The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-24

Largest on Record Was That Paid William
Nelson Cromwell for His Part in the
Purchase Of the Panama Canal.

ance he might have been a brother Of
George William Curtis. He IS John
Z. Parsons, a New Yorker born and
bred. legal adviser for big corpora
lions and estates, and as a lawyer be-
lieved to have the finest practice in
the country.
Mr.. Parsons is reputed to have re-
ceived one Of the largest fees ever
taken By a lawyer when he drew up
the charter Of the sugar trust Ac-
cording TO common report, he realized
s400, 600 for this service. AS general
counsel for the trust he also defended
1t during the attack upon the combi-
nation a few years ago. That defense
Is said to have added another sl00, 900
10 his fortune,
Contrasted with these types Of cor
poratlon lawyers is the general prac-
titioner. Former Ambassador Joseph
H. Choate Is a typical example. John
G. Johnson Of Philadelphia is another.
Speaking facetlously OF Mr.. Choate
at public dinner, Chauncey NJ. De
pew Is said to have remarked that
only unselfish millionaires could EN-.
ploy Mr. Choate as their lawyer be-
cause they would have to give up
about all they had to pay his fees
Yet lawyers said last week, indeed
that Mr.. Choates fees were not large
compared with the $1,O0OO00 Mr.
Cromwell received in the Panama ca
nal deal, the s75O,OOO paid Mr.. Guth
rle in the Plant will contest, or the re
puted 100000 fee to Mr.. Parsons fol
forming the sugar trust.
choate IN Many Great Cases.
Mr.. choate was admitted to the New
York bar In 1856. AS protege anc
partner Of William N. Eyarts he wor
immediate success, and gained al
enormous practice and a very large in
come. BY 1870 he was considered Z
leader of the New York bar. Fol
nearly 80 years there was hardly Z
great case in which he was not one
Of the counsel-the prosecution OF the
Tweed ring. the famous investigation
Of Gen. Fitz John Porters conduct
! which ended In a reversal Of the judg
ment Of the original court martial
the celebrated libel suit against Gen
Di Cesnola, the Tilden will case, thu
litigation over Commodore Wander
bits millions, and the suit Of Davi,
Stewart against Coils P. Huntington
to mention only few of them. MI
Choate is said to have received fee
of $10O,000 on a number of occasions
When he was named as ambassador t.
England by President Mckinley II
1898 he had earned a fortune in his A.
years of practice amounting 70 some
thing over s1OOOOOO. At that tim
his income, chiefly from his law prac
tice, was estimated at 100000 a year
1t is said Of Mr. Choate that he woul,
probably be richer II he had devotel
himself to corporation rather than
general practice, but that he woul'
only do so at the sacrifice Of tha
excitement and interest which he find
as an advocate.
John G. johnson of Philadelphia /
generally recognized as one Of tn
greatest lawyers in the country H
once declined q seat on the bench O
the supreme court of the Unite
States because. he said, with hi
income of 100000 a year he woul
be reduced to poverty if he agreed t
become a justice at $4,000 a year.
Mr. Johnson has since been pai
100000 for a single case, like tn
Northern Securities litigation, involl