Evening star., 1925-12-27
BN SAM ". SMALL.

Ia SAN w. Sh.SLl.
In Washington. as we'll as in many
other cities of the Union, there will
be celebrations tomorrow Of the sixty
nlnth anniversary of the birth of
Woodrow Wilson
1t this time OF honor to the war.
time President memories rush to me
or a period of his life whirh has
largely been lost in obscurlty even by
some of his most faithful biographers.
II was when Mr.. Wilson came To At.
santa, Ca. in 1882 to enter the prac.
tice OF law in the State ot his boy
hood. He had been graduated from
the law school OF the University of
Virginia tie preceding year.
a day after his arrival in Atlanta
he came to the editorial rooms Of the
Constitution and presented to ma .
letter OF introduction from the dean uE
the law school at Charlottesville who
knew that | was city editor Of the
newspaper and official reporter of the
courts. The dean rcqueated me TO
facilitate Mr.. Wilson's application for
admission to the bar.
The next morning | carried in the
paper personal notice II his coming
10 the city, of his being the son Of
the beloved Rev. Dr. Wilson. and the
words OF praise written of him by the
dean above mentioned. The notice re.
rtIVed attention from the city bar and
CSpe Cially Of those of il who them.
selves had been educated at the Uni
Ncrsity of Virginia. Mr.. Wilson went
with me to the courthouse the same
mrrninS and was introduced bv me to
Judge George Hillyer, The presiding
'ud=e, 10 Solicitor General Zen IjilI
IL. and e leading lawyers N attend.
ance. ".
Subjected TO Examination,
According to custom. after the pres.
sntation of his application. Mr.. VII
son was subjected to an open court
examination by leaders OF the bar
designated by the Judge to Quiz the
@ancIdate upon certain branches nf
the law.
Judge Hillysr had known Mr.. Viii
iCns father quite intimately and ma nj.
esteu strong interest in the son then
peiore nm. tle selected the best law
Eers present as examiners and they
put Mr.. Wilson 10 the fullest test.
Judge Hillyer afterward remarked
hat il was one of the most searching
Nominations he had ever heard in his
court and was more brilliantly pass
I'd by Mr.. Wilson than by any other
"3ndldate who had been before him
Turing his three terms upon the
bench
About the end Of the ordeal. Attor-
ney Gadsden, very astute practi-
Toner. proDounded to Mr.. Wilson an
involved question of equity practice
II was one OF Mr.. GadSden's pet catch
questions. hut Mr. Wilson. of course
did not know that. He started in
hraVely 10 make answer but Judge
liillyer. SmilnSly interrupted. saying:
Gentlemen. | will not require MIR
Nllson to reply TO that question. as il
- one that even the court could not
answer offhand''
That ended the quzzinG The bar
applauded, the judge congratulated
and ordered enrolment. and the oath
of an attorney-at-law was admins
cred by Clerk Walter Vena BILE. Both
Judge Hillyer and Clerk Nenable are
vet living in Atlanta in honorable 70.
-irement from public service.
Started MOdestly.
Soon after a modest sign on tho
building at the corner of Marietta and
Sroad streets announced that the law
firm OF "Rennick & Wilson could be
round on the second floor in an office,
anGwiched between other legal hang
cuts. Just then there were more law.
vers than profitable clients in Atlanta
and the number of litieious folk who
his partner was not so many as to
block the hallway
Mr.. Wilson was quite eager to learn
the practice in the courtroom. and
that he might the better do that he
was offered and accepted quite regu-
larly q seat within my inclosure in the
courtroom. which led to very free
intimacy between us. This gave me
occasion to have him. by appointment
of the court, make his first essay be-
fore Il jury.
make frequent. after.supper visits to
the editorial room. where he would
select several discarded metropolitan
napers. lie had asked for that privi-
lege. which vas gladly accorded
presumed that he only wanted inter
fstlnC reading matter to occupy
bachelors lonesome evenings.
One day, however while scanning
the exchanges | found in the New
ork Evening Post lengthy special
spordence" letter from Atlanta.
signed with the letters w w" The
Georgia General Assembly was then
IN session in Atlanta. and the letter
was review and scathing criticism Of
its action in faVoring the Blair educa-
tional bin to give Federal money Ia
the Southern States in aid of public
schools.
Upbraided Legislators.
This wv. w was bitterly opposcd
TO the proposition, and upbraided the
Georgia legislators for being willing to
abjure State rights in the matter of
the education of their children and
being willing to submit to- Federal
supervision of 50 sovereign an in
ternal institution. He argued elo-
quently against the constitutional
power of Congress to make the con
templated appropriations.
1t struck me at once that Woodrow
Wilson was the author of the letter
l scissored it out and sent it to the
composing room. When Wilson came
up that evening the proofsheets of the
letter were on my desk handed them
to him and charged him with the
crime" He was fairly knocked out
Tor the moment. and looked with sur
prise upon the evidence.
He said: You are going to reprint
this in the morning." and | assured
him such was my intention Then he
asked that the CIV. W. signature
should be omitted. since ] had gone on
TO remark that the letter was too
good sensation to lose" and would
cause considerable criticism land a
lot o cussin'" in the halls of the
Capitol on the morrow
Without being asked he volunteered