The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-04-11
The Fighting Rd,,or.


our muscular development, quick eve
and steady nerve were counted ofno les,
value IN the editors equipment than a
powerful mind The rugged and mpul.
Slve nature Of the inhabitants led them
10 hastiness in the settlement of per.
sonal disputes that prospcrcd the under.
takers even at times when all other bus.
mes pursuits langnished In this re-
spect they differed materially from their
more philosophical fellow-eitizens of the
East Here II, asmight happen in even
the best regulated office, an error
crept INTO the paper the aggrieyed party
would call quietly and courtcously state
ms case, securing NJ courteous correct.
ION there the offended person walked
IN behind q pistol and casually express
ed a belief that if the editor was a rapid
writer he might possibly get the retrac.
ton written before he had fnised all
the shots in his revolver
In many cases this aggressive action
aroused equally combative qualities in
the editor and il not unirequently han
pened that one or the other was killed
These circumstances gradually deyelop.
en- the so'called fighting editor a pic.
turesque and powerful character pccu.
liar to American journalism, To him
were referred all questions OF dispute in.
Volving personal argument He was the
chivalrous, open.hearted and brave re.
preventative of class now nearly OK.
tlnct, whose character has suffered only
from the reckless exaggerations of local
historians, Observation-Disclosures products
Of the same soil
Col, Feathcrstock was scearccIy 81
when he entered the office of the Eagle
vile vi Weekly Tomahdpk and Mirror. and
he had been there scarcely three weeks
when the summary and scientific man
ner in which he elected q powerful back
woodsman, who had ventured to remon.
Strate against asayage personal reference
to himself, determined the chief TO An.
point Featherstock TO the arduous and
responsible position of lighting editor
a post which he held for seven years
with honor to himself and credit to his
paper. lie was good shot and similar
IN his Suddenncss to lightning. 1t is
said that during his stay in the Tona.
hdOt office he killed nineteen men. In
fact the number of those who Numbered
in their dealings with him was so great
that 1t became current humorous say.
ing in the region that Featherstock kept
grave yard of his own.
There lived in neighboring county
gigantic and bloodthirst ruiian, who
had often heard of the renowned fight |
ing editor of the 1omahd,rk, and, having
held his own and sometimes more with |
every body he had ever met, he resolved |
to 20 TO Eagleyille and clean out the
Colonel. When he appeared in the
Tdmahaek office he might, but for his |
great size and ferocious aspect, have been |
mistaken for the drummer of firearms
establishment, Allhis pockets were full |
OF assorted weapons, and his belt looked |
like fence with pistol pickets He
stalked in with an air Of brutal insolence, |
and said to the Colonel;
Are you the Tomaha,okS lighting cd
itor?"
The Colonel modestly allowed that he
was.
81 understand you keep select
burying-gromd of your own.
eyes, said the Colonel, 81 must ad- |
nit that do find it necessary to keep q
private cemetery"
The rufiian reached down in his right |
hand coat-pocket, and lifted out an inn
mense old-iashion revolver that bore
resemblance to young Calling
gun lie staggered up to the Colonel |
and banged the muzzle of the pistol |
down 50 savagely that it made deep
dent in the desk, and the words that ac-
companied the action were:
well I've come to be buried in that
For the first land LAST time in his life
the Colonel weakened. 1t seemed 30
sweettoliveiust at that moment--a senti-
ment tostered, doubtless, by the knowl-
edge that he was standing face to face
with man who was fully determined
to kill him But if for an instant his
courage wavered, his sauvity never for
sock him. and he looked up with
smile
Il am right sorry, my friend, that ]
can't accommodate you but my grave
yard is full There really ism room for
another one.
81 was afraid you couldn't find room
in it for me, said the stranger, and he
wrapped his words in II sneer that made
the Colonel think that life wasn't worth
o cent. If the stranger had answered
the Colonel with pleasant words, he
might have retired on great victory,
but that sheer changed the whole pro-
sramme. The Colonel reached under
his desk to the pistol shelf and brought
out weapon that looked like the elder
brother Of the strangers shooting-iron.
The expression OF his face WAS
changed, but he went on
talking in the same cheerful, measured
way lust as though without interruption
he WAS adding to his previous remark
But though that oneis closed ! have
lust opened new cemetery andmy sext-
ON has dug sample grave that should |
think The ran his eye deliberately along |
the stranger from his feet up TO his eyes
and fastened them there would just tit
you. 70
The strangers grip on himself was
gone. The change had been too sudden
for him. OF all the crowd that the al
tercation had drawn into the room, the
Colonel was first to realize the change
and most accurate in his estimatm OF
itsextent. Heproccededplesssntly
deliberately:
Now, may have conveyed to you
when you first came in the information
that this is not one OF my regular
Strengthening days; but at the same time
if you insist ,, =,
The Colonel tugged at the hammer OF
his pistol, but the lock was rusty f l.e
ably that rust saved the stranger ne re;
he didn't insist, but turned and started
off and before the Colonel could get
his pistol to full cock the stranger was
~, H. otlar aida If the door walking