The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-30

Parfaot Gentlemen

A natural aud proper pride IN the SO
cial amenities Of their country CAUSES Ainet
leans to regret and resent an occasional
disposition OF foreign newspaper WRITER'S,
particularly the French, to sketch the rep
resentative citizen of the United States as
the most ylvacious Of bibulants, gamesters,
and assassins passing blithely from the
bar-room 10 the card-table, and thence to
miscellaneous pistol practice, with man
ner so engagingly dashing and language so
ingeniOusly compounded of profanity and
epigram, that his ompatriots cannot suffl-
GENTLY acknowledge his right to the name
Of a perfect gentleman. The teuilletonlc
journalism of the imaginative Gaul is es-
pecially addicted to this line OF Yankee
portraiture, very often with such fantastic
extravaganza as to challenge more laugh
ter than wrath; and when European ig-
norance of everything American finds ex-
preston in print, it is as vel, perhaps, that
it should be characterized by a grossness
Of exaggeration obvious enough to betray
its malace. 1t is worth while, however for
us to realize now and then that the transat
lantic Perfect Gentleman of the foreign
caricaturist is not wholly fgment Of the
brain, our own Western papers too fire.
quently chronicling the exploits OF an in
digenous parsonage curiously resembling
him in his most extravagant aspects. For
instance, what French parody of American
customs and manners ever surpassed the
amazing events which a correspondent of
the Nebraska Press describes as having
occurred recently in the town of Ellsworth,
Kan? About two weeks ago, one of the
popular Thompson brothers of that
place, the generous and sociable Bill " to-
NuIt ho1 a ant NTH
tleman over friendly game of cards, and
made it nd honiaem by blow Simply re-
marking, as he arose from the floor, that
injured honor impelled him to step out for
a moment in quest of revolver, the strick
en- gentleman retired. soon to be followed
by his late comrade equipped in whole
armory of deadly weapons Indeed, Mr.
ThompsOn's outfit consisted Of a Reming
ton rife, shot gun, a bowie, and two navy
revolvers; and after their eXpectant bear
er had traversed a number of fashionable
streets without encountering the anticipat-
ed other gentleman 1t naturally occurred
to him that he might better utilize his ar
tillery in the settlement of divers old mat
ters Of personal difference OF his mind.
There was Happy Jack, the marshal of
the town, who had been officiOusly official
with him more than Once-Why not settle
that affair, for instance? EnHyened by the
thought he FASTENED towards Strobes store,
whittier the Happy" one daily resorted and
catching sight of his man in the doorway
fired promptly upon him with the rife A
timely dodge saved the marshal from the
whizziug bullet and somewhat iTritated
at his want of success the rifeman passed
on despondingly. One official would do as
well as another though, and CHANGING to
encounter deputy sheriff named Whitney
at the next corner William Thompson kill
ed him with his shot gun BY this time
the report that gentleman Billy was
upon the war path had circulated about
town, and Benjamin Thompson left the
family hearth to Join his lively brother in
the days sport. Together these fraternal
relatives, mounting their horses and level
ing their weapons at any tempting head
within range, jauntily defcd the whole
community for several hours and then, in
the graphic language of the reporter, lit
out for Texas What time the local dig
nitary already celebrated under the cheer
full title of Happy Jack brooded over
the bullet he had lodged, until the recol
lection that one Captain Cad Pierce. 8
wealthy cattle dealer from Texas, was re-
ported TO have offered the Thompson broth
Vic Pi'VbD " ouVbJ Illul, lHuuCtu nun u
saunter TO the captain office and investi.
gate the matter The captains response
to his inquiry being a motion to draw a
revolver, he closed the interview by fata
shot from his own pistol There are limits
however, beyond which the public scnti.
ment of Ellsworth, Kan, does not tolerate
the homlcidal excuses Of the most popular
Ellsworthies and when $50 mourning
Texans came after the remains Of the
Happy one : victim, and mooted the
proprety of burning the town, there wa
a strong reaction against individual street
firing. "Of Captain Cad Pierce, remark.
the Nebraska Press, we can truly say
more perfect gentleman, since we hav,
been acquainted with him, would be hare
to find in any city or State - and tn
slaughter of this polished character ex
hausted the liberation Of the town Con
sequently Ellsworth has been placed un
der martial law; fifty gamblers wearin!
diamond pins, have deemed it iudicous tC
withdraw temporarily to another State
and the funeral procession Of Texans bear
to grave in Texas the body of the per
feet gentleman last slain, preceded by tn,
Thompson brothers previously lit out.
There is but CHASTITY invitation for hume
in narrative like this yet here is tn,
true type Of that grotesqueness of horrors
which our French and other foreign critic
employ so Enthusiastically in their American
sketches.