Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-10-15
Gboite yfliseelImp.
A Duel up North
By CLARA AGUSTA.

Jonas Whitcomb and Slas Jones had d
quarrel about boot-jack on the 23d of May
A. d. 1856 The circumstances were brief
ly these: Jonas purchased patent boot
Jack of a travelling agent, and Silas protest
ed against the pnrchase as reckless piece
of extravagarce; asserting thst the patent
Jack was no better than the one he had
which was manufactured by himself out oi
- white-pine back log! Sias' foot was none
of your Chinese affairs, but reg-ost-and-
outer of Behemotb-ffteen by boots NJ. is
and boot Jack, back log!
Jonas took offence 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 Congress,
challenged Jonas 10 fight duel, and threat
ened TO call him shoot jack Whitcomb' for
ever, and thrash him IN the bargain, if he
refused to fight. Jonas thought the matter
over, and, after due deliberaLion, concluded
he had rather be shot tn n to be dubbed
knight of the boot-iack. So meeting was
agreed upon, to take place the following day
in Deacon Reeds tater patch, being some
what removed IRON the highway, d there
fore favorable for the transaction Of an af-
fair most peremtorily forbidden by the laws
of cur State.
The weapons were TO be the beligerents'
own guns, two very curious and original ar
aicles by the way, which, with ut doubt,
dated back to the times of Tabal CAIN
They were TO have no seconds. for fear 81
betrayal, and afterwards term of years in
the gray-stone palace at Concord.
The preliminaries being arranged, both
parties went home TO prepare themselves
fpr the very comfortable prospect ofa break
fast of lead bullets on the ensuing morning
Somehow, Mrs. Whitcomb .got wind
-ofthe bssiDess, and she (being woman o.
spirit called Immediately on Mrs. Jones
and revealed all.
Mrs. Jones was church member in gooC
standing with the brothers and sisters, and
of course, she felt dreadfully at the idea of
being the wife Of duellist. So the two
women put their heads together and be
tween them quite little plot was ccncoct
.ed-almost equal TO the gunPowder plot
celebrated in English history
II was proposed that each lady shou''
empty the contents of her husbands pow
.der.h Irn into the river, aad substitute blacl
sand for the powder. This was according
iy done, after which they waited the resuL
of the mornings rencounter with apxiou
hearts.
Nine o'clock found the cOmbatants u9
Oh Deacon Reeds tster lot, each with HI
4 l. Il. lIn- o,,I ~
gun in his hand. TIE dista zee was meas
eured off 1.-The two men solemnly shook hands
and then respectively assumed their posi'
ions. At preconcerted signal, each raIs
ed his weapon to hrs shoulder, and tried Il
tre. But the obstinate things wouldn't g
off Jonas gave hearty tug at his shoo
ing iron, but it only snapped sulkly, a
muce al to ssy it would do as it had a min
TO. and no thanks to anybody Sllas' gu
was of the same opinion, and the men
chances of being shot seemed rather Cub
bus. Jonas, after little while, got irrita
ted, and squatting down on the ground,
pounded the barrel for fifteen minutes or s
with a sharp rock, but without producln
auy effect worth mentioning Then iona
rose up, and fnging the gun as far as h
could over the hedge, he cried out spitetu
g:-
"Damnation seize the thing! lwish
was in F,andsrs." or 'e-
81 wish mine was there too," cried Sila
aiming his artillery minutely, and, fndin
nothing satisfactory about 1t, he tossed
after Jonas.
Then both men looked at each other
blank dsmay.
"What shall we do!" exclaimed Slas.
81 don't know" returned Jonas, "unle
We take fists for it."
"But can, fight so. I've got an awf
felon on my right fore6nger, and that'll
in the way" Silas evidently felt bad abo
it. -
"Well. then, suppose we kick it out."
afm sorry that can't accommodate yo
but nv feet are SO covered with corns III
it's onpossibIe; IN bite withye, and tha'
the best can do" - - -. =. 80
81 should be glad to bite, but the truth
my front teeth are all false ones-cost
ty dollars-and kinder don't like to So
'em."
"what saaA we do, then!" asked Silas.
despair.
"Let's sit down here upon this log q
consider the matter; I'm tired" Jonas r
perspiring face spoke more plainly than