Evening journal., 1914-12-10
New News Of Yesterday
An Eccentric Lawyer of
the Last Century
BY HOIIsna.

Among the lawye IS Of the American
bar of the mid-years If the past cen
tury none stood higher, at least in
certain departments of Jurisprudence
than the late W. o. Bartlett. He was
classed with the ablest constitutions
alist lawyers OF bis time. In civil
war day, his services we're frequent
ly requested by members of the Cabi-
net of President Lincoln and occa-
sionally President Lincoln tool coun-
sci of him.
Mr.. Bartlett WIS an intimate per-
sonal friend of Charlas A. Dana. Each
maintained profound respect aud ad-
miratioD for the other. Their rela-
tions were those of the closest in
timacy and this was all the more re-
markable because Mr.. Dana fire.
quented the most cultivated society
of New York and numbered among
his personal friends the foremost
American intellects of his time,
whereas Mr.. Bartlett was something
of a recluse, finding his happiest mo-
ments in his law Office, which was in
the building occupied for the most
part by the New York Sun.
For Mr.. Bartlett Mr.. Dana has es-
pecial admiration as the master ol
one of the finest of English styles
His spoken and his written words
we're perfect examples of what the
English language is capable Of NJ
one ever had to read over a secOnC
time in order to get a good under
standing of anything which Mr.. Bart
lett wrote and there were thousand
who read now and then articles writ
ten by him which tliey attribute 4
, Mr.. Dana, for Mr. Bartlett was
frequent contributor to the editoria
. columns of the New York Sun. H
always wrote these articles for tn
, enjoyment the writing gave him.
E Greatly as Mr.. Bartlett was ad
:, mired as lawyer and profound a
: was the regard for any professions
E opinion which he gave, nevertheless
] his brethren of the bar we're some
what shy respecting 1 i'm, probabl
p because of his recluse-like habit
s which emphasized certain other es
centricities. The late John Swintol
G who was for years chief of the sta
2 under Mr.. Dana in the Sun editorii
o department, once described to n
j. what he regarded as the eXtraordii
= airy eccentricities of Mr.. Bartlett.
Il did this in the most sympathetic mai
e ner, for he was himself a profouI
p admirer of Mr.. Bartlett's intellectu
powers
Mr.. Swinton said: "I have heal
that Rufus Choate never knew he
much money he had in bank
whether he had any, and have be-
told on excellent authority tn
Daniei Webster vas rather slipsh'
in his financial management. M
ther of these characteristics can
IN attributed to Mr.. bartlett. and yet
G. think his financial methods are wit
lg out any parallel. He keeps no bal
IS account. When he is paid money
IL and he is sometimes paid large SUI
re he keeps IL ther in his safe
" sometimes in his inside pocket VIII
re he wants to nay a bill he withdra
IL the money i.her from the safe
or some ines the inside pocket.
ve has rev bills to pay BECAUSE he
ng horror of debt ] heard recen
OF one payment which was made
"a him about year ago for profession
ds service of $4,000. He put all
'ot that money into an inside pocB
Of carried it around with him day az
lot day. and wi eT he wanted to ms
il Use Of any IhcAey he withdrew VIII
IN ever amount he needed from I
~ fund.
ng 'LawyerG, even the best of thu
ls- are capable of curious personal
KS, ancial methods. but | doubt if tn
an is a case on record equal 10 MIR. Bf
re- lett's eccentricity 10 this resOect.
re- he had had little more nbit
err and If he had not shrunk so tn
red oughly from notoriety he would h
gained by this time one of the fin
tes regulations for mastery handling
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