Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/166

 Ctje <&rem 3Sa<j. Publ1shed Monthly, at $4.00 per Annum.

S1ngle Numbers, 50 Cents.

Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, Horace W. Fuller, 344 Tremont Building, Boston, Mass. The Editor will be glad to reeeive eontributions of artieles of moderate length upon subjeets of inter est to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities or euriosities, faeetice, anee dotes, ete. It is with a feeling of sincere sorrow and a sense of personal bereavement that we have to announce the death of Irv1ng Browne, who died at Buffalo, N. Y., on February 6. His death removes from the ranks of the legal profession an able lawyer, a brilliant writer and a most courteous and genial man. The readers of the Green Bag will feel his loss especially, for the "Easy Chair " which he has so long and ably filled is now vacant, and after this issue will cease to be a feature of the magazine.

FACETIÆ. The late Charles Matthews now and then failed, like some of the rest of us, in meeting his bills as promptly as the tradespeople concerned could desire. On one occasion a brisk young tailor, named Berry, lately succeeded to his father's business, sent in his account somewhat ahead of time. Whereupon Matthews, with virtuous rage, seized a pen and wrote him the following note : "You must be a goose — Berry, to send me your bill — Berry, before it is due — Berry. Your father, the elder — Berry, would have had more sense. You may look very black — Berry, and feel very blue — Berry, but I don't care a straw — Berry, for you and your bill— Berry. :'

The trial of a doctor's suit was published in a Connecticut newspaper some years ago, in which a witness was called for the purpose of approving the correctness of the doctor's bill. The witness was asked by the lawyer whether the doctor did not make several visits after the patient was out of danger. " No," replied the witness. " I con sidered the patient in danger so long as the doc tor continued his visits."

The late Senator Vance, of North Carolina, when arguing a case in the Supreme Court at Washington, received a note with R. S. V. P. in the corner. The interruption annoyed him, but he scribbled off a short reply with S. B. N. in the corner. His friend on meeting him asked what S. B. N. stood for. Vance, affecting to be igno rant, said, " Pray, tell me first what R. S. V. P. stands for." His friend replied, " Why, gover nor, I thought every educated man knew that they are the initials of a French phrase which means ' answer requested '; now, what does S. B. N. stand for?" "Why," said Vance, winking at the crowd, " I thought every edu cated gentleman knew that they are the initials of an English phrase which means ' sent by a nigger.'" The late Hon. B. F. Moore, of North Caro lina, a very able lawyer, was often rough on wit nesses. On one occasion, in Warren Superior Court, a highly respectable old gentleman who was roughly cross-examined by him as to the testator's handwriting in a contested will case, stopped as he was leaving the witness stand, and said, in reproachful tones and almost with tears in his voice, " Mr. Moore, you question me like you doubt my knowing Mr. Powell's handwrite. Why, I could swar to his spelling."

Mr. Lynch and his friend were discussing family names and their history. "How did your name originate?" asked the friend. "Oh, probably one of my ancestors was of the grasping kind that you hear about so often. Somebody gave him an ' yrich,' and he took an • L.'" NOTES. Sulby parish, in Northamptonshire, made the following return to the county council's request for parish documents : " No church, no parson, no tithe, no public, no property, no documents." 145