Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/23

BENJAMIN HARRISON 5 dication of the great statesmen. He studied law with Storer & Gwynne, of Cincinnati, and in 1853 married and was admitted to the bar. In 1854 he put up his sign as attorney at law in Indianapolis, where he kept his residence ever after. It was not long before his ability became known. His first effort at the bar was in prosecuting a man charged with burglary. He received a few dollars by act ing as crier for the United States Court, and was glad to take a five-dollar fee now and then for a case before a country justice, though one half of the fee was necessary to pay for the hire of a horse to take him to the place of trial. Whoever em ployed him could count on his doing his very best, whether the interests involved were small or great. Promptness and thoroughness are characteristics which have been manifest in his whole career, pro fessional and political. In 1855 he formed a part nership with William Wallace, and when that gen tleman was elected county clerk in 1861 he formed a partnership with W. P. Fishback, which was in terrupted by his enlisting in the army in 1862, but the connection was resumed again in 1865, when the firm became Porter, Harrison & Fishback, and so continued until 1870, when Mr. Fishback re tired, Judge Hines taking his place. Gov. Porter retiring, W. H. H. Miller became a partner in the firm, and upon Judge Hines retiring, Mr. John B. Elam became a member of the firm of Harrison,