The Shasta courier., 1865-04-01

SHASTA COURIER.
4 Terrible Duel.

A few years since, as New England gen.
tlcman, whose name we shall call Brown
was passing a few DAYS in one of our West
ern cities, he had the misfortune, uninten.
tionally, to offend the susceptible honor of
tall militia colonel, who was one of his fellow
boarders. His apologies not being satisfac-
tory, a challenge was sent to him, which
however, he declined, from conscientious
scruples. The colonel, who, by the way, ha |
won IN two or three encounters quite a repu-
tatlon as duellst, at once conceived the
idea that his opponent was a coward, and
resolved to disgrace him in the face of all the
assembled wisdom of the house AccordinoIv
the next day, at dinner time, in marched the
duelist, armed with a cowhide, and advanc
ing TO Browns chair, proceeded to dust his
jacket for him in the most approved stvle.-
Brown was astonished. Luckily, he had
been lieutenant of militia in his native State
and knew the importance of incommoding
his enemy by diversion. So, seizinr n
gravy tureen, he tossed the contents into the
face Of the beligerent colonel, and before he
could recover from the drowning sensation
thus occasioned, he sprang upon the table.
and began to shower upon him the contents
of the dishes around.
g You are an Internal"
g Coward" the colonel was about to say.
but at that moment plate of greens struck
full upon his mouth, and the word was
blockaded, lost forever
Hap cried the New Englander, whose
blood was now up, g fond of greens, are YOU?
Take a potato, too?'' and hurled a telling
volley of hard potatoes at him. Excellent
eggs here, capital, with calf's head" and
crash came plate of soft boiled eggs against
the side of his Uranium.
The blows Of the .cowhide, which had
hitherto descended upon the Yankees head
and shoulders. now began to fall more weakly
and wildly, and it became evident that the
assailant, half stunned choked, and partially
blinded, was getting the worst of it. His
courage was oozing out.
Take turkey?' shouted Brown, as a
noble old gobbler descended fairly upon the
colonePs head, and bursting, filled his hair
and eyes with delicious looking stuff'ng.-
g. Here's the ixings," he continued, as the
squash and jelly followed after
By this time the colonel was irretreyablv
defeated, and, as his merciless opponent seiz-
ed Il huge plum pudding, steaming hot. and
holding it above his head with both hands,
seemed to bury him beneath it, he qualed in
terror, and throwing down his cowhde,
turned about and made rush for the door.
stop for the pudding. colonel. stop ior
e pudding!' screamed all the fellow board
ers, amid convulsions of laughter But the
colonel was too terrified and did not cease
running until he had locked himself into his
room.
But although the colonel escaped from the
pudding, he did not escape from the ridicule
which the affair occasioned. lie subsequently
challenged four persons, against whom his
nnrfIculo r, a.. II
consented to fight, but availing themselves of
the privileges of the challenged party, ap.
pointed pudding bags for their weapons. At
length the unhappy duelist, finding no one
willing to. shoot or be shot at, was obliged to
quit the State.
A REMARKABLE PRoPHEcY.-W clip the
following from the Alta California of the
18th inst
Editors Alta: A lady lately returned
from a visit to the States, brought with her a
cutting from Connecticut newspaper-the
Hartford Times. 1t is about singular cir
cumstance that is related and may interest
some of your readers-especially those who
reside in the city and 8 read the Stars" who
possess the gift of proI hecy. and the ability
to foretell coming events. Here IS a test tor
them, and let any one or all OF them send
you their respective interpretations. The
cutting is in the following words:
"a remarkable Prophecy.-Some days
since discovery was made in this city,
which, though at the time regarded only as
curious, seems now. in the light of the present
to be remarkable. A few days ago an aged
lady, representative of family of great
repute in our Colonial days, and in the early
history of our State, died in this CITY,
Among the estate which descended to her
next KIM was an old mansion situated on
Main street. Her heir, who is a gentleman
now residing here, III looking over the various
things which had been accumulating for
more than a century, and slowed in the gar
ret. found beneath pile of rubbish. a curl.
ously carved, inlaid, old box the box itself
is great curiosity-the carving upon it is
very beautiful and the whole finish of it is
exquisite. The box was a good deal out of
repair, and in looking over it for the purpose
of seeing what was necessary to renovate it.
upon one of the interior divisions of the box
were found written on the wood these inscrip.
tions which begin now to assume the proper
tions of a prOpecy. The first inscription is
this rude rhyme:
% On July IA, 1866,
Americas fate is fixed"
"Beneath it, in Latin, these words:
.'' posteri, posteri, cavete yos
In auno 1866"
And signed Propheticusses.
Preceding these inscriptions is the date.
July ii. 1866, and signed by the name of a
gentleman who was at that time distinguish
ed inhabitant of Hartford.
8 1t will be observed that the date of this
prophecy is ten years before the Declaration
of Independence, and at the time when the
attachment of the Colonies to Great Britain
was at its height; that these inscriptions
were made at the time they bear date. thore
can be no doubt, for the signature above
referred to is one which once seen cannot be
mistaken, and occurs many public docu-
ments.- Correspondent Hartford Times
CONSTANT READER.