The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-04-19
THE LOVERS DUEL.
Esprit Of the Times.

If any of your readers have ever visited
the we'll laio ont, pleasant, thriving town
or city of Grenada, in Yallabusha
County, in the State of Mississippi, they
will remember it's healthy salubrious
climate, its fertile, rich country adjacent
and tributary to it, which is the source
of trade and, profit TO. Grenada. This
city was laid out and partly owned by
- or through the means of Franklin E.
Summer, or. his friends and compeers,
and who, at gne time, figured extensively
as a member Of Congress antagonistic to
Colonel Harry Cage. Near there, as
afterwards learned, lived a very interest
ing, Beautiful, captivating young lady,
whose parents were well to do. in the
. world, owning very comfortable, pro-
ductive plantstion, yielding about three
hundred bales of cotton per annum.
She was represented to me as having
many suitors, and, though generally ad-
mired, had kept her own feelings and
choice free tiff the present time, the
period Of the occurrence which shall
relate. 80.
Among her suitors was one named
Moore, who was desperately in love
with her; and had made every exertiOn
= to win her hand, but in vain. As saw
him during the affair, l can describe him
as man about thirty years of age, six
feet. high, very .dark-brown hair and
eyes, dark complexion, strong muscular
build, excitable, nervous, vicious and Of
desperate character. "A man who wanted
his own way in everything, would brook
no opposition; Wild unreasonable and
uneompromising. 'f'.. - 4-ss
Another of her suitors was man, as
nearly antagonistic as could be imagined;
>, smaller than the other, well built and
compact in form, steelgray eyes, light
hair, quiet, calm in his manner and de-
meanor, fine open countenance, and as
pleasant, amiable a gentleman as ever
remember to have met with, whose name
was Rucker.y i.iJ
This gentleman became the favored
suitor of the lady, for reasons which she
alone had right toentertain, and which
certainly no one had any right TO ques-
ton. But as in those days every
thing became personal, for every
man claimed the right to settle
his own disputes, and in his own way,
and as this was the admitted right and.
custom of the land, 30 of course personal
liability, either by duels, or street fights,
became the common mode of settlement.
At the period I write Of, the summer
of 1887, the yellow fever being very
fatal in the city of Natchez, and, what
was very uncommon, widespread in the
country adjacent to the city, and as
there was no business doing, or to be
done, till it had disappeared, L deter
mined to visit the upper portion OF the
State, where owned some lands in the
county of Tippah, which had been en-
tered at the land Office at Pontotac.
So one bright morning, saddllng my
horse, and with my servant, l left the
hospitable mansion of Mrs. Rowan, one
of natures queens that are some
times met with, and the noblcst of her
race, where had been staying, about
thirteen miles from Natchez, and, Of
course, stopped to dine with the old
patriarch, Colonel Wood, in the Mary
land settlement, whose name will never
be forgotten, finding there number of
friends. Among them was Colonel Fred.
Skinner, who kept the best pack of
hounds in that State, and who was
referee and authority on all matters con-
nected with dogs and hunting, and who,
although now connected with the press
of New York, has more acquaintances
and friends in the South than any other
man. had to stay the night, nothing
10th ia such company, which had no
superior in the world. In the morning
i resumed my journey, and had got as
far as Grenada, and, being in no haste
partly from desire to see the country,
and partly to rest myself and my horse,
who had, besides, cast shce on the road
Il tarried couple of days at this city.
On the second evening of my arrival,
while seated in the bar-room conversing
with. those present, gentleman--a mer-
chant whom / had formerly met and
sknown-accosted me, and asked II !
would favor him with q few moments
conservation. On my replying In tine
affirmative, he walked me into an adj
joining room, and, stating the before
mentioned circumstances in regard TO
the lady, informed me that the disap-
pointed suitor had become very fierce
and revengeful, and had challenged his
more fortunate rival, claiming that he
had supplantsd him by unfair means.
This, OF course, was always claimed to be
the cause, for no one could reconcile il
to his vanity to admiG the idea that he
had any superior, II everything had been
iairly and openly considered, and equal
Justice allowed to him. The merchant
then informed me that he had been, the
day before, called upon by the accepted
suitor to act as his friend. which he had
consented to do, but as he had never
engaged in such affairs, and as from the
viohnce and vindictiveness of the antag-
onistic party, much trouble might ensue,