The mountain Democrat., 1864-01-16
A WESTERN VENDETTA.

In the summer of 1888, was obliged
to spend few days in Memphis. 1t was
then considerable town, though Of course
unlike its present size or business impor-
lance. arrived at night, and in the
morn ing sallying out to see the town,
was taken somewhat aback by observing
more than half the stores unopened,
though it was then after ten o'clock. 1t
did not take me very long to arrive at the
cause Of this, for observing a string Of
people setting westward through the
main street, Iquestioned and was an
swered that "a fights comm of, stran-
ger, jist down in the gully"
had come fresh from New York with
certain civilized notions respecting duels
which made the mans answer CRATE rath-
er harshly upon my ear. and yet with
the same morbid curiosity that makes
men travel far and pay well to see man
hanged, determined to 60 out to see the
fight, as saw clearly that it babe fair to
be a holiday IN Memphis, and that any
business had to do might as we'll be dc.
ferred until its citizens had settled " he
fight" Therefore 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, vas to be between two men, Wal
dron and Jones by name, each represent,
ing large family of the respective cogno-
mems, and each Fighting to settle an old
family feud that had existed for over twen-
ty years. and had already sacrificed to it
NhHaa Fo.IH rY,or,h,ro L. g.
be it known that at the period of which
write, and even twenty years later, these
family quarrels were carried out, in the
southwest, with all the unforgiveness and
venom Of the Italian vendetta, transmitted
from father to son, from brother to broth.
er, and from kinsman to kinsman, with
undying hatred. 1t was duel of this
description that l was going to witness.
Twenty minutes walk brough me up
on the ground, where found, already,
three or four thousand persons engaged
i'm every conceivable occupation, whisky
drinking being the most prominent. -
There were few improvised tents upon
the ground, where certain antiquated dar.
kies dispensed luxuries in the shape Of
cold ham and corn bread, fried chickens
and doughnuts, with various vegetables,
and numberless wagons, barrOws, and OK
carts, each carrying keg or barrel of
whisky, either on private account or to
sell ct half dime drink. On liberal cal =
culation counted the crowd as three
quarters drunk when arrived upon the
ground, and fast burning to make up the
last quarter. The 6ght, as my inform
ant stated, was to come off at ten o'clock,
and a. tt was then nearly eleven, | made
no doubt that in few minutes | should
be grattfed with the smell Of powder in
the: FIRST act.
It 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. Politics,
business, crops, horses, and the state of
The river was discussed, washed down with
copaous draughts of "bald face" hut
never q 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 raj .5ca: that tho fght was
about to come off,
Copying the example of the thousands
abont me, ranged myself in one of the
parallel rows that saw forming, leaving
. space of about fifty feet between the
operations of the principals and their Sc
conds. Every eligible tree and hillock
were already taken possession of and
every standing spot that offered a fair
sight of the coming entertainment. The
frat ofths principals that made his ap.
pearanee on the ground was Waldron, a
tall well.built, good looking fellow of
twsn4y-three. He walked nonchalantly
GbosA shaking hands with one, laughing
and chatting with another, taking bit Of
tobacco with the third, until Jones made
his appearance when all hands prepared
for business, Jones was man of nearly
forty, with hard repulsive face, and
coming upon the ground without noti
cling any one. going directly to his place,
and not speaking to any one but his Sec
Unds.