The Washington herald., 1914-12-10
HISTORY BUILDERS.
BY DIR. f. }. EDWARDS.
An Eccentric Lawyer of tine
Last Century.

Among the lawyers Of the American
bar of the mid-years OF 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 constitution
alist lawyers of his time. In civil war
day. his services were frequently re-
quested by members of the Cabinet of
President Lincoln and occasionally Iresi-
dent Lincoln took counsel of him.
Mr.. Bartlett was an intimate personal
friend Of Charles \. Dana. Each main
tanned profound respect and admiration
for the other. Their relations were
those OF the closest intimacy and this
was all the more remarkable because
Mr.. Dana freqUented the most Culti-
waited society OF New York and num-
bered among his personal friends the
foremost American intellccts OF his
time. whereas Mr.. Bartlett was some
thing of n reCluse. finding his hap
piest moments 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 especial
admiration as the master OF one OF the
finest of English styles. His spoken
and his written words were perfect
examples of what the English language
is capable Of No one ever bad to read
over a second time in order to get
good understanding of anything which
MIR. Bartlett wrote and there were
thousands who read now and then ar
ticles written by hIm which they at
tribute to Mr.. Dana, for Mr.. Bartlett
was a frequent contributor to the edi-
torial columns of the New York Sun.
He always wrote these articles for the
enjoyment the writing gave him.
Greatly as Mr.. Bartlett was admired
as a lawyer and profound as was the
regard for any professional opinion
which he gave. nevertheless his hrCth-
rem OF the bar were somewhat shy re-
specting him. probably because OF his
recluse-like habits. which emphasized
certain other eccentriCities. The late
John Swinton. who was for years chief
OF the staff under Mr.. Dana in the Sun
editorial department.. once described TO
me what he regarded as the eNtTaOrdi-
nary eCCentriCities Of Mr.. Bartlett. He
did this in the most sympathetic man
ner. for he was himself a profound ad-
mirer OF Mr.. Bartlett's intellectual
powers.
Mr. Swintnn said: 81 have heard that
Rufus Choatc never knew how much
money he had in bank or whether he
had any, and l have been told on eN-
cellent authority that Daniel Webster
was rather slipshod in his financial
management. Neither OF tneSe CnaTaC-
teristiCs can be attributed to Mr.. Bart
lett, and yet | think his financial
methods are without any parallel. He
keeps no bank account. When he is
paid money-and he is sometimes paid
large sums--he keeps it either in his
safe or sometimes in his inside pocket.
When he wants to pay bill he with
draws the money either from the safe
or the inside pocket. He has few bills
to pay because he has a horror OF
debt. l heard recently OF one payment
which was made to him about year
ago for professional service of $4,000.
He put all of that money into an inside
pocket carried il around with him dry
after day. and when he wanted to mako
use OF any money he withdrew what
ever amount he needed from this fund.
Lawyers, even the best of them. are
capable of curious personal financial
methods. but l doubt II there is case
on record equal to Mr.. Bartletts eCcen-
tricity in this respect. II he had had
a little more ambition and II he had
not shrunk so thoroughly from notO-
riety he would have gained by this time
one of the finest repul ultICnS for mas
terly handling of the English language
secured by any American"
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell
1.-TWO Anecdotes of the Late William
NJ E,yartS.