University of Nebraska College of Law - Yearbook (Lincoln, NE)

Page 56 text:

QDne Gibinglcmno another No one will deny that life with the law student is a serious matter. Every one has noticed that while other students hasten to their daily duties with flying feet, the disciple of Blackstone ap- proaches the Pierian spring with measured step and slow. If you search in the domain of society for these persons the return of mm est ivwentus must be made. Do you wonder that a man borne down with the burden of the law seeks no relaxation in society? These embryo jurists have learned that life is a series of contracts express or implied, and he that would avoid serious complications must walk circumspectly. Some have learned this from books, others in the stern school of experience. Here and there are married men who, like Goodner, assert that marriage is not, as Mr. Robbins says, a civil contract but a simple one. Almost all of us have learned that he who follows in the train of society, and strives to keep pace with the flying fashions has neither strength to handle the ponderous tomes nor time in which to seek principles deftly concealed therein. But despite such solemnity we havehad pleasures. In the hurry of life many things have been forgotten Cwe learned that in the real property examinationjg but a few still cling to us. Who can recall the answers of Dad Coleman, often more ingenious than accurate, without wishing that a phonographic record had been kept? C. L. Wilson, from 4' down on the Nernahaw nearly bankrupted the Merchants Hotel during his first week in town, but balanced the account by being sick three days as a re- sult of his voracity. 'cChief Justice Miller, the man who always knew of several real cases like that down homej' furnished the most clear, cogent, succinct, and persuasive 77 reasons for his studying law. The exposure to the elements while in the grocery business the drove the wagonj, coupled with a predisposition to lung trouble, led him to choose the law that he might always be near the stove.

Page 55 text:

POLITICAL SNAP srrocrs 49 suffrage would be prolific of much domestic trouble, therefore I oppose it. 7' If General Colby concludes to go to Cuba to fight for 'iCuba libre 77 he will do well to establish a recruiting station near the University, so the warlike disciples of Blackstone may have an opportunity to enlist. Six members of the class, only, are in favor of allowing the dusky Cubans to fight out their own salva- tion. Twenty-three are in favor of the United States interfering and compelling Spain to withdraw, while the other six, headed by the little Miles Standish of the class, Matthews, are in favor of Uncle Samls simply taking the island for his own. Says Matthews: HGive me ten such men as Mousel and Gustin, arm us with six-shooters such as Buffalo Bill uses, give us a butcher knife and a skillet apiece, and fifteen years' provisions and I'll guarantee to run Weyler and his hirelings into the sea or worry them to death? He continues: U The great drawback to an en- ergdic campaign in Cuba is a species of quasi-vertebrata known as the wma ccotesbicma, which in the daytime betake themselves to the fastnesses of the mountains and the marshes and in the night, under cover of the darkness find their way into the camp of the soldiers and swallow half-a-dozen apiece. This is ve1'y discour- aging to the soldiery and hinders much. Then sickness did ham- per the Spaniard a good deal, but Weyler's 4 troehas' have almost overcome that? Miss Madeen makes a suggestion which savers of the practical. it Why not, she says, L' trade the west- ern po1'tion of Nebraska and Kansas for Cuba and then raise sugar beets and populists down there. It would save us two very expensive luxuries at home and put the island to a good use? Risser, True, Ridgeley, and Miller discussed the question care- fully and evolved this: HThe United States should annex Cuba and then endeavor to establish a sort of a reciprocity in a trade of ice cream and palm leaf fans. Just think of it! lfVe could get fans for half a cent apiece if it were not for the tarii which we pay. And then the increased exportation of milk and cream would encourage the farmers to raise more cows and put in more pumps, thus increasing our business, giving employment to thousands of idle men, women, and children, and resulting ulti- mately in a restoration of conlidence and giving to the McKinley administration an opportunity to redeem its pledgesf,

Page 57 text:

ONE THING AND ANOTHER 51 Mr. Placek achieved renown as the greatest humorist. It seemed to be spontaneous with him. The C' good Deanf' desir- ing to draw from him the idea of relationship by blood, and Mr ' Placek being rather refractory, asked him what it was that sup- ported the body and ramified the very extremities from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Placek, equal to the emergency, responded L' bones? Sid WVhite was a mixture in equal parts of Dave Hill and Tom Platt. He carried with him a melliiiuous horse laugh which he used in all jokes. It was his chef-dloeuvre. The slightest ap- proach to humor on the part of the lecturer would be heralded by a sound like a horse fiddle at a charivari, and every one knew that Sid VVhite was encouraging the lecturer. Dr. Greene in one of his lectures, told of a certain variety of feminine hysteria which commenced with a constriction of the waist. F. EJ Brown, who seldom volunteered anything, an- nounced that he knew of just such a case here in Lincoln. He claims it is only by hearsay. Mr. Gustin is far from being conservative and sought to be- come famous by his innovations in procedure, in which he had no 'small body of followers. Having learned in common law plead- ing what a departure is, he sought to introduce a new form into equity. It was a departure in the nature of an exit by the win- dow. This was overruled by the court as being in the nature of a surprise. Mr. True was once asked what was the difference between a general and a special demurrer. His response was, Ult differs only in the wordsfl He claimed this result was reached by his mathematical mind after long hours of study. lVe all had our failings upon one occasion when we unani- mously asserted that under the enlightened practice of the United States it was not only lawful, but it was highly advan- tageous for a man to marry his widoW's sister-provided she would have him. L07NIl'fH7.1lf1:f6 Zcgtzfs vzcminem ewcusfct. If any of us succeed in be- ing admitted to the bar it will be because the maxim has failed and ignorance of the law has excused ns.