Show MEAL LINCOLN his nomadic life on the old E eighth circuit A FRIEND OF YOUNG LAWYERS Landl onla kuhnl MIR m C cocolas wili dalight il plain in gf cf dr arcis 1 and of simple SIMP in habits anecdote of f lincoln and dallal davit M A ilan IAO of D opre attributes DY JISSE W V ell joint author of 0 copyright WC by Ante american A alon 1 XII 1711 lincoln wnm so god natured and so easy rf of approach young lawyers wore were wont tu to go to him for advice mote mole than to any other member of the bar the timidity imi lity of a young leg legal al fled geling always appealed to him lie ile was for a long time a member of cf the committee appointed to examine applicants borad for admission mission to the bar in ili the circuit in which ho traveled aveld tr mid his method ot of conducting the examination can call in ill no ito way be better illustrated than by he following anecdote re cited by ono olio of the applicants applina ap who still survives 1 I studied law fothoma for home time in my lily brothers lr other office and anlo attending court in ill glooming ton toil decided to 0 o apply for examination judge davis to whom I 1 spoke anel choin I 1 knew quite we will 11 told mo ili that lincoln was a member of the examining committee and suggested I 1 should aro sro ve him accordingly I 1 called lincoln to one side in ill the courtroom one day clay and asked when it would suit snit the he committees convenience to examine me how luiis long have you been studying he be ald aki almot two years I 1 responded re farll M 11 that long enough he said to find ont lit whether you yoa havo have the stuff in ili you yon to malre make a lawyer if you yon will come up to my lily loom iu in the hotel after supper this thi i evening I 1 reckon I 1 can pass your caw promptly at the appointed hour I 1 knocked at the door of cf his room and aill aas w s admitted but I 1 wag lordly hardly prepare hamd d for the sight right that met my gaze or aliv queer impression it made on oil me LIO ead all r cf f finding my examiner in tin th miel iiii t of bocks and papers as I 1 antici he was wag undressed and leiu leisurely iely tak iiii 1 a I bath I 1 confess confes to a strange a un ii ilicin salvin as his gaunt half nude figure rd to and fro between me and the window motioning Motion ng tile me to tale take a chair lit hi hogan his questions question sat at nice without looking up a second time to be hare of f the identity of his caller in ili lapid suc sua 41 44 13 1 06 la 11 alp I 1 io 5 1 11 I 1 1 1 4 RA arr APP MIAM i AT THE AGI AGE 01 49 capili cp ili he aard aa c d the of law of ct a contract contri ct rf r f evidence and ahn r v cr r four othe r fundamental questions quest ion gall all of which I 1 answered readily and aa I 1 thought collect ly presently lie throw threw himself on oil the sido side of if the lie bod bed crossed hi his legs and be gm gait to lopalo paio Ms his too toe nails meanwhile entertaining me with characteristic character ifie and salacious stories of young lawyers la and their adventures advento res in in gaining a beart ill ili this the profession the whole thing ws so queer so grotesque I 1 elijal never t it after af rr lie he hall had dressed himself we went down stairs mid over r to the clork office in the courthouse where ni here lio wrote a few lines on ill a salt of paper anil inclosing clet eing it in an envelope nac lope dilecta me to aport re port with it to judge logan another member of tho the examining committee committe at springfield Spring fild ile ho may winit want to tj erimine ex eXall ulle you quither tu fult ither hr I 1 le it paired at onee lit to springfield I 1 de delivered livert d my IllIs luisi he a directed dir eted on olt rending it judge logan kinle d but much to ill my surprise surprie gave mo me the required cot without asking a iutin Iut wn lo beyond yond my illy a age go rt ri side idues nee and the proper way eif spelling my illy name naine the note aiom lincoln or lit I 1 tills young annu mr to bo u lawyer I 1 linao examined him bell hat and have I 1 o ani inore anset ban its icks to indicate you vou ran pan austion tU JUSt stion loll hint further it butac but aa tf bcd luo lue I 1 taink holl do gouid truly A lincous bholi lincoln VM by a young ill man to indicate the baht mode of maling making a 11 lan lawyer yer of cne cneely elf ito ho alisna answered arvd tho the mode ii very simple though labi bw ious anel tedious tedi eus it is billy cly to get ge t books will and rna nud study cay carni fully begin with Blath dm C 11 I 1 raid and after rowling reading it car cal fully through siy say twice take up chat cahty ly s pleadings Green greenleafs leafs 1 evidence and alli storys St orys equity iu in file s sion volk is the main maill thing 11 the old eighth circuit within the limits of cf which ait lived aud and practiced consisted ll ted f I 1 11 I 1 counties comi ties prior to in ls ia ni when licit it was eclied I 1 to eight viz sangamon yan gamon argau tazewell wood fold foid dewitt champaign 11 ll and vei Veli million nillion lincoln was the only law made the circuit entire seated scaled in ill his hill one horse dioro buggy bugg gy behind a acin sony 3 looking animal lio ho would set et out from springfield to be gone for weeks at a gt stretch rth ahr lawyer rum aa lie he drove into each h asi v 0 1 laap 1 i ce e eagerly a g c r 1 r n t aei p a t j ing ig a liew cc collection 1 1 l c e i 0 ii of 0 f stones t 0 ri e q H w e cic i glad g 1 i c 1 to greet him and the alic laud landlord lord s so tt a pre toll hailed balled I 1 his 1 i 9 co camill com mill iii with delight ile he was waa one olle of those gentle good humored men whom the laudle rd and the servants at the inn generally put off with the most indifferent accommodations ile he haid baid once hc alic never so completely felt his own worthiness nii as when he stood face to face with a real live liap hotel bleik ile he was never says bays one of cf his companions part ious ou on the cucnik match next the landlin land luid