JAMES M. WOOLWORTH able purpose save to impress a thought. In the early life of James M. Woolworth these were incentives and inspirations to his own personal ambition. They were encourage ments to silent hopes resting in his own breast, that he might acquire a legal educa tion and knowledge equal to those of his associates. But I pass these over to refer to another list of associates later in life of a similar character. It was but a few years ago when he appeared before that august tribunal in the Nebraska maximum freight rate cases, when he had as his associate James C. Carter, of New York, who then stood confessedly as the head and forefront of American law yers, and whose reputation was not even limited to the English-speaking race. The court as then constituted has among its membership judicial intellects that might be classed as giants of the times and not surpassed by any of their predecessors. His friendship and associations extended to all the great judges before whom he ap peared. But it was not confined to these. He availed himself of every desirable oppor tunity to cultivate the acquaintance and friendship of great men in whatever calling, either in public, official, or private life. He gathered knowledge from their conversation and wisdom from their example and teach ing. What he once learned he utilized to greater advantage, as men enhance the values of precious metals by refinements and application to new uses. Mr. Woolworth was particularly a chan cery lawyer. He did not possess that kind of oratory by which he might be put in comparison with men who became known as celebrated advocates. He did not pos sess the qualities that make the distin guished jury lawyer. It was not his custom to endeavor to play with the passions or the prejudices of the people in the court room. He had a higher conception of his duty as a lawyer. It has been said that in these modern times the law has become a series of petri
487
fied precedents, but with Mr. Woolworth the law was a science made up of legal prin ciples. He learned the law at a time when the great lawyers were men that were schooled in its fundamental philosophy. During his whole life in the discussion of cases, his chief delight was in the presenta tion and elucidation of principles as he applied them to the ascertained facts which were before the court. His mental temperament was judicial. If he had been a member of the Supreme Court of the United States he would have been recognized as a great judge, and his tory would have placed his name upon an equal elevation with the great men who have graced that tribunal during the nation's history of more than one hundred years. Mr. Woolworth recognized the great truth which I wish all young lawyers would under stand, that the only way to success in the law is a hard and laborious road to travel. The careless and indifferent may at times achieve temporary notoriety, or local promi nence, arising out of some wave of popular commotion or temporary excitement, but the lawyer that achieves a lasting and per manent place in the front ranks of the pro fession must be one who forsakes the wast ing of time in idle amusements and give his days, weeks, months, and years to the con stant accumulation of that storehouse of knowledge, which in this modern progres sive age must be gathered from many sources. The great lawyer must not only have his mind filled with legal principles, but must have a varied experience in their applica tion to present conditions. He must have breadth of thought, as well as a cultivated intellect. The whole range of human learn ing should be his. It should include science and literature and philosophy and history. It should embrace a knowledge of govern ments and policies by which the civilized life of the world moves onward to the ac complishment of great results. Mr. Woolworth had this high and exalted conception
