The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1873-12-25
Almost a Duel.
From the y " Orleans PicaYune.

Almost a Duel.
From the y Orleans Picayune
Some ten or twelve years before the
cropping out Of the late ''unp!easantness, -"
there came to New Orleans a very remark
able specimen of the GEMS yclept in
French cAcea}teT u tHdGstric. His name
or at least the name he went by was De
Sard. lie sportei huge mustache, and
gave himself generally the airs and bearing
Of a halfpay military officer. He was a
man Of plausible address, rather well
educated, anl was endowed with an un-
limited supply OF brass" Having worm
e. himself into the good graces CT the
hl1h-respccted and intelligent, but some
what over contiding, proprietor of the
s. Pr0pagdteUr Catioli9ue, he became chief
editor and general manager OF that inlu-
entla! Catholic jouruul. From that mo
mont De Sard-still preserving lis feIc
mu>tacAe, howeyer--assumei a kind of
semiclerical gatb, although he continued tc
live as a bon eirJnt, and to frequent on the
sly great many places not tit to be men
toned to cars polite.
About a year or so after he had become
a member of the journalistic fraternity of
New Orleans, he had difficulty with a
French editor, who is now no more, and
with whom he had some monetary transac
tons, the upshot Of which was an out
standing claim of about $500 against his
late associate. Instead of resorting to the
courts, De Sard wrote very insulting let
ter to his unfortunate debtor, which letter
we believe, lie ever went so far as to pub
lish. Las, the recipient of the ferocious
epistle, Immediately called upon TWO mem
bers of the New Orleans press, whom we
shall designate here as y. and Y, and re-
I questel them to beas a challenge to De
Sarl.
Tie mission was accepted Y. and Y.
made their appearance to De Sard's Office
and were at one, alnj.t,I mo a luxuri-
ouslY fitted up room, lyokiT more Ike a
fashionable laiy's bouloir than the editorial
sanGtum Of q newspaper. De Sard wore
red Morocco slippers, Turkish cap, a
GORGEOUS robe DC ctambrc with gold tas-
sells, and sat in a weli-stutcl arm chair.
inhallng the fragrance of an unmistakable
/ liavara cigar. Being informed ~ Y. and
I \ Of the nature Of their errand, he 1T once
gave each of them a hearty shake Of tie
hand, and, before proceeding to business,
insisted upon thei. pa-taking of some
choice Madeira wine he produced from q
/ liquor case, an accepting fragrant puros
from his authentic sisn,pye feI cigar box
"Gentlemen, said the cIerico bclligerent
editor, ''tLe occasion which procures ne
| the honor Ct your yisist is one which ap-
/ peals to the highest instincts of a qentE.
h0Rlme's nature, and | am truly happy that
+ yoa have been selected for the purpose.
/ But gentlemen, permit me one single re-
mark before we 90 any further. Mr., l. <
oTss me 5000. Ttat, believe, Is not DEM
ed y. and Y. nodded assent. '.IIence,
gentlemen, pursued the indomitable De
SarI, you, with the fine sen.e II honor
OF true cavaliers, aill at ONCE perceive how
unequal n mortal combat between L \
and myself wGuld he under the circum
| stances. Shout kill him--as it is highly
probably | will shall lose the last
chance of ever getting back my money.
Should lie kill me-a barely possible event,
| admit-he at once wipes out his debt and
his enemy. With due Difference to your
decision, gentlemen, it appears to me thar
L. IS first move should have been to
settle that little BILL
y. and Y. looked at De Sard, and then
At each other, and finally broke out into a
laugh. They conceded the point raised by
Dc Sard, however ana retired to renort to
their principal.
The next morning L :. having pro-
cured thu required amount, handed it to
his friends, who once more proceeded to
De Sards office, and rendered payment Of
l. IS debt,--renewing at the same
time bis demand for satisfaction, De Sard
was as grand, as chiyalrIe as before. His
choice wiae and cigars were again produc-
ed, and Il receipt il due form was written
out by him and gracefully presented to
L - seconds.
Now sir, sail N.,-the senior Sec
onl,- "will you please indicate to US the
friend, with whoTa We are to arrange the
the terms Of the duel
De Sard's face was a picture at that
moment, a genial smile oyerspread his
features. lie rose, bowed with diguifcd
elegance, and said: Gentlemen, now that
the real cause of the unfortunate mis-
understanding between Mr. = and
myself no longer exists, | feel bound, as a
gentilhOmmo' and yrai cheralier, to
tender to him my humblest -apo!ogias. Z
Prag dictate the terms, and they are adopt
ed by mo at once
At this unexpected solution of the diff
Guilty, KS risible faculties could no longer
be constrained, but his younger and more
impulsiye colleague Y. did sot quite see it
in the same light and, walking up 70 the
ever-smiling De Sard:
"Look here.' said he ; 'tyou ID impu-
dent scounirel, DO sou think you can make
ase OF Us to collect your bills?"
Il beg Moosieur's pardon, replied the
still unmoved knight of the quill; 'Mon-
sieur, am sure, is too mu.h Of qenf.I-
hcp nae to insist on fo.sing me into fight
when | I'm ready 10 do anything Monsieur
may require to pasify his friend.
The result o. dis was that both y, and
\. left De Sard,--the former laughing
heartily, and the latter with Il-repres ed
rage and disgust and that the Chevaher
De Sard soon after Jeff the arena of jour
nalism in New Orleans for fresh fields