable
caricaturist with his phYsiognomY
and voice and could initiate the
manner of almost anyone he chose
so as to not be mistaken. His fund
of good stories was inexhaustible
and he could select one or more to
cover almost any case in hand. No
one ever thought Of being offended
by any of his sallies of wit even if a
party on the opposite side of law
suit. His genial manner thus saved
him from making enemies, which a
more stern disposition would have
surely done under like circum-
stances.
We now come to the first native
oorn lawyer of Baraboc, G. G. Rem
ington, who was perhaps the best
Baraboo ever claimed When consid-
cred in all respects. He was not
fine speaker, but always difident
even to almost paining his friends
in court. But he knew the law and
never went into court unprepared,
All his cases bore the marks OF
preparation and so he was never
surprised, but often surprised the
other side. Besides the law he ap-
preciated the value of evidence and
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