The weekly Butte record., 1863-12-26
A Western Vendetta.

| In the summer of 1888, Twas oblig-
ed to spend few days in Memphis. 1t
was then considerable town, though of
course like its present size or business
Importance. | arrived at night, and in
the morning sallying out to see the
town, was taken somewhat aback by
observing more than half the stores un-
opened, though it was then after ten
o'clock. 1t did not take me very long
to arrive at the cause of this, for OBJ
serving a string of people setting west
ward through the main street, | ques-
toned and was answered that "a fights
comm off, stranger, jist down in the
gully
had come fresh from New York with
cer.ain civilized notions respecting du-
els which made the mans answer crate
rather harshly upon my ear, and yet
with the same morbid curiosity that
makes men travel far and pay we'll to
see man hanged, | determined to 90
out and see the fight, as I saw clearly
that it bade fair to be holiday in Mem
phis, and that any business / had to do
might as we'll be deferred until rs c;ti-
zens had settled "the fight" there
fore joined the throng for the gully,
and walking on overlook my original
informant and undertook to get more
knowledge from him. The fight he told
me, was to be between two men, Wal
dron and Jones by name, each repre-
senting large family of the respective
cognomens, and each fighting to settle
an old family feud that had existed for
over twenty years, and had already sac
ri6ccd to it three or four members on
each side; for, be it known that at the
period of which | write, ard even twen-
ty years later, these family quarrels
were carried ont, in the southwest, with
all the unforgiveness and venom Of the
Italian vendetta, transmitted from
father to sons from brother TO bro
ther, and from kinsman to kinsman,
with undying hatred. 1t was duel of
this description that was going to
witness.
Twenty minutes walk brought me up
on the ground, where | found, already,
three or four thousand persons engaged
in every conceivable occupation, whisky
drinking being the most PROMINENT
There were few improvised tents upon
the ground, where certain antiquated
darkies dispensed luxuries in the shape
Of cold ham and corn bread, fried chick
ems and doughnuts, with various veget-
ables, and numberless wagons, barrows,
and OK carts, each carrying keg or bar
rel Of whisky, either on private on pri-
vate account or to retail at half dime
drink. On liberal calculation |
counted the crowd as three quarters
drunk when arrived upon the ground,
and fast hurrying to make up the last
quarter. The fight, as my informant
stated, was to come eff at ten o'clock,
and as it was then nearly eleven, Imade
no doubt that in a few minutes should
be gratifed with the smell of powder in
the first act.
1t would have taken shrewd guessing
to have strolled over that ground and
told by the talk or actions of the thou
sands there gathered together. Poll
tics, business, crops, horses, and the
state of the river was discussed, washed
down with copious draughts Of ''bald
face" but never word about the affair
that had brought them upon the ground.
Hour after hour slipped by, and the sun
beat its hottest rays down upon the
crowd, and still they held until four
o'clock, when whisper ran about that
the fight was about to come of.
Copying the example of the thous-
ands about me, | ranged myself in one
Of the parallel rows that l saw forming,
leaving space Of about fifty feet be-
tween the operations of the principals
and their seconds. Every eligible tree