Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-03-20
Written for the HERALD.
Sketches OF tho Mines-A Duel on
the Ice.
BY A VETERAN.

The death of Charles Latimer in
Potosi, at the hands of one Glouster,
and the circumstances attending it.
created at the time it occurred much
local excitement and bitter feeling
between the respective friends of the
parties. Latimer, an Englishman by
birth, lawyer by profession, was
man of brilliant parts, ripe scholar,
of urbane manners. but unfortunately
addicted to habits of intemperancp,
and to such an extent that it had be-
come his master. He was also spirit.
ed in his feelings and strongly attach
ed TO the laws, manners and habits of
his native country. Nothing here was
equal to what they had in England.
As long as he confined himself to
general platitudes and mixed drinks
it was all right-he was at perfect
liberty TO spend his sovereigns, vio-
late the laws and curse the world at
large as long as he did so after the
manner and in the language of an
American citizen duly drunk But
when he so forgot the respect due
to the Constitution and the govern
ment, as to abuse the American Eagle
on its native soil and in the presence
of its devoted and sworn admirers,
aud talk about the name and the mus
Gle and majesty of the British Lion
to those who regarded him as a suck.
ing devil and cur dog, it was carry
ing things too fast and too far, and
could not be tolerated even by those
who occasionally indnlged in the same
liberties 1t was their own proud
bird he was scandalizing--soarlng in
his own liquid elements-and no
id foreigner should question the
purity Of its habits or dignity OF its
character. Latimer, on the other
hand, fell back on his native dignity
and as strongly asserted the elton
was king of beasts" whether haired or
teathered and as such was a privileged
character wherever he saw fit to
roam. Here was an issue that mad
to be met and settled. One evening,
during the month of February in the
year ls45, Clark 81 Woods saloon
was filed with its usual number of
customers, playing, drinking, talking,
swearing, singing, and freely indulg.
ing In all the innocent diversions com.
mon to such places, when Latimer,
"o'er all the ills of life v,ctorious,'
gave vent to the outpouings of his
heart Tor the inpourings of the bottle, J
in an English ditty at which the ad.
mirers of the noble bird took imme.
date umbrage. Col. White, a pro
fessional gambler. Kentuckian by
birth, man of fine physique and pol
ished manners; his tall form erect and
facile in all its movements on which
rested head covered with iron gray
hair and which would equally have
answered the purpose of a divine or a
statesman, giving him that air of dig
nifty and Importance that ever attach
to their possessor, when in his pres.
ence; a use of language at once easy
and graceful or If occasion required
abusive and trenchant, showed him
to be a dangerous man and a charac
ter with whom it would not do 10 tri
he. He occupied an important place
among the professionals aud played
only when the stake was of sufficient
amount to make it respectable He
enjoyed as well the reputation of hav.
ing, on more than one occasion, wing,
ed his antagonist on the field of honor
and hence was an advocate of the
code duelio and ever ready to resen. a
real or hypothetical insult to himself
his friend or his country. On this oc.
casion it was the latter, and when the
| offensive words contained in the dul
Get song of Latimer fell upon his ear
he felt all the Importance of Ethan
Allen and demanded "ln the name oil
the great Jehovah and the Continent.
al Congress" an unconditional re-
traction of the insult or q private
meeting elsewhere. As the time and
place midnight and saloon filled
with q score or two of maudlin men
were not the most eongeniai to set,
Element OF difficulties and a satisfao,
tory explanation, none was reached
Preliminary notes were exchanged
weapons agreed upon--rifies alta hun
dred yards-the place fxed--the cen
ter of the Mississippi near Yields
Landing as being neutral territory
the time-six o'clock next morning