tat at a brov ded dea table and never got a chicken liver or the best cut from tho the boast lie ile never complained of the food bed or lodgings it if every other fellow at the alip bill of tare fare which greeted us ng at many of the dingy tave taverns rits lincoln haid nothing yet he loved the life and never went home without reluctance luc lue tance at the taverns irn were exceedingly limited for thing thru then were nere crudo crude and primi UN ane C when the 1 ho ronit moved from one county to another then wore were great bustle activity at each successive bucce place men canic came together cheli a term of court rolled around to meet the celebrities at tho the bar to lily buy flintily family supplies to negotiate loans tu to buy and sell live stock to heur tho the lawyers plead and in sh t for almost every imaginable pur pese tho the best room at the ta tavern ern was ivas reserved for the judge and such choice spirits among the law lawyers as he might select the other lawyers bleat two in ill a bed and three or tour four beds were located m it onu one room at ill meals aas tile the judge law lau beis aels suitors Mii Sul tors jurors witnesses n coult MCL rc is and pris prisoners mers out on oil hall bul ate together at i long dining table theaon the con aci was general 1 I well recollect relates one of th this iq pa marcious marcu ous company a 1 term of court at one place alicie a prisoner who nho was on oil trial for perjury used to upend spend the evenings with us in ili judge davit room end nd at mother another place chero tho th ioner on it trial for larceny not only spent his evenings evening in ill our room but walta walls NN ith illi us and a tv in ili our one immediate c iu ill this crude soc it ty and nomad life lincoln ivr hilf half of each year without the conveniences of the modern lawyer s stenographer type gifter with c ut lorik books ton lie he moved from court t to t boint coin I 1 his aplis in ili his hat or con coat poc let kit his bi liness i in ins his head the con aud and trial of cf each case began and undid with itself and each sue sueo oivo county comity brought lie new bus business inuss and a cla of cli euti elit in ill the matti liatti r rs of f od nd dress lie was wa s loss les its chui illy any other man inan on oil the cir uit and hi his personal habits valc of the cry simpler ch character arater ilis his int hit was u lis nally brown and faded fade 1 and the 1 kiili I 1 almoite invariably worn u or cr off of iio wore ashurt a bin rt cloak and some tim a shawl 1 hn coat coal and vest ve st hung loo doorly ely oia on his giant frame and his ri were alvys alv T it a trifle short hort he carried with him lit in oro ono hand a faded green uniL umbrella rella with lin hio nii ic A lincoln in large w lute hite cotchu coti on oi 01 muslin letters sewed on tho inside inrid c the klob was gono from front the be handle and nhen v lion cload a 1 piece of cord was wag aiu usually illy tied around it in the middle to keep keel it from flying open in ili the othor other liand land lie carried a littral litral carpetbag in which wire lie few papers to bused 1 in court and underclothing enough to last till his it 11 turn to 1 I shall hall furget forget itu an illinois lawyer to me hevral iago BRO the hit first fat time I 1 ever siw iw mi lincoln it was wall in ill danville in wl 1 I 1 had set out from my illy home in ill tile the cat cast to find in ili the great vest et it a slut suitable able ph ploua ace to locate aai and I begic the p ic tice of law A f I 1 foitl had given tile me it nute of cintio dudian to A libie lincoln iii esq whom he one olle of the hadina in t ilhan illinois I 1 hall had ap expected to meet inot mr lincoln lit in springfield bat I 1 was told that lie was thil out on tile the and that I 1 would doubtless filid giniat him at dain ille in ili a few days I 1 topan id gotlie litter place at the hotel I 1 was wa told that I 1 would find filid him in ill judge davis room in ill tile the region alide lart I 1 tall been brought up the judge it f a tvan a man mail generally shoho pre presence hence was gravity lt itself elf and I 1 wai not liot a I 1 little aba abashed abash bcd fd aft tr I 1 alad dil limbed tild the stall way to find myself if so near licar the presence and dignity tt if judge davv davis in ill whong room I 1 to find lawyer lincoln in ili tomy to lay tili timid liti knock two i voices I 1 spoiled spoil dd d almost Cu cumo in Ini Inia gino agine my surprise when the door opened to find two nun un dia dicsko cd or lather fur lied bed in in I 1 a lively battle with I 1 allows flinging thorn hem at it each others beadi one a low heavy set man atho he ex I 1 lau sted N v ith tho the apoi t le leaned med against the ho foot of the b bil tl alad puffed like a 11 biard lii ird nn to the rf 0 judge davi ills ill companion na ws 3 a 1 man inan of tre mendom stature lit in comparison compans to divia davis D ivia ho he looked ai it if gewere he were 7 feet tall lie was incited in ili a long ablo able garment garme ut as s afi gil and from beneath which protruded two of the 1 largest ir est feat it ha ever been my privilege to behold immense shirt ba such it have beu looked a n it if it had bad been literally chopped out oct of the ori original inal bult bolt of flannel of which it was made will aud the joined together ie ference to eita r or capacity the only thing that kept it troia efrom slipping elip pius off his kasint attenuated fialo ili 0 wis was th ill anglo button at ac tile the I 1 throat oat and 1 I conics 1 to a shudder hudder at the atle thought aught it f the I 1 inet tilt in case that button burton should beany by any kisr mischance lealice lose its hold I 1 cannot describe my illy as this apparition pari tion with the announcement my name is if lincoln ill iiii strode acro across the room and grasped my illy trembling ms hand band I 1 will not net say lie minded u nie me of satan but I 1 cannot avoid tho the conclusion that helas the figure 1 ever saw 11 |