Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-04-10
A Minimum
Fee
By AUGUSTUS G. SEIERW1N
Copyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper Union

There was a Merchants Protec-
tive association" at Milburn composed
of ten local storekeepers, and it's men,
bers expressed a good deal Of curl
osity and interest at monthly meet
, ing where it had been announced Ros-
coe Meredith had a matter of impor-
lance to present for their considera-
ton.
Roscoe was a general favorite in
the town.
"Gentlemen," he said when he ap-
peared before the association, 81 have
in my pocket my entire fortune-a
license to practice law. The city In
vited with glittering prospects, but
prescribed initially a surplus capital
have not got. Wayneville down the
line offered a starvation salary in it's
legal department. Rushton rendered
an opening in the law department Of
big harvester concern, which meant
burying oneself. In Plympton I am
known. Old Judge Barnes, the only
other attorney this side of the county
seat, is about to retire. I have de-
cided to put out my single in Plymp-
ton"
"Good for you! We want your en-
Enthusiastically hailed the leading local
grocer.
provided"
There was hush and an eager Sc
ries Of glances. The proviso held in
suspense somehow put damper on
proceedings.
"Provided," continued Roscoe, II
can earn living In my native town.
have figured it out. Lem Dole, as
SCISSOR and collector, is about to move
away. That leaves those positions
vacant. Elect me as Dole's successor
and there is a surety Of five hundred
dollars year."
"We'll do that, don't doubt it, Ros-
coe," observed the governor of the
association.
"That," continued Roscoe steadily,
"is not enough. I shall have to have
a thousand. Here is my proposition:
You ten people have more or less liti-
cation each year. will make to each
one of you minimum annual fee
fifty dollars apiece That makes up
the thousand dollars. For the fifty
will cover all local suits, give all
necessary verbal advice and attend to
collections on fifteen per cent COM
mission basis. All this will enable
me to have spare time to work up
general business, and l shall stay
with you and grow up with you, and
later on if a judgeship comes along,
count me in as candidate if l de-
serve it."
The proposition was unanimously
accepted and everybody seemed
pleased with the arrangement. Ros-
coe took out a part of the ten SUBJ
scriptions In trade. Thus: from the
tailor suit of clothes; from the gen.
eral store his footwear, neckwear and
hosiery; from the grocer and the
butcher supplies for the larder, for he
lived at the home of his aged mother.
A few litigious farmers came in to
secure his services, and while his
progress was slow he was financed
for the year and did not worry
Six months had passed by and Ros-
coe had accumulated a small store
of money, when one day there entered
his Office an old man who seemed to
be a confirmed invalid. He intro
duced himself as Mr.. Award Trude,
and stated that he and his daughter
had just arrived in Plympton, had ar
ranged for rooms with Widow Lar
kins and intended to remain until a
suit they designed bringing in Boyd
county was decided.
''It's the Tarleton estate" soberly
announced Mr.. Trude, and Roscoe be-
gan to smile. II see you are familiar
with. it and don't think much of it's
merits" went on Mr.. Trude. II sup
pose there have been twenty litigants
in the matter during the past ten
years, and every one of them losers.
For all that, I should feel I had not
done my duty if I did not try to pros
ecute the claim of my dead wife.
offer you the case on contingency
fifty per cent if you win. If lose
I will give you what 1 can afford
which may not be. much. Think it
over, and l will call again in the
morning"
That night Roscoe went over all
that he had read and heard of the
Tarleton case. 1t was an instance
where powerful moneyed interests
were able to tire out poor and obscure
litigants. Roscoe had about made up
his mind to refuse an apparently
hopeless mission when Mr.. Trude
CHANGED to bring his daughter with
him to the Office. An hour in that
sweet presence and Roscoe was will
ling to devote time and money both,
if the sacrifice might further increase
their mountaineering.
Roscoe discovered some strong
points in the claim Of the Trudes, but
the case went against them. 1t took
his last dollar to appeal to a higher
court. No other litigant had ever
gone that far. The unsettled suit
hampered the defense. They began
RI foor tho rnSOlutn narSiStent voupo