Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-16


has followed his public acts throughout his
long career
The career of Richard Webster first Lord
Alverstone. has been one of remarkable sue
cess due to the possession of no less remark
able qualities. The distinguishing mental
characteristic which enabled him, with no
special advantages, to rise to the highest
permanent judgeship of England. was, in
one word thoroughness. Genius has been
described as the capacity for taking infinite
pains and there was perhaps no Englishman
of his time who possessed that victory-win-
ming capacity in higher degree than Lord
Alverstonc, who retired Lord Chief JUS
tice three years ago at the age of 70. He
the architect of his own fortune; but in
his recently published recolections he pays
tribute to the early training given him by
his father, Thomas Webster, a well-known
patent lawyer of his day.
1T may be of interest" wrote Lord. Alver-
stone, "if I refer to one general rule of con-
duct TO which have always adhered. My
father, when | was a lad at school between
the ages of fourteen and eighteen, had taken
me to see the carrying out OF any process
which might be affected involved in the
question in dispute upon which he was ad-
Vising. In this way | saw manufacturing
processes in actual working, with the result
that 1 determined that whenever case in
which I was consulted involved any process,
or referred to any particular species of prop
erty, l would make a point of seeing for
myself the work 1t was being carried on,
or, at any rate the local surroundings thus
enabling me to appreciate better any ques-
tion of fact that might arise. 1 adhered to
this rule without exception during the 2S
years that / was engaged in private prac-
tice. Only TO give a single example, spent
the whole of a Sunday in the screw shaft
and engine room of the 'Atrato.'"
A Marvellous Memory
At Charterhouse and Cambridge Univer-
sity Webster Won reputation as an ath-
lete especially as a runner and hurdler, his
interest in athletics and sports remaining
with him during his life Choosing his
fathers profession, he distinguished himself
as a chancery lawyer in his very first case
Richard Webster used TO amaze people with
the minuteness and accuracy of his knowl-
edge. what memory" they would ex-
claim but it was something more: it was a
naturally fine memory kept up to a rare
standard OF excellence by application that
never tagged. Thomas A. Edison once paid
him a splendid compliment. "Sir Rich
ard Webster" he said. now Chief Justice
of England, was my counsel and sustained
all my patents in England for many years.
Webster has a marvellous capacity for un-
derstanding things scientific and his address
before the courts was lucidity itself"
In the famous Farnell trial Webster was
counsel for the Times 1t was said of him
by famous public man, as quoted in the
London Telegraph, that "there was not a
name. there was not initial, there was
movements and rival organizations, in all
that labyrinth of puzzling and beWilderingly
similar names, which he did not know. Nay
there was not person Of any Importance
or, indeed. of no importance-in the gallery
Of the hundreds in the movement in ireland,
in England, in America, whose handwriting
Sir Richard was not able TO identify. Such
a feat in the absolute mastery Of an un-
familiar subject 1 have never seen equaled
By any man In my time. ! am told that he
showed the same extraordinary and almost