Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-05-09
Wade and TO0m bs.

Wade, on one occasion, re piled to
Toonbs, Of Georgia, in the Senate.
and, to all appearance, used language
which would compel Toombs to chal
lenge him. Several friends went to
Wade and begged him TO desist, but
the old fellow BECAME more and
more violent, until Toombs indicated
his intention Of calling him out, when
Wade quietly sat down, seemingly
having accomplished what he sought
The Southern men looked at each
other in astonishment, and it was
manifest to all Wade had delibel ate
ly provoked q quarrel with Toombs
That night friend of the South.
ern Senator called on Mr.. Wade To
know il he would retract the often
sive words he had used. mo, !
won't take back a d-d word" was
Wade's emphatic reply. "Then,'
said the friend of Mr.. Toombs, ''it
will be necessary for Mr.. Toombs to
challenge you to mortal combat. y
That is just what want, and we
might have got to the point without
all this palaver," said Wade.
"You surely ca MT be III earnest,
Mr.. Wade,' said the Southerner.
"Why, of course am, man. You
see, we Northern men do Mt fight Of
ten, or like to fight. Now, l am op-
posed to the code, and so are my con.
stitutents; but you fellows have brok.
Ell Summers head, and we must
spunk up little or you will break all
our heads. The shortest way to end
the matter Is to kill off a few Of you,
and have picked on old Toombs as
my man. He will have to challenge;
then, OF course, have the choice OF
weapons. I'll take my old rifle, and
d-m me it do Mt bring him down
vt the first crack"
When. Toombs heard of what
ea, S'an and Ti,g replica: ss % %Wel, SUPPOSE
will have to let it all go-I can't
challenge him; if | do the old rascal
will Kill me, sure enough. It ap-
pears Wade and Toombs had been
out together shooting with rifle
several! times. and while Toombs
could shoot very well with pistol,
he was poor rifle shot. On the 9th
er hand, IL ade was an old hunte: and
an adept with the rifle. In those
days he could hit a dollar at a hun
dred wards three out OF five shots,
and old Toombs had seen him do 1t.
The Georgia fire eater had no idea OF
becoming the target of such a man.
Long after the affair was over, l said
one day to Mr.. Wade, "1t Toombs
had actually challenged, would You
really have accepted and gone out to
fight.
Mr.. Wade replied solemly. "If
old Toombs had challenged me that
time, as expected he would, would
have accepted and fought him. I had
it all arranged in my own mind; l
would have put patch on my coat
over my heart the SIZE OF a dollar
and made Toombs do the same.
was used to that kind OF shooting,
and il the old fellow had stood still,
d-n me if 1 would MT have cut his
patch first fire. l was not much
afraid OF getting hurt; tor old
Toombs knew me as a good rifle
shot, while l knew him as very bad
one, and l felt quite sure that patch
business would demoralize HIM.
Not only did Mr.. Toombs refuse
to challenge Mr. Wade, but no South
ern member could be induced to send
him challenge, no matter what he
might say.
Mr.. Fitch told rue that during the
time the trouble was pending with
Senator Toombs, Mr.. Wade went
every evening in buggy to Bladens-
burg to practice with his rifle; SO
there could bo no doubt OF the Ohio
ans intention to fight should the fire.
eaters give him chance. AS late as
1868 l hunted squirrels with Mr..
Wade at Jefferson, Ohio, and he was
still remarkably good shot.