Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-01-23
When the lawyer
t Game J
BY CARL DAY
Copyright, 1905, by 4. S. Mcclure
BY CAR L AY


and sawmill, but when any Of its
people visited other towns they didn't
brag of these things. II they boosted
at all it was of the fact that the village
never had had a lawyer or lawsuit.
Now and then differences of opinion
arose among the villagers, and they al
ways went to old Silas Warner to set
tie them. He was the father" of the
village. When lie said it was going to
be Il hard winter or a 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
way Il mean thing about anybody. He
would hear both sides Of Il 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 Hills
dale for twenty years when an event
happened. \ boom struck the town.
Some one sold his house and lot, the
cooper got an order for hundred bar
rels all at once, and it was discovered
that the water of spring emptying
into the mill pond was good for sore
eyes. 1t wouldn't have been called
much of a boom 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 a law
yer to come there and open an office.
Il amt goin' to say yes nor no to it."
Uncle Silas said when he heard Of it,
'but if we get lawyer here we can
look out for mumps and measles to
foller."
The lawyer came. He was an object
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 a plot of ground on
which he always 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 ar
bitration. He had taken couple of
days to think it over and then said:
WAL nayburs, hogs Is hogs, and ia
ters Is taters, and it's mighty hard to
keep 'em apart. Fact is, hogs have got
to have 'em. l can't say that it was
anybodv's fault in this case. but l
guess if the owner Of the hogs pays the
owner of the taters about dollar and
half no one will be the wuss Off"
That sum had been paid over with.
out demur. and there never had been a
hard word between the two principals
Things were different now. however.
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 patch
Of the cooper.
"Yes, Joe,' said the cooper when his
neighbOr came to see him, Il told the
lawyer to write you that letter. Its
time you took care O them blamed
hogs O. yours. You've got to pay me
$40 this time"
But you owe me 81 for lumber
Jim"
Then sue for It,"
Hanged IL l don't! I'll show 20,
that can start just as many lawsuit
AZ you can"
For ten years people had been in tn
J habit Of taking a short cut across ia
| C,,,3<h 1ctc vpyhor u0fn0 fh
postoffice, and Jabez had no NOR
thought Of complaining than he had o
flying. All Of a sudden. however, b.
} puts up signs of mo Trespass," ant
when the Widow Thompson didn't hee,
them he came outside his gate to NEE
, her.
: See here, widder." he began. ''yo
either keep off my land or I'll have 20
up for damages
whats the matter Of your" sh
asked in surprise.
"Waal, I've been picked on and picl
ed on for the last ten years, and Tv
stood it Jest as long as I'm goin' tt
We've got a lawyer in the town nov
you know"
j Then you keep your hens out Of m
l garden or you'll hear from that Law
: yer! allus thought you'd be Pie
: mean If you had a chance. and now
d know it,"
: Don't use violent language, widde
or the law will make you suffer for it.
y Horses. cattle and hogs always ha
y been allowed to run at large in Hill
n dale, and the citizens were supposed
r, protect themselves by keeping the
IS fences in repair and their gates shu
1t was not long after the arrival Of Ii
), lawyer that dozen different neighbol
d were shaking their fists at each otht
l. and threatening lawsuits for damagt
: done. In the long before. Jonas Bebt
= had given the village the privilege I
= digging gravel at his banks to all in Il
;. mudholes Of the three or four street
: There was no sale for it at any pric
I and the more they dug away his hill