Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-27
DAILY DUELs.
Meetings Erery Day IN fhe Week of Fight
ing Frenchmen.

Just now, says Paris letter to the
New York San, there is kind of cpl
demic of duels. Every day in the week
there are meetings in the woods in the
environs of Paais. The combatants no
longer cross the frontier as of DID, In the
first place, the journey to the Belgian.
German or Spanish frontier is costly; in
the second place, Partisan wit has
given it out that if the combatants cross
the frontier it is because they count on
the engagement. being interrupted by the
gendarms. Thanks to the federation
of the police, engagements may safely take
place around Paris, and not long ago more
than 200 persons witnessed a famous duel
between two fencing masters, Pons, of
Paris, and the Baron de San de Mulato, of
Naples. This duel took place on the race
course at Vesinet. In point of fact, most
of these encounters are not very serious
affairs. The journalists often fight to get
themselves and their journal talked about;
the young bucks fight to get their names
up as they say in Great Britain. For
the benefit of duelists of this class
an ingenious formula has been in
vented. An official report of every
duel is forwarded to all the
newspapers, and signed by the seconds
In this it is stated that after COM
bat of such and such duration, one of the
antagonists received a scratch on the hand
and the seconds, ssconsidering that the
wound rendered the chances unequal, felt
themselves called upon to terminate the
encounter, and declared honor to be sat-
isfed."
Nevertheless, the frequency Of duels,
from whatever motives, has had the eff
feet of causing large part of the popu-
lation of France to frequent the fencing
rooms, for the fashion set by Paris is
followed in the provinces, and the pro-
vincial journals also have their standing
headline, "Duels," like their Partisan
models. A new journal, called
L'Escnme, has been founded upon
high patronage to meet this new
want of French society, and 1 have be-
fore me splendid volume called "The
Man of the Sword" in which Partisan
expert in matters Of fencing, the Baron
de Vaux, has analyzed the style, the form,
and the performance of the most famous
contemporary swordsmen. In short, ev-
cry man who respects himself, every
young fellow who pretends to be at all
stylish, must pass an hour or two every
day in the fencing rooms under the Or
ders of his trainer. The fencing room is
fashionable, and public opinion, or rather
the opinion of society under the third re-
public, is that the duel preserves honor,
reputation and dignity.
The fencing rooms OF Paris are to be
counted by the score, and the profession
of fencing master is held in high honor
The most celebrated of the guild is Wig
cant, the gentleman master, as he is call
ed by the Anglo-maniacs. yigeant Is a
handsome young fellow, who affects the
airs of Achilles in his sulking moods.
He is very touchy, reserved and capri
cious. Some say he poses. He lives in
handsome apartment in the second
story at No. 81 Rue de Cennes. You
ring and the door is opened by fine,
muscular man, whom you at once recog-
nize as provost of the profession. He
introduces you into the cabinet Of the
master On the chimney -piece is sew
enteenth century wood engraving rep
resenting ST. Michael, the patron saint
of fencers. By the side Of this picture is
another of Don Quixote, sword in hand,
gravely studying in some book OF
chivalry thrusts that are no longer secret
In the corners are rapiers of all kinds; on
the walls engravings Of fencing scenes; a
full-length portrait of the master by Ca
rolus Duran; right and left two book
cases containing unique collection Of
everything that has been written on fenc-
ing for the last three hundred years; in
the middle of table covered with books
an inkstand, pen, and rapier. 1t is
here tnat Vigeant gives consultations or
his art.
Next in reputation to Vigeant is Mer-
ignac, who rarely exhibits his skill in
public. Then after these two stars fol
low the lesser celebrities, Mimias ue
Rouleau, the brothers Robert, Cain, ane
Gatechair Tor Spoilfsh), two predestine(
names, Pellerin, Lantieri and others.
Furthermore, the millionaires have thei1
private fencing rooms, one of the mos
splendid of which is that Of NJ Edmond
Dollfus, in his n 1nsion in the Rue Pres
bourg, where 6 assault at arms tool
place last Sun,i;sy, in presence of th'
elite of Partisan high life.
| Novelty in Typography.
A new departure in printing The Hols
day Bulletin, publication issued from
the job printing house of John J. Lemon
31s Minnesota street. The publication
which is now in its fifth year, is an eigh