this offer is obvious, as we have many lawyers in the state who have seen a great deal of practice in this and other states, whose opinions of weak points or improvments to be made can prove of great value if suggested before this great work of the Committee is put in type.

Volume 20 of the Oklahoma Reports, containing the opinions of the Supreme Court delivered during the first five months of Statehood, is now out and ready for distribution. It is a hansome book of 950 pages, well edited and indexed.

The office of State reporter is a busy one these days. Proof reading is in progress on the Session Laws 1909 and volume 21 of Supreme Court Reports, while Reporter is compiling decisions for volume 22 of the latter, and Volume one of the Oklahoma Criminal Reports. The great volume of opinions being handled down by the two higher courts keep the reporting department on the jump. Enough opinions have accumulated to fill almost two volumes for the Criminal Court of Appeals and four for the Supreme Court. Reporter Parker hopes, within a few months, to catch up with the heavy out-put. However the work of putting into print the law of the State is necessarily a slow process. It requires infinite pains and patience. After the weeks of careful work required for the compilation of a volume, then some sixty days must be allowed for printing and proof reading; Even then time must be allowed for newly bound books to dry and set before they can be safely shipped.

Hon. Jefferson D. Cox, now located at Tahlequah, has the distinction of having, in connection with the Hon. Wm Mellette, tried the first murder case that was tried in the Federal court of the Indian Territory. Mr Cox came originally from North Carolina to the Territory and has greatly distinguished himself as a trial lawyer. He is a gentleman of courtesy and refinement, which greatly adds to his success as an advocate.

In our next issue we hope to have space to state the reasons why so many of the Edward Thompson's publications are in great demand.

LOVE IN COURT.

Amos Weston, the father of the plaintiff, in his prosperous early manhood, had advanced twenty thousand dollars to his lifelong friend, James Sherwood, on his personal note. Sherwood, at that time, was anxious to purchase a large tract of undeveloped land that was rich in coal. Time went on; the loan was not repaid. Weston moved out west, married, and after a long era of good. fortune found himself, through unwise investments, a man broken in fortune and health.

During the intervening years his friend Sherwood had dropped out of his life, although rumors had reached Weston that the land had not turned out as expected. Just as despair and poverty were finally settling upon Weston, out of the forgotten past the old note signed by Sherwood appeared before his eyes one day as he was looking through his "valuable papers”—as he styled them to his daughter Julia.

It was a forlorn hope, but he hit upon tracing Sherwood and trying to secure payment of the old debt. Inquiry showed that Sherwood had become wealthy through the development of the very land for the purchase of which he had borrowed the twenty thousand dollars, and that he had died some years before, leaving a considerable fortune to an only son, James by name.

This young man, however, on being approached by letter declined to make payment. repudiating the debt. Counsel advised Weston that the debt was outlawed, or was, at least, dormant, but that it might be revived if suit was brought by his daughter, Julia Weston, against James Sherwood. The complaint was accordingly filed, and was contested by young Sherwood.

When the case came for trial, the moment defendant saw the fair face of the plaintiff, against the wishes of his counsel, he asked for a personal interview with the young girl. The result of this was that he notified his lawyers to drop the suit, and that he would settle it direct by a compromise. At once they were happily married, and Weston vs. Sherwood became a thing of the past.

Judge Henry M. Furman, Presiding Judge of the Criminal Court of Appeals, delivered in this city three weeks ago, one of the finest lectures that was ever given a public audience in the States' Capital. The house was packed. His subject was the "Immortality of the Soul."

Among the distinguished members of the late Court of Appeals of the Indian Territory now in the active practice, is judge Humphrey, who is located at Hugo. The judge is one of the most agreeable of gentleman to meet. His courtesy and affability of manner is one not easily forgotten.

Attorney-General West, in his characteristic manner, of dealing with the public funds, rendered an interesting opinion, relative to expenditures a few days since, that will be enthusiastically received by the general public. While he expresses confidence in our officers, speaking of the ten thousand dollars appropriated for the payment of salaries and incidental expenses in the management of the penitentiary, he said; "I would be utterly opposed to such appropriation as a routine matter. Regular bills for salaries ought to be made on vouchers by the beneficiaries, and approved monthly by the State Board of Control; any other system will be necessarily extravagant, lay the state bare to grave deception and justly subject the Board of Control to severe criticism.'

Hon. Isaac R. Mason, County Judge of Carter county, has rendered a number of important decisions retative to Indian questions which will doutless become precedents. Judge Mason is highly respected by his county bar, and has the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

Hon. J. Will Laws, formerly of Illinois, has opened an office for the practice of the law in Oklahoma City. He is a graduate of the Chicago Law School and has devoted much study to the law of torts; not however to the exclusion of a broad survey of the general practice. He is now conducting through the courts several personal injury cases of far-reaching importance, one with demands aggregating $20,000.00, as well as a number on questions of ordinary practice.

THE

OKLAHOMA

LAW JOURNAL

VOL. 7.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY

D. H. FERNANDES, GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA.

PROFESSIONAL RENOWN.

Defeat is so humiliating that great anxiety is felt in all litigation from beginning to end. It is not possible to win all cases, and hardly probable that over half, taken as they come, will stand the test of a higher court's review. But of the sorted cases, a large majority should be reasonably certain in results. For this reason wise and experienced counsel are engaged to watch every turn and, if possible, insure victory. But these men of high sounding name are often no more certain of victory than well read, alert, artful youngmen, whose all depend on winning. For the alert young lawyer must know that court victories lead, generally, to an increase of business and wider reputation, while losing cases will often ruin good law practice-to win is highly essential to success.

Reputation for tact or eloquence usually begins in the bar and extends throughout the county, then the state. and possibly the nation, or even becomes world-wide by the importance of the controversy.

But no matter what one's talents are or what his ability to try cases may be, if he has a country town or an inland city practice and no cases of public interest, he may remain for a life-time in a narrow range of practice

So the luck of a lawyer is his class of cases, success in court and location of business. A New Yorker has twenty to one chances over a man in Oklahoma court room to be known as successful. This is large element of greatnessthe notice that is taken of his trials and triumphs, and the attention that such victories deserve.

This is not intended to make everyone start on the keen run for New York to begin practice-not by any means. You may be a thousand times better off where you are. The metropolis is already overcrowded with advocates. Governors of states, generals of armies, senators and wealthy men of national renown and brilliant talents are there before you. They are established, and like the great daily papers, have their patronage that newlymade ventures will hardly disturb. As well might all editors start for a large city who enjoy a good income at home, and there, would be likely to starve. But it may be noted that lawyers of merit will command attention wherever located, and in proportion to tact, skill and eloquence will attain eminence.

THE RESIGNATION OF JUDGE BAKER. Imbued with a just sense of appreciation, esteem and the propriety of such an occasion, Presiding Judge H. M. Furman. of the Criminal Court of Appeals of Oklahoma, on the 22d. instant, closed the days session with a short but impressive ceremony of regret and token of respect to Judge Baker upon his voluntary retirement as one of the Associate Judges. To Judge Thomas H. Doyle was assigned the pleasant duty of delivering on behalf of the Court its tribute of respect to the retiring Judge, a duty he performed in a short but elegant address that would have done credit to Chatham, or Edmond Burke for force, conciseness and appropriateness, as well as for sincerity and beauty of diction. It was delivered in the following words:

"Dear Brother Baker:-We can not allow your active participation in the work of this court to terminate with the adjournment of today without some simple expression