The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-09-07
WHY n DueI was not Fought.

WHY " uUtI was hUb
Opposite the city resides Mr.. j. M.
Harvey, a gentleman who has hved
very adventurous life. Emlgratlng
from Northern or western StaIe
more than thirty years ago, he came 10
New Orleans, where he settled, marry
ing into a very wealthy and prominent
creole family. Previous to his settle
ment in Louisiana Harvey was engaged
in the merchant service and had sailed
on several whaling voyages. Having
married creole, Harvey stroye TO con-
form to the creole ideas and Iisages,
which were quite opposite and repug-
nant to his old notions and feelings.
The transition was certainly avery yio-
lent one, from an old skipper, whose
tastes had been acquired aboard
Nantucket whaler, to the highly re-
| finedSrules and customs which govern
creole society in Louisiana.
At gay party at a creole neighbor's
| one evening, where Harvey was pres
ent, game of cards was proposed, and
the game proceeded quite pleasantly
when an alteration arose between
Harvey and a creole gentleman of high
! position and for many years an editor,
Albert Fabre. The dispute finally be-
came very hot, winding up in words of
insult from Fabre to Harvey and in a
knock-down from the heavy fist of the
latter, the blow inflicting very dark
"black eye" upon the unfortunate
| creole. The next day Harvey was
waited upon by friend of Fabre with
a demand for satisfaction and request
to be referred to his seconds, with.
whom the terms of an early meeting
might be arranged. Harvey asked
what all this meant. The second re-
! piled that he wanted him to meet Mr..
! Fabre in an honorable combat and
thus atone for the blow he had given
him.
But" replied Harvey, "he grossly
insulted me and | returned the insult
with blow. L think that makes us
even, or, if we amt even, I'll pay up
the balance"
The second was surprised to hear
such a response from ~ gentleman who
had married into creole family, and,
as a mutual friend, he warned Harvey
that if he persisted in this view of the
affair he would be tabooed by all his
wife's relatives. The suggestion some
what alarmed Harvey, and he asked
his visitor what would be the terms of
the proposed combat.
The second, frightening up at the
success Of his appeal to "the better
feelings" of Harvey, and at the pros
pect of lively affair, quickly respond
ed: "Oh, of course, being the chal-
lenged party you have the choice of
| weapons"
This announcement was great re-
lief to Harvey, who knew Fabre to
be an experienced duelist, skilled with
the pistol and rapier. He, therefore,
asked, with an air of great simplicity,
What were the weapons usually en-
! ployed by gentlemen on such occa-
sions.
"Pistols, swords, rifles, shotguns or
any dangerous weapon in which you
may be skilled"
Il understand you," Harvey replied,
"and my weapons are harpOOns--
hickory handles, ten feet in length;
distance twenty feet apart. / have
brace of them, from which your friend
can take his choice.
The creole was astounded, shocked
and puzzled still more Mortified was
he when Harvey showed him one of
these weapons, which had seen good
service On the Pacific. -
"Why," he exclaimed, edo you
think my friend is a fish to be struck
by such a tool as this?"
Fish or no fish," Harvey replied,
"that is my weapon. Your friend is
quite as sllillful in handling sword or
pistol as / am with the harpoon. When
] challenge him, he will have the
choice of weapons, and now 1 claim
the right, as the challenged party, to
use the only one which feel / can use
with skill and effect"
but, sir, your proposition is bizarre
and ridiculous and will bring contempt
on all who are engaged in it. This is
Il serious affair, sir, and l expect you
to treat ii seriously"
You'll find harpoons serious
enough" replied Harvey, at the same
time going through the harpoon exer-
else as practiced on whaling ships.
The indignant creole retired in eX-
treme disgust. And the next day
everybody in the city knew of this
spoiled duel. 1t may indicate the rad
ical difference of ideas Of the two
races that while Fabre's creole friends
reported the incident rs one which re-
fected great disgrace on Harvey, the
Americans laughed over it most heart
lily as a rich joke and fair commen-.
tary upon the absurdity OF the duello.
-Ne1O Orleans Letter. .