The Washington herald., 1910-01-09

the female line, Of Col. Ninian BeaIe. who
came TO this country from Scotland in
1850. Oddly enough, the first Territorial
governor Of Illinois was also one OF his
| descendants.
Freed HIS slaves i'm 1912.
My great-grandfather, Risdon Moore,
born in Delaware. was a soldier in the
Revolutionary war. He moved TO Geor-
gia, but left that State and came to Iii
nois in 1872. bringing his slaves along
and giving them their freedom. He was
speaker in the Territorial legislature
and in 1873 was burned in efigy because
he opposed changing the constitution Of
! Illinois and making it a slave State Will
I lam L. Deneen. my grandfather, a Meth
\ odist circuit rider, was n native of Penn
] sylvania, Ny father was graduated from
! McKendTee College at Lebanon. and for
/ thirty years was professor OF Latin and
Of ancient and medieval history Dur
ing the civil war the college was prac-
| tically closed. students and members of
the faculty becoming soldiers. Ny father
| served three years in the army and was
duJuIdhJ or his regiment
| I was born at Edwardsville. not far
from st. Louis. where my mother had
gone to stay with relatives, although our
home was at Lebanon. After going
through the public schools. I spent six
years at McKendree College. taking the
regular literary course, and studying law
Tor thirteen months. / worked on neigh
ooring farms during vacations. binding
grain and thrashing. and for three years.
! beginning at the ase OF fifteen. l taught
school in the country near my home
liked teaching, and thought of making il
my profession. There were no business
opportunities at Lebanon, and I couldn't
have been merchant because / had no
money. Preaching, teaching, and the law
were considered. At last I determined to
be a lawyer"
Then you moved to Chicago"
Capital DwindIes Away.
Il went there hoping TO earn my wav
into the profession by clerking In q law
office. My father had put me through col
lege; he was poor. and meant to earn
my own living. He and had talked the
matter over, and had decided to settle in
Kansas after completing my education. 7
clerked IN a Chicago law Office. but
much to my disappointment, / was un-
able to find a place that would pay me
any wages. When my little stock OF
money was nearly spent / went TO MIN
neapOlis, where 7 clerked nine months
for a lawyer. getting 81 a week for my
work. On one occasion my cash capital
had dwindled TO 10 cents. BY stroke of
good fortune 1 obtained a position in the
night schools of Chicago teaching four
years in the Ghetto at $50 a month and
getting all the money needed with which
to round out my legal training"
but you didn't emigrate to KansasT'
mo. / meant to move. but 1 kept
putting it off until tomorrow. and to-
morrow never came After being admitted
to the bar l practiced, or tried to prac-
tice. without the help of an established
partner. Ny uncles who were lawyers.
advised me to go TO the criminal courts
and ask the judges to assign me to
the cases Of INDECENT prisoners. saying
work Of that sort would be as valuable
to me as service in a hospital would be
to a young doctor. And so it was. I
defended several murderers. and poor per-
sons accused Of various offenses came to
me because 1 was young and they hadn't |
the money to hire a better man.
Such was my practice during the first
SIX months at the bar. My fees. all |
told. during that period amounted to ex-
actly $50. and 1 spent $40 in street car |
fare and In hunting for evidence and wit |
nesses. Ny net income, therefore, for