Sep', 1 859 . 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
265 
"Going to Law.” 
Happening into the 
office of a county Judge 
recently, to have some 
documents made out for 
the transfer of a piece of 
property, we overheard 
part of the details of a 
case something like this: 
Two men, whom we re¬ 
cognized as poor day 
laborers, were having 
papers drawn up for car¬ 
rying a suit to a higher 
court, where the expen¬ 
ses, which were to be 
secured in advance, 
would amount to about a 
hundred dollars. As 
near as we could learn, 
one of the parties had 
agreed to purchase a cow 
of the other, for thirty 
dollars, but before her 
actual transfer she died. 
Each man had already expended about fifty dol¬ 
lars, in court and counsel fees, expenses ot wit¬ 
nesses, etc., and now they were preparing to 
continue the contest, at an expense equivalent to 
what they could earn in six months’ labor. This 
incident forcibly reminded us of a plaster cast we 
saw offered a few years since by one of the peri¬ 
patetic venders of this kind of wares. Two stur¬ 
dy yeomen were represented as contending for 
the possession of a cow. A legal counsellor had 
been employed by one of the parties, who, dressed 
in the wig of olden style, was seated upon a pile 
of law-books, quietly drawing the milk (his fees) 
while the contest went on. The accompanying 
engraving is an accurate sketch of the piece refer¬ 
red to. The only fault we would find with the 
picture is that the counsel of the other party 
should be shown upon the other side of the ani¬ 
mal, drawing an equitable share of the milk—the 
two legal gentlemen on friendly terms of course. 
[We throw out this hint for the benefit of manu¬ 
facturers of plaster casts, marble, terra-cotta, 
etc. Any one carrying out the idea may send us 
the first perfect specimen with a bill therefor.] 
This picture admirably portrays the character 
of three-fourths of all the lawsuits carried on in 
the country. So long as the cow gives milk, it 
will be required for “ expenses,” and when this 
fails, the worthless carcass of the animal may per¬ 
haps be obtained by the litigant who has the most 
physical endurance, each of them having in the 
mean time sacrificed the entire use of the cow, 
and, besides, time and strength enough to have 
acquired half a dozen better animals. 
With most men, the first impulse, on having a 
slight difference with a neighbor, is, to “ go to 
law about it.” To submit the case quietly to the 
arbitration of disinterested persons, and yield to 
their decision, would not quite satisfy the digni¬ 
ty, nay, the belligerent propensity of the parties. 
How few men, comparatively, there are, who have 
lived forty years without having “ been in court ” 
one or more times. And how few are the instan¬ 
ces where even the victorious party has not lost 
more than has been gained—in time, worry of 
mind, expenses—to say nothing of the trouble 
entailed upon others who have been drawn into 
the conflict as witnesses, interested specta¬ 
tors, jury men, etc. We have a vivid recol¬ 
lection of being called from pressing business to 
go fifteen miles to attend “ county court,” and 
of waiting four whole days to give evidence as a 
witness, in a case of which we personally knew 
nothing ; anil to cap the climax, the case was 
“ adjourned over” three months, when two days 
more were consumed in waiting. Our protesta¬ 
tions that we knew nothing of importance, and 
that all we did know was hearsay, amounted to 
nothing with those in eager fray. The idea seemed 
to be that that side would be the strongest which 
could bring the most persons on the stand as wit¬ 
nesses, and so with more than twenty other per¬ 
sons we danced attendance. The whole amount 
at issue was less than our individual loss of time 
in one of the days spent at court. We received 
in return one shilling (121.- cents !) in advance. 
(All the further satisfaction we shall ever get, will 
be the pleasure of sending a copy of the above 
picture to the party by whom we were summon¬ 
ed “ to be, and appear, etc.” We wish he could 
have had it long ago—before the occurrence al¬ 
luded to.) 
We suggest that this picture be cut out and 
framed, and hung up in every household, and 
that whenever a disposition is felt to go into law I 
with a neighbor the lesson it teaches, be first 
carefully pondered. 
There is no doubt that most persons who would 
first sit down and count the cost of a suit at law, 
would be deterred from entering into litigation, 
but for a feeling of false dignity. “ I would ex¬ 
pend the last cent before I would allow him to 
trample on my rights,” is the common expression. 
A story current in our boyhood will illustrate this. 
Two Dutchmen came into court about a dog that 
had been killed, and the following scene occurred : 
Judge (to the defendant)—“ Did you kill the 
plaintiff’s dog 1” 
Defendant — “ To pe shure I kilt his tok, but he 
must prove it.” 
Judge (to plaintiff)—“ How much was your 
dog worth 1” 
Plaintiff —“ To pe shure te tok was wort not- 
ting, but since he’esh been so mean ash to kilt 
him I shall compel him to pay te full value.” 
We recently heard of a case at the south, worth 
relating in illustration. A whip was borrowed, 
and on being returned, the lender declared that 
seven inches had been worn off from the end ot 
the lash. High words ensued, leading to a quar¬ 
rel, which was carried into court, and (rom one 
court to another, with the usual delays, until tire 
aggregate costs to the parties actually amounted 
to seven thousand dollars—a thousand dollars an 
inch for the worn lash, without reckoning time, 
trouble, and the bad feelings engendered. 
In another instance a long legal contest en¬ 
sued, the original cause of which was a slight 
trespass by a calf. The case ended by a com¬ 
promise, each party paying his own costs ; the 
total amount of these had run up to nearly eleven 
thousand dollars ! How many such cases—not 
quite so striking perhaps --have come under the 
notice of most persons. How many estates have 
been wasted, and heirs beggared, by an unwil¬ 
lingness to make slight concessions. 
But the pecuniary loss, serious as it often may 
be, is not the worst feature in the business. The 
hatred engendered, and bad passions nourished, 
react sadly upon the parties engaged. The dis¬ 
position is soured, peace banished, and constant 
vexation and apprehension embitter life. Said 
one who had finally obtained his suit, involving a 
large amount, and one which he could ill afford 
to lose: “ Had I foreseen the anxiety and vexa¬ 
tion I have suffered from this business, I would 
have given a receipt in full for the amount, rath¬ 
er than have commenced.” Many others will 
bear the same testimony. There are cases where 
it is positive duty to invoke the aid of law to se¬ 
cure or preserve rights, but reason, not passion 
should preside when such interests are involved. 
We repeat, then, if any of our readers are now, 
or hereafter, tempted to indulge in “law,” let 
them first give this picture a careful study, and 
then inquire if it will not be better to lose the 
milk at once, than to hold the cow with might 
and main, for an indefinite period, and in the end 
find all the labor lost. 
-♦-«-—MX* <J> P- » .. 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Farm Pastures. 
It has often seemed to the writer that the pas¬ 
ture fields of our farms are somewhat neglected. 
Of course, the very hilly, swampy, and othei 
rough lands, cannot be cultivated and improved as 
well as the smoother fields, but wherever they 
can be brought under the plow for a season or 
two, they ought to have the benefit of it. In this 
way, briers, foul weeds, and coarse grasses, will 
be subdued, sour places sweetened, and the whole 
lapd be invigorated. We can recall manv farms 
