The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-10-07
A DUEL UP NORTH.
By CLARA AUGUSTA.

A DUEL UP NORTH.
By CLARA AUGUSTA. q
Jonas Whitcomb and Silas Jones had
a quarrel about boot,jack on the 23d
day of May, A. d. 1856 The circum-
stances were briefly these: Jonas pur-
chased patent boot,jack Of q travelling !
agent, and Silas protested against the pur-
chase as piece ofreckless extravagance;
asserting that the patent jack was no bet
ter than the one he had, which was man
ufactured by himself out of white-pine
back logl Silss' foot was none of Jour
Chinese affairs. but reg -out-aud-outer of
Behemoth-ffteen by boots No. l6 aud
boot,jack No. back logt ;sd 90 ail
Jonas took offense at Silas' plain speak
ing. and retorted bitterly, and the war of
words ran high. At length Silas, who
had been reading the proceedings of Conf
gress, challenged Jonas to fight duel,
and threatened to call him "Boot.jack
Whitcomb" forever, and thrash him in the
bargain, if be refused to fight. Jonas
thought the matter ever, and, after due
deliberation, concluded he had rather be
shot than to be dubbed knight Of the boot
jack So q meeting was agreed npon,l to
take place the following day, in Deacon
Reeds tater patch, being somewhat re-
moved from the highway. and therefore
favorable for the transaction of an affair
most peremtorily forbidden by the laws
of our State. tss slj 5... .sgf,ss.I osEg II
The weapons were to be the beliger-
ents' own guns two very curious and
original articles by the way. which, with
out doubt, dated back to the times of
Tubal Cain. They were to have no Sec
onds, for fear of betrayal, and afterwards
term of years in the gray.stone palace at
| Concord. se g3aaos
The preliminaries being arranged, both
parties went home to prepare theselves
for the very comfortable prospect of q
breakfast of lead bullets on the ensuing
morning. s 80 saa ad ei e
Somehow, Mrs Whitcomb "got wind
of the business, ard she (being q woman
of spirit) called Immediately on Mrs.
\ OOucS oHu IOSCuiCu
Mrs. Jones was church member, in
good standing with the brethren and sis.
ters, and, of course, she felt dreadfully al
the id,a of being the wife of duelist: Sc
the two women put their heads together
and between them quite a little plot wa.
concocted-almost equal to the gunpow
der plot celebrated in English history. 8
i 1t was proposed that each lady should
empty the contents of her husbands pow
!, der-horn into the river and substitute
black sand for the powder. This was &C
, cordinngly done, after which they waitet
/ the result ofthe mornings rencounter will
anxious hearts. % 18,
/ Nine O'Clock found the combatants up
on Deacon Reeds tater lot, each with hi
powder-horn along on his shoulder ant
\ gun in his hand The distance was meas
t ured off the two men solemnly shool
! lands, and then respectively assumed thei
positions, At preconcerted signal, eacl
r raised his weapon to his shoulder and
f tried to FIRE. But the obstinate thing
> wouldn't 60 off? Jonas gave heart
: tug at his shooting iron, but it only snap
ped sulkily, as much as to say it would d
! as it had a mind to, and no thanks to any
!, body. Silas' gun was of the same opin
> ion, and the mems chances of being sho
! seemed rather dubious. Jonas, after
! little while. got irritated, and, squattin
5 down on the ground, he pounded the bal
: rel for fifteen minutes or so with shar
: rock, but without producing any effec
g worth mentioning. Then Jonas rose NJ
r and flinging the gun as far as he coul
3 lover the hedge, he cried out spitefully-
II gDamnation seize the thing! wish
If was in Fianders!'5a Laa g4l;f s19ssa
III II wish mine was there too, cried Sila
a amining his artillery uinutely, and, 6nf
: ling nothing satisfactory aboutit, he tosse
it after Jonas. .'n93 s slssl oissQs aap
4 Then both men looked at each other, j
!; blank dismay. a. asa9la 1ss9aEossi {
81 What shall We fiof, exclaimed Silass
: 4 don't know returned Jonas, .unle
we take fists for its ls9as la
n Butt can't light so, I've got an awf
selon on my right fore6nger, and that'lll
Sc in the way.' Silss evidently felt bs
] about it. .islfi e s4Fais slii u lssea'
to- We'll, then, n,su2poae we ksck it outi'
,h I'm sorry that cant accommoda
a. you; bnt my feet are 50 covered with cor
that it's onpossiblei IN Hsa with ye, Al
Of that's the best can do
ID II should be glad to bite, but the trp
rt is my front teeth are all false oncs-co
is City dollars-and kinder don't like
n, spile 'em.n
he What shall We de. theni" asked Sill
e in despair.
D. Lets sit down here on this log al
il, consider the matter; I'm tired: /" Jon.
' red, perspiring face spoke more plain
Is than his tongue. So the men cat do