The Editor’s Bag
379
"That's just what we did,” said the
It is a curious fact that many men,
foreman. “Each man put down what he thought right, and I added them
level-headed enough about other things,
together.
I know there seems to be
something wrong about the verdict, but I'll be hanged if I can see where it is!” HUMORS OF THE LAW T was once remarked by a judge of one of the courts of New York City that he had "held chambers in a
cab.” Judge Drummond of the United States Circuit Court, was starting from Milwaukee to go to Chicago, when counsel desired to bring on a motion
for a receiver in a railroad case. Accord ingly the judge opened a special term in a parlor car, and heard arguments
while en route. But a still more remarkable hearing
once took place in Sierra County, Cali fornia, when Judge Searls of the Dis trict Court was on his way from Nevada
to Plumas County. At Downieville two lawyers had agreed to argue a motion when the judge ar
seem to lose their wits entirely when they become involved in lawsuits. In a case recently concluded in the German courts a Berlin merchant paid out over $900 to recover the value of a five-cent postage stamp. He had written a letter
asking for an address and enclosing postage for reply. Failing to get an answer, he sued for the stamp. The famous Missouri watermelon case
was just as trifling and even more disas trous. The seed was planted on one farm, but the vine crept through a
crack in the rail fence and the melon grew on the other side. Both farmers claimed it, and instead of perceiving the humor of the situation, they went to law. To add to the puzzling features of the question of ownership there was the further complication in that the fence stood on a county line, whereupon
a question of the jurisdiction of courts came up. The farmers bankrupted them selves without obtaining a decision as to
the ownership.
rived; but as time was pressing and both counsel were also going to Plumas,
NO WAY OUT OF COURT it was decided to ride along on mule back and hear the argument on the way. Up the mule trail from Downieville to Monte Cristo, down to Oak Ranch, and so on to Eureka the argument went on. At Eureka the case was examined and summed up, and in due time a deci sion was reached. The loser consoled himself by saying
that he had at least ascended the moun tain without being conscious of the grade.
When the judge suggested that the nude might have felt it as usual, the
counsel naively replied: — "Sir, I am inclined to think from the
result that he, too, was absorbed in helping to make up the opinion."
HERE is a lawyer in Chicago, for some years a police magistrate, who was a natural peacemaker and al
ways endeavored to smooth over any slight differences between the persons brought before him. Once, when the charge involved was
for technical assault, it came out in the course of evidence that the parties were neighbors, and had formerly been on the best of terms. "This is too bad, too bad!" commented
the judge. "And between such old friends! Is this not a case that might be settled out of court?" “I'm sorry to say that it can't be done, your Honor," remarked the plain
