South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-04
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED c. KELLY.

WASHINGTON, March At is
doubtful if another man in congress
ever hit on so delectable a method for
studying law as that adopted some
years ago by Denver 5. Church, now
a representative from California.
Church had desired to be a lawyer
nearly all his life, but by the time he
was through regular college work, he
was so sick and tired of stuffy class
rooms that he hadn't the heart to
take up law or anything else that
would keep him about college any
longer The thought of reading law
in an office-some dingy old office
with a musty Odor. like the inside of
an olden-time Connecticut clock-that
was equally distasteful.
So instead of studying law, Church
got married. He also began to oper-
ate a little dairy farm.
But after year of that he began
to yearn TO practice law and spell
bind juries for living.
One balmy May day he put eight or
nine large law books and "a lot of 9th
er things into a spring wagon and
beckoned TO his wife.
Come on" said Church. breezily,
we're all going To law school"
His wife, naturally enough. began to
ask him a great many questions.
It's all arranged" said Church /;
i've got a man to look after the dairy
for a few months while we're at law
school. Come on.
but what about the baby?"
Wen take the baby TO law school,
too"
After he had made a few more ex-
Ia INF h.,
wagon and set out to the law school
Church had picked.
1t was a little clearing near pref
ty little purling trout stream off in the
woods ten or twelve miles from the
nearest habitation.
Church rugged up a little lean-to
which served as their sleeping apart
ments, dining-roOm, and nursery. He
used a grassy plot under a nearby
tree for his study"
Every morning he got up bright
and early and studied two or three
hours after which his wife would
quiz him to see if he had mastered
the difference between a tort and a
heriditament and various other grave
essentials of the law.
After that he usually went fishing
and hunting to provide food. They
always had plenty of rainbow trout
and venison on hand and really Jared
mighty well considering that he was
merely working his way through law
school. Moreover. while sitting by
the brook fishing or waiting for a shot
at a deer or a bird, Church had
plenty OF Il ne for reflection over his
studies. lie did not fritter away his
time at lIe4ters and pOolroOms the
way so many promising young law
students do.
When the mountain air got too
cold, Church went back to town and
his dairy, but he returned TO his out
door law school the following spring
for another term. At the close of the
second term he was able to go back
TO civilization, incarcerate himself in
store clothes, and pass the bar ex-
aminations
Besides his knowledge of law
Church had also acquired rugged
health for himself and his family.
Ever since then Church has never
failed to return to the wilderness
scenes of his legal education, like a
dutiful alumnus of the woodland
solitudes.
Today he owns a summer home and
2OO-acre ranch there in the noun
tains where he pitched his tent to
study law.
When Representative Simeon d.
Fess of Ohio was up in New York a
while ago making a speech at a big
banquet he fell in with Hamilton Holt,
editor of a New York magazine
Holt readily saw that Fess was a
man of unusual scholarship and
sapience. and asked him if he wouldn' t
write him an article or two for his
magazine at the usual rates.
We'll. L can't promise" replied
Fess. "A congressman life is a
rather busy one. of course, and
don't have much time for writing
articles. much as l should like TO.
What would you want me to write
about?"
"Oh. anything at ALL" said Holt.
Wen leave that to you. But please
write us something" he coaxed.
Still Tess wouldn't promise, though
Holt was insistent.
a week or two later Fess got 10
thinking that it was rather mean not
10 obIige Editor Holt, and he sat up
one night to prepare a learned article
for the magazine. He sat up again
the next night polishing up the piece
and though he went about yawning
for a day or so thereafter. he at least
had the satisfaction of knowing that
he had done something to boost the
general average of current literature,
besides obliging Editor Holt.
About ten days after he had sent
the article to the magazine. Fess re-
ceived a bulky envelope in the mail.
1t contained his little piece and a
rather formally worded printed slip
which read:
The rejection of this article does
not necessarily imply lack of merit,
ETC.
Copyright. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly.
All rights reserved.)
T ~