The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-10

own views and sp~eculations he would
say nothing. The way to his esteem
lay wholly through his head"
on Monday the court sat Il was
an old-tlme courthouse. dating hack
almost 70 the Revolution. The judges
bench ran across the gable we'll Cd 10
ward the ceiling. and was approached
ny a winding stairway at each end.
Inc bar sat within a semi-circular
raining In front. thanked on one side
by the clerks desk. on the other by
the jury box. Every lawyer as he en-
tered made a profound obeisance t.
the Judge. which was %gravely ac-
khoWiedged by that dignitary. Mr..
Buford introduced me first 10 the
court and then 10 ZACH member Of the
par h latter We're a splendid com
pany OF gentlemen, courteous, unaf-
fected. and Of marked individuality or
character ! soon found myself at
home among them. despite the
strange surroundings. The wogden
seats that ran around The enclosure
in which the bar sat carved by gene
ratlons Of eNpectant lawyers. the floor
covered with SaWCuSt. boxes half a
Eard square filled with the same and
used as spittOons. the bucket of va
ter standing upon the stove with i
gOurd floating on its surface. the peO-
ilt tIli0 btil4llQ me Ddf. ullStattO
except a few on the wooden bench
that ran around the sides. the Judge
peerinS down from the perch Just be
low the ceiling. the curious j~uXtapOSi-
ton Of order and disorder, courtesy
and CRIME. seemed very odd to me.
but | soon found myself at home with
the bright. keen intelleCtS Of the bar
| knew Mr.. Buford was watching me
and was conscious that he was graft
fed at the impression | made upon
his brethren. He was no doubt afraid
that l might 'put on airs, which is $
frequent a fault with the city lawyer
OF the North when he condescends tC
enllghten the purlleuS of the country
court house. To such assumption tht
/ southern bar are especially sensitive
/ as we'll they may be, since it is doubt
ful If the bar of any Northern cit,
can compare in thOroughneSS Of prep
aratlOn, or depth and variety of at
tainment, with the average Southern
. practitioner. | was spared from civ
ing offenSe by a sincere admiration 70
the skill and learning displayed in tn.
. conduct Of the business of the cOurt
| can honestly say | never saw a
. many cases disposed of with SO littl
Q fuss in any other court | ever at
tended"
e Here we have from a Reconstruc
ton judge, the declaration 1T
doubtful if the bar of any Norther
Q city a in t~horoughneSs c
S preparation, or depth of variety of al
e tainment, with the average Souther
S practitioner" The pen picture
Mr. Buford,' the name given t
Judge Ruffin, run through the stor,
o 1t was no tribute from d friend VIII
desired to please, for Judge TOurge
was the center of political c~ontrOVers
n and was not loved by his cOntempOrs
} ries who made up the bar. Quite tt
r contrary, and therefore the tribute ar
70 pen picture are all the more remarl
at able, giving evidence that in the Quie
e er days, when he could estimate tt
sc men with who associated, the fires
partisan feeling having subsidized,
d could give just and discriminate
y Judgment.
1T One evidence, which lawyers Won
regard as convincing, that Judge TOu
D. gees opinion of Southern lawyers W;
,e derived from professional associate
nc with members of the North CarOli1
bar, is the fact that he dedicated h
book with Gauge and Swallow
the late Hon. Samuel +. Phillips. TT
=. words with which he dedicated h
-, book to Judge Phillips are anoth
tribute to the leaders of the profe
= sion in North Carolina. His dedic
ton is in these words:
:: ITO
- Samuel f. Phillips,
A lawyer worthy of the highest
hOnOrS of a profession he has
a~bundantly adorned. whose heart
has never grown cold to the rO-
nance it's practice reveals, whose
-. faith in divine justice has not
beer dimmed by the fallibility Of