American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-10-30
Both pistols rang ont their fierce


onels bullet ended its career in the
tleShy part of my thigh. The Colo
nel's left shoulder was clipped lit
tie. They fired again. Both missed
their men this time, but | sot my
share, bullet in the arm. At the
third fire both gentlemen were
wounded slightly, and l had a
knuckle chipped. then said | be-
lieved | would go out and take a
walk, as this was a private matter
and | had a delicacy about partici-
pating in it further. But both gen.
rlemen begged me to keep my seat
and assured that was not in the
way. l had thought differently up
to this time.
They then talked abont the cleo
tions and the crops, and | fell to tie
ing up my wounds. But presently
they opened fire again with anima-
ton, and every shot took effect-but
it is proper to remark that five out
of the six fell to my share. The
sixth one mortally wounded the Col
onel, who remarked, with fine humor,
that he would have to say good
morning, now, as he had business up
town. He then enquired the way to
the undertakers and left, The chief
turned to me and said:
I" | am expecting company to din
ner and shall have to get ready. 1t
will be great favor to me if yon
will read proof and attend to the
customers"
WINGED a little at the idea of at
tending to the customers, but was
too bpwildered by the tusillade that
was still ringing in my ears to think
OF anything to say. He continued:
{" Jones will be here at 8. Cow
hide him. Gillespie will call earlier,
perhap>-throw him ont of the win
dow. Ferguson will be along about
4-kill him. That is all for to-day,
| believe. Ifyou have any odd time,
you may write a blistering article Oh
the police-giye the Chief Inspector
rats. The cowhides are under tho
table ; weapons In the drawer-lint
and bandaGeS mp there in the pigeon
holes. In case of accident go to Ian
Get, the surgeon down stairs. lie ad
vertiscs we take it out in trade
He was gone. I shuddered. AT
the end of the next three hours |
had been through periis SO awful
that all peace of mind and all cheer
iulness had gone from me. Gillespie
had called and thrown me out of the
window. Jones arrived promptly
and when | got ready to do the COW
hiding, he took the job off my hands
In an encounter with a.stranger, no
in the bill of fare, l had lost IN.
scalp. Another stranger by th'
name of Thompson, left me d mere
wreck and ruin of chaotic rags
And at last, at bay in the corner
and beset by an infuriated mob o
editors, blacklegs, politicians ant
desperadoes, who raved and swor
and tiourished their weapons abou
my hea,l till the air shimmered wit
gianring flash es of steel, | was il
the act IF resigning my berth Oh TIL
paper when the chief arrived, an,
: with bin IL rabble of charmed an,
enthusiastic friends. Then ensue
Il scene of riot and carnage such a
10 human pen, or steel one either
} could describe. People were sho
prohrl, diSmrmbered, blown VI
thrown ont Of The window. Thei
, was u brief tornado of murky bla
phr'ny, with Il confused and franti
war dance glimmerIng through i
i a,si then all was over. In five mil
! HteS there was silence, and the gor
! chit t and | sat alore and surveye
: the sanguinary ruin that strewed til
u floor around us, He said:
a you'll like this place when yo
J. get used to it." l said:
!, "I'll have to get you to excus
= me. [ think maybe might write
l. suit you, after While, as soon as
S had some practice, aud learned
c speak tie languaGe-i am confidel
e | could. But to speak the plai
truth, that sort of energy of expire
!, sion has its inconveni, rces, and
II man is liable to Interruptions l,
= see that, yourself. Vigorous wri
it ing is calculated to elevate the pu
k lie no doubt, but then | DO not Iii
q to attract so much attention as
Y calls forth. | can't write with COZ
is fort when | am interrupted so mnt
d as have been to day. | like til
Q berth well enough but d MT like
l,A lIit IN, hn vt, n aY..1
y The experiences are novel, | gra
II iOu.- and entertaining, too, after
pt fashion, but they are not judicious
If distributed. A gentleman shoots
Of you, through the window, and cri
r pies mg;- a bOmbShell comes dOy
Of the stove-pipe for your gratificatio
is and ST ndS the stove door down +
It. throat; a friend drops in to ban
ld compliments, and ireckles me wi
ii holes till my skin won't hold /
oi principles; you 60 to dinner, a
Jones comes with his cowhide, G
. iespie throws me ont of the windo
sh Thompson tears off all my cloth
he and an entire stranger takes I
scalp with the easy freedom of an {
ne acquaintance and in less than Il
ar minutes all the blackguards in
"a country arrive in their war paint a
ed proceed to scare the rest of me
he death with their tumaiawkS. If
it altogether, never had such a 81
he itrd time in all my life AS [ h;
We had to day. No. like you, ant
like your calm, unrntlled way O.
! y planning things to the customers,
at you see | am not used to it.
II Southern heart is too lmpulSiv
Southern hospitality too lavish "
IS the stranger. The paragra
'ho which | have written to-day, and
to whose cold sentences yoar mas
be ~ hand has infused the fcrvrnt S
egs it of Tennessee Journalism, will w
nor up another nest of hornets. Ali
elk mob Of editors will c0me-and t
ler- Will come hungry too, and "
somebody for breakfast | S
ac- have to bid you adleu. | declin
are ba present as these festivities
came South fer my health-I vii