Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-11-25
A Famous Duel.
GilderOy, in Wesleyan Advocate. !

held high place in the estima-
ton of a large class of our citi-
zens. This was then the popu-
lar way of settling disputes aud
avenging insults. 1t looks like
shame that sensible men in a
Christian country should adopt
or approve this mode of settle
ment, and call it by the high-
sounding title, "code of honor" "
when, in fact, it is a code Of dis
grace. But so it was.
i About this time there lived in
Winston county, Miss, two
young men about as unlike as
two young men could well be.
One Of them, William Smith,
was a tall, broadshoaldered, red
headed, rather fine looking young
man, who was as proud as Luci-
fer and always carried about
with him double charge OF
dignity. Bill, as the boys call
ed him, though such familiarity
always hurt him, was always on
tie look out for an insult. His
feelings stuck out so far that it
was impossible to get near him
without running against some
Of them. Indeed, he could not
endure anything that got in the
way of his pride. The only way
to get along with him pleasantly
was to fiatter him all the time,
but this made the fiatterer feel
like contemplate hypocrite,
which he was.
The other young man, James
Jones, called Jim for short, was
low, chunky, heavy-set fellow,
and rather hard-featured, but
he had in him a warm, true
heart, and was the friend of ev-
erybody, and everybody liked
him. lie was a born wag, and
loved a joke and enjoyed a
laugh, even at his own expense,
which is a rare gift in profess
sional jokers. Jim was part l.
riSh and had inherited the streak
of wit and fun characteristic OF
that race. AT times Jim carri-
ed his love OF fun too far and
hurt the feelings of people, es-
pecially of those who were lit
tie sensitive anyhow. But no.
body was more ready to make
amends for the wrong done than
was Jim Jones. The fact is,
there was such a vim of humDr
in all he did that it was impos-
sible to get mad at him, and
harder still to stay mad. Jim
iokcd into his troubles and them
joked out of them. ~ 49, '-
In the autumn Of 1910, Bill
Smith and Jim Jones met at a
party given by the Widow Foy.
Bill was .elaborately dressed in
new suit of cloth, his coat cut
in the style then i'll vogue, which |
was in a "claw-hammer" tail.
His pride was manifest, and his
immense dignity never seemed
SO prominent before. Jim Jones
was modestly attired in new
suit oflhomcspnn jeans, made
out and out from the raw mate
rial by the rdeft fingers of hist
mother andlsistcfs. 1t was gem
orally known that Bill Smith,
like a terrapin, carried every
thing he had on his back, while
Jim Jones was laying up some
thing for rainy day. Jim was
brim-full of fun and was making
things lively at the party. Un-
luckily forghim, he concluded to
work a practical joke on Bill
Smith. He knew how sensitive
Bill was, but trusted to luck to
pacify him.. Just before the
dance was to commence, he slip
ped around and pinned a large
bandalna handkerchief to Bill
Smlth's coat-tail- Bill danced
up and down the room two or
three times before he discovered
that he was the cause Of so much
mcrriment. When he discover
ed the showy appendage daE-
Cling at his heels, the fountains
of his wrath broke loose, and
he vowed vengeance upon the
man who had made such spec
tacle of him in company. Jim,
poor fellow, begged pardon and
then tried to laugh Bill into a
good humor, but it only made
matters worse. ~ llM2 Il b.
The next day Bill Smith chal-
lenged Jim Jones to a settle
ment according to f'the code"
Jim promptly accepted the chal-
lenge, named the day two weeks
off, fixed the place IN alarge old
field, and chose to fight with
short swords on horseback, the
contestants to approach each
other from opposite sides of the
field at full gallop and to COM
mence fighting as soon as they
met.
jim Jones thought it a terri
bic thing to be killed or to kill
a man over bit of innocent4
Irish fun, while Bill Smith !
II o,,1-l,k b;r,calf susff Eablo n,