Choate received the sum of
five hundred dollars, and my fee was two hundred and fifty dollars.
Mr. Choate obtained a favorable report from the committee, but the
project failed in the Legislature. It was renewed the succeeding year,
when Emory Washburn appeared for the county of Worcester. In those two
contests, covering a month of time in all, I had an opportunity to
study Mr. Choate in his characteristics as an advocate and as an
examiner of witnesses, a branch of the profession in which he had great
skill.
Various witnesses were called for the purpose of gathering facts as to
the inconveniences of which complaints were made and also for the
purpose of showing the advantage to be derived from the proposed
change. A witness of importance and altogether friendly, was Stuart
J. Park, of Groton. He was a Scotchman by birth, his father having
been employed upon the Argyle estates. The father came to America
while the son was a minor. They were by trade stone masons. Stuart
J. Park was then nearly seventy years of age. He had represented the
county in the State Senate and for many years he had been a person of
note, although his education was limited. He had, however, an
abundance of sound sense and an excess of will power, even for a
Scotchman. In his business he had had a large and successful
experience.
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