The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-04

.speaking of damage suits" said Truman H. Aldrich, formerly general manager of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. T don't believe that any account of the first damage case against the Tennessee company has ever been published Then it was the old Pratt Coal and Coke company.
 'The story is worth 1t, too, to my notion. Just after we had opened up Pratt mines along about 1S79 and the Pratt company's old rai1orad, now the Birmingham Southern, had gotten it's first rolling stock, I and two or three hrother officers were held up on one Saturday afternoon on our weekly Journey into Birmingham.
 "We were making the trip as usual, by hand car, and were pumping vigor- ously, when we discerned an obstruc- tion ahead. It was a lady in calico wrapper, standing stalwartly in the middle of the track waving broom.
 Stop that ar thingr she cried. pointing to our hand car. Seeing thta the lady would not budge, we. of course. put on the brakes. You all hev run aver by turkey hen,' began the lady, .anaIm hgoin to sue VT old railroad. You hev got ter pay, d'y hear, an Then she got started and there was no stopping her. We were in an awful hurry, too. At my first opportunity l inquired the price she desired.
 Forty centsr she screeched. An II go to the courts but I'll get it. Pay me damages now or you can't go an- other step
 Madam, we will be glad to settle with you, I said, and the first dam Rge claim against the old Tennessee Goal Iron and Railroad company was settled, and we proceeded to pump our way into Birmingham"
 Another Woman in the Case
 That was settled much. more easily than a suit now pending against my friend, MT. Rivers Carter" observed As Fociate Commissioner A. o. Lane. MT. Garter was telling me about 1t the oth- CT day. There is also,' added the judge, sententiously "a woman in the case. I,.will mention no names, but OUT former ypostoffice chief is at pres en- in a very serious predicament.
 Tt seems that at one of the pieces of construction work MT. Carter now has under way up the country, his men did some extra heavy blasting. This blasting shook up an old woman s chicken house. Her pet setting hen was greatly disturbed and, it is claim ed. all of the eggs were added The lady in question at any rate has start ed proceedings on this ground and MT. Carter is right up tree
 There Is probably no one set of pro- fessional men anywhere in whom the sense of humor is more strongly devel- opend, as a class, than lawyers, especial ly the lawyers of Birmingham.
 Here the leaders of the bench and bar are among the most brilliant men in the south Take men, for instance, like w. l. Grubb, James Weatherly, Sidney J. Bowie, A. O. Lane, John Hearst Mill Ter, Lee Bradley, J. Forney Johnston, Hugh Morrow, Colonel Tillman, E. H. Sharpe, N. L. Miller, E. K. Campbell H. c. Selheimer, B. M. Allen, Jere c. King, Judge Ferguson, Walker Percy, John Stone, T. H. Benners, Charles E. Rice. F. l.. Bonner, J. L. Drennen, w. F. Fort, E. D. Smith, John London, F. |. Monks and others, and one discovers points of view on men, manners and customs decidedly original, acutely hu- morous and altogether of the true ring.
 Spiked Punch
 An afternoon at the courthouse library even on one of these hot days is bound 50 have flavor to it.
 "Did you ever hear" Judge Lane wal saying oncef f"about the old countrymai who wasf called to serve for the frs time oSSethe jury and, after the old styl, he was told:
 /" JtTor, look at the prisoner at the bars,-f
 Prisoner at the bar, look at the juror
 Juror look at the prisoner at the bar And the old countryman looked him up and down then turned to the court Yes, your honor, he is guilty I could swear to itr '
 Then there will sometimes be an im- promptu little play entre-acte, a trans cript from the courtroom, as for instance, the following:
 What is your full name?'' inquired At torney B. M. Allen, counsel for the plain tiff, as a much hejeweled, be-plumed and stylish" lady of color took the witness chair
 My name am Anastasia Angelina Rosa Brown" replied the witness.