The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-07-04

ldPorosity begets repulsion whilst
lgravitation attracts the universe"
They, nicknamed him "Old Porosity.' =
But all jokes at his expense were
barred after his feats at arms in the
lcivil war.
DR.. Johnson said of Shakespeare
THAT while an author is living we es-
Innate his powers by his worst per-
Torrance, but after he Isl dead we
llrate them, at his best" 81, ~.
] Lowell says: What lucky dog
Methlisaleh was; mo books and moth
ling to know, and 900 years to learn
1T in" How lucky, those old lawyers
were who did not have to keep up
with the daily and annual output from
the mills Of legal literature. Coke
and Blackstone were the pnexhausted
AID inexhaustible fountain heads for
those thirsty legal souls.
Farmer boys came to town to get
a new clevis or trace chain and they
would go for a few tiinutes to the
court room and soon grow so interest.
ed in the legal battles going on that
lolly, the adjournpent for the day
would send them pback again to the
farm.
| l remember by own experience
when I spent a few hours listening to
the final pleas of the lawyers on an
appeal case Involving the title to a
cow bell and $3.50 costs. The winner
marched bff with his friends and wit
Mill.
ringing, the bell at the head of the
procession.
1t was back in the old days that
some poetic soul wrote the inspiring
couplet:
THE legal birds upon the branches
| sit,
And evermore they sing towit, to-wit"
There were long-winded speakers,
too, in those days. An Irishman in
ia jewelry store saw clock with the
label: This clock; runs 365 days
without winding" Il wonder" he
said, how long it O. would run if it
was wound up?'
! On one occasion at Burlington a
lawyer beat the long distance record
of the most persistent United States
senator, including both Allen and
Carter, by talking until his associate
counsel could go by steamboat to
Davenport and back and bring a writ
of injunction to stop the proceedings.
Iowa has not IN the state courts ex.
ercised the power of limiting the
time used in speeches to jury. 81.
lence Is golden. The greatest Grafton
ever prepared in law case was that
of Cicero against Verres. 1t is gem
that has been studied for nearly two
thousand years, and yet that speech
was never delivered at all; as the
orator was driven to the alternative
of Withholding his speech or having
the decision postponed So he took
a vote instead, and submitted his
Grafton to posterity. His example is
followed by innumerable speeches un'
der leave to print" in congress.
Judge John A. L. Crookham, OF Os
kaloosa, was another rough diamond
of the early bar. AS state senator
he introduced the amendment to the
Iowa Constitution to strike out the
word white" Some of his illustra
tons were startling in their force and
simplicity. On one occasion he was
arguing that certain proposition was
plain. He said: 1T is palpable as
the bank of a river" What more
clearly defined thing could he cite a;
an illustration.
The bar of the early days obtained
admission upon an examination by 9
committee, and they enjoyed rare fun
sometimes in these examinations
An applicant was asked the question
What is meant by the benefit OF
clergy"
His answer, though not technically
correct, had some merit. He replied
Benefit of clergy is half-fare on the
railroads"
In the old days there were few will
contests. A man who died owning q
large farm worth only SIS or $40 al
acre was not suspected of insanity.
Shakespeare speaks disparagingly
} of real estate as dirty lands" Now
ltndI lOWd arc Will PlUu ~
5000 an acre, it is remarkable how
many of the prosperous land owners
are charged with insanity by theil
heirs. Insanity is a peculiar inven
tion anyway.
When Thaw was acquitted on the
ground of insanity he at once became
| sane and disputed his lawyers fees
t The old bar never enjoyed the bles
, sings of a typewriter, never dictated
to a stenographer nor were they evel
dictated to by one.
Some of the greatest of the old bal
have been lost in the sea of politics
Such men as James F. Wilson, Will
lam B. Allison, John A. Kasson and d
: B. Henderson would have risen Il
! wealth and eminence in their profes
: sion had they not preferred the dis
tinction and meagre emoluments o
public life.
Horace Boies. now enjoying thu
blessings of retirement in a ripe OLE
age, preferred the profession to polit
ical promotion and gave only brie
: period of his life to public affairs.
, Judge David Rorer was one of tn
:, fine lawyers of his day, but very small
!, in size.