The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-09-16
FEES OF LAWYERS
Modern Legal Lights Would Scorn
Webster's RetainerS.
FORTUNES IN SINGLE CASES.

Senator Made In Year.
What is the biggest fee ever paid a
lawyer?
There Is nothing certain about It.
but 1t is the opinion Of some Of Bos-
toms most widely known lawyers that
Robert NJ. Morse has received the
largest fee ever paid to a Boston
lawyer.
In the famous Wentworth will case
of dozen or so years ago he Is re-
puted to have been paid $780, 900, while
on the opposing side Samuel ]. Elder
and John D. Long are generally cred
tied with having added 100000 each
to their bank accounts.
Another big fee that almost staggers
belief Is one awarded by the courts OF
Massachusetts to Sherman L. Whipple
| in the Fay State Gas company re-
ceivership case, in which Mr.. Whipple
got 1898 600. although he said it did
not all go to him.
There is tremendous difference be-
tween the fees which lawyers receive
today and those which the legal lights
of generation ago were paid.
Daniel Webster is as good an illus
tration of this as any one and Samuel
j. Elder is authority for the statement
that Websters best year netted him
only $4,000.
II have seen Webster's books" Mr..
Elder said land there was not year
that he earned more than $4,000. usu-
ally much less"
It has often been said that the great
senator from Massachusetts did not
average $4,000 year, and yet today
man with his attainments and emf
hence who did not earn half a million
dollars year would have only himself
to blame.
Rufus Choate, very great lawyer in
his day, practiced more than Webster.
His average receipts from 1849 to
1859, inclusive, were nearly $4,000
yearly.
The largest receipts in a single year
during that period were a little more
than $4,000 in 1856 and the smallest
$1,000. His largest single fee was
$1,000. and he had four more of the
same amount. Once he had retain
ing fee of $1,000. Choate was proba-
bly, the equal in eloquence and learn
ing Of any lawyer living today.
Lincoln. member Of the Illinois bar,
was another whose low charges have
caused comment. Prior to 1910 he re-
ceived two or three fees Of $50 each.
Trial fees were usually entered as IS.
He sometimes took payment in trade.
The largest fee he ever received was
$4,000 from the Illinois Central rail-
road, the richest corporation in his
state. and he had to sue to collect that.
Today he would get $4,000 or 100000
for the same work.
Coming down to our present day, it
is said that the late James B. Dill re-
ceived S1.OO0,OOO for his services in
connection with the forming Of the
United States steel trust
William D. Guthrie received 100000
for his work in breaking the will Of
Henry B. Plant.
John e. Parsons work in connection
with the formation of the sugar trust
is said to have enriched him $3.50, 1000.
Joseph II. Choate received many
enormous fees. He is said to have
been paid 100000 for his argument
before the United States supreme
court successfully attacking the con-
stitutionality of the income tax. His
work for the United Shoe Machinery
company also Melted him large fees.
Samuel Untermyer has received at
least one fee of three-quarters of
million dollars with the consent Of
both parties and with the approval of
the court. Another fee Of a quarter Of
million dollars is also credited to
him.
George w. Wickersham, Taft's attor-
ney general received fee of 100000
in 1909 as one of the attorneys who
negotiated the Chicago Traction COM
pany settlement between the city and
the companies.
William Nelson Cromwell is said to
have made million dollars in connec-
ton with the Panama canal business,
but the truth or falsity of this state
ment probably never will be proved