Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-02-18
Defeated in his last maneuyre. the old

Accordingly he proclaimed in a loud voice
so as 10 be heared throughout the vas
throng, "Fellow Citizens, came here te
fight a gentleman; but have made the
discovery that my presout adversary does
not belong to that class, and he presented
himself under false name. Hence an
forced to decline any further communica
cation with him forever
Hardly had the General ended his pom
pous manifesto, when Fent snatched 8
horsewhip from his coat pocket, aad com.
menced belaboring the others back furi.
ously, shouting at every blow-this is for
the pcttifogger! This for the assassin =
This for the bully! This for the liar.-
And this, and this, and this, for the poltroo :
A thousand spectators stood gazing on,
and yet not one interfered to arrest the
avengers arm, and for two reasons. First
because that the avenger was Feut No
land; and secondly, because everybody felt
that the victim deserved all that he had re-
ceived. Ts
will now close my hasty sketch with
brief addenda, for the benefit of such as
wish to know something of Fent's charac-
ter and history.
We have seen him in two of his phases
--as the powerful orator and the all-dread-
ed duellist-but he has hundred others,
and is equally master of them all.
A more expert hand, unless it were a
professional one, never evoked the soul of
the heart strings of violin. He is alike
a fayorte in the saloons of the ladies of
fashion; connoiseur in the temples dedi-
Gated to immortal art; and matchless in
te:locutor in altdebating circles around the
fireside, whether composed of doctors, d.
vines, statesmen or philosophers. Besides
all this, he wields one ofthe most versatile
pens in America, considering its minium
of practice. He writes poetry sweet as
his own voice, and stroug as his own cour-
age. He dashes off articles for the politi-
cal journals with the rapidity of trans
cribing clerk. He jets forth numerous af-
fusions with a natural ease of spontaneity.
But why has he not become celebrated
beyond the limits of Arkansas. Why does
he not aspire to the achievement of a
world with fame9
Because he is poor and in Arkansas
He is too remote from the centre of intel
ligence-too far west. Could an Arab in
the great desert, though gifted with the
genius of an arch angel, make his voice be
heard throughout the immense family of
nations. -
But still stronger reason than any to
be found in mere local position, or The un-
conquerablerable bar of poverty, may be
assigned for Noland's obscurity, in the pc
culiar character of his organization. He
is constituted passionally, without one
single particle of the desire for fame. He
has no life of memory for the past, and no
livid life of imagination for the measureless
age of the mighty future. His whole life
lies in the psesent-so to speak, hangs on
the minute hand Of his own gold watch.
Such q fact may seem incredible in du-
ellist, class that are generally supposed
to battle, if not for renown, at least for
notoriety. But when it is throughIy COM
pretended what causes concnrred to rerder
Fent duellist, and what motives operate
to keep him one, the enigma solves ITSELF
Fent Noland emigrated to Arkansas
when only eighteen years of age. He was
very friendless, and had no resource save
in the treasure of his native and then un-
developed genius. This he soon managed
to turn to account, by selling his prolific
pen to the publishers of party journals
His sharp wit and biting sarcasm, and,
more than all his splendid talents soon
created enemies. AT that time Arkansas
was cursed with trained bands of detesta-
Bile bullies, who sought to govern every
thing by the terrors of pistol and dagger.
Every rising man was to encounter in NOR
tai combat some of these professional des
peladoes, or relinquish the attempt to as
cend, such was the horrible state of pub
lie opinion. If the new aspirant refused
the challenge, he was degraded forever in
the estimation of the community If he
fought and was killed, he was got rid Of.
and the matter ended, summarily. If, on
the contrary, he slew his antagonist, he
gained one chance for ascension. ~ goo
Accordingly, as soon as young Noland's
name began to ring, his foes determined
to try his mettle in the customary fiery Or
deal, and they selected one of their best
shots TO dispatch him challenge to the
field of honor.
Fent, although utterly opposed in prin-
ciple to the murderous practice of duelling,
as the choice of necessity took up the
gage. They met, the youth threw away
his own fire, received that of his foe in his
side, and bravely escaped with his life.
He was scarcely convalescent when anoth-
er antagonist called him out; and this
time he shot his enemy through the heart.
This event appears to have partially chang
ed his nature. He did not, it is true, be-
come cruel or quarrelsome. He never ac-
luired single tinge of misantrophy; but
all the burning passions of his bold i'm
pulsive heart, assumed the fixed form of
hatred for the whole class of
oullies, and thenceforth he was night er-
and, or modern Don Quixote uncrazed,
whose life mission embraced one object
,nly-the determination of duellists-and
% do this effectually, he learned all their
,rts. Since the day he slew Pope, no sun
lad ever measured the radiant circuit of
he Heavens without beholding that pale
enthusiast in the cause of death, at bis
tand before the target, with rifle or pistol
evelled at the centre. The consequence of
uch incessant practice has been that, as a
killful shot, he realized the exaggeration
# romance, and seems endowed with the
'owers of magic; and hence the universal
error which we have seen inspired even by
lis name.