once by his first case won prestige and patronage, His was a joyous, magnetic nature; he was endowed with a wonderful memory; he read avidiously not only legal works but those in all departments of literature; he was gifted with exuberant fancy, but did not how ever sacrifice logic to imagination; he was apt at illustration, ready with either goodnatured repartee or scathing sarcasm, ac cordingly as circumstances prompted; he owned emotional eyes and a voice of many pitches and tones; and he was an admired conversationalist. These were all recommen dations to success in his profession; and they became speedily recognized by legal as sociates and business clients. His second case in court was upon a brief of an old practitioner, who was unable to personally attend to the contention that it involved — General Felix Houston. The case was to be heard at Brandon, then a small inland town ten miles from Jackson, the State cap ital, and in the very backwoods of the State {tempo 1829.) When the case was called he answered that he appeared for General Houston, and began to state that the contro versy stood on demurrer, and then started to outline his argument, when the judge, staring nonchalantly at the slight-made, beardless boy, extremely youthful looking, by no means physically imposing, short of stature and leaning on a cane, interrupted him with, "Stranger, I have views against you on that point already; and I do not wish to hear argument on the subject." Whereupon young Prentiss modestly but firmly insisted on his client's constitutional right to be heard before the case was adjudged. As he proceeded, the judge thawed, and from becoming a polite, remained an eager, listener to a speech that fairly astonished the bystanders. The judge was, it seems, well addressed as " Your Honor"; for to his honor be it said, he was not only convinced but admitted it; and so the young stranger won his legal spurs. The anecdote is related on authority of William C.
Smedes, whom lawyers may recognize as one of the old State reporters. The result was that General Houston immediately offered Prentiss partnership, with a third interest in his old established business. From that time onward, the youngster's progress at the bar was rapid; and so profitable that he was able to abundantly care pecuniarily for his mother in her declining years, for his adored sisters and his younger brother George, at that time in college and who subsequently became as eloquent in the pulpits of New York City as was Sergeant at the bar. And between the two was even more than the love of Biblical Jonathan and David. The young lawyer, although lame, could occupy the saddle, and his circuit journeys, in days when vehicular roads were few and railways unknown, were always upon horse back, with his papers and books in the saddle bags. On all these journeys he made friends, and enthusiastic ones. At tavern or cabin he was warmly welcomed, and listened to with admiration. One of his repartees was long current in Yazoo County. " Young man, you won't get much practice in this parish, for we have no jail." " Then," responded Prentiss, "that must be either because everybody is virtuous or else that the rogues are in such a large majority that they decline out of selfdefense to build or buy a lockup." He remained practitioner at Natchez during fouryears; and then {tempo 18J2) removed to Vicksburg, which was fast overtopping Nat chez in population and wealth. His first case there was resisting an ordinance which cut off the hotel of his client by quarantine be cause it had recently contained a small-pox case. The ordinance forbade the client from leaving his hotel, and all others from entering it. There was a question of ultra vires in the Council to pass the ordinance, which during two hours Mr. Prentiss sustained in an argu ment replete with metaphor, satire and logic; and he succeeded in having the prohibitory ordinance repealed. About the same time he made his entrance
