, 1883-01-26
Rsminiscencs Of Early Times
A CALIFORNIA DUEL

:, tha Sierra mountains, away o"oh Ia
tba "fifties," and was known as tue up
,incott. .Tevis duel. l was an eye wiz,
Moss In the then tlourishing town Vi
bonneville, the county seat OF 0'eila
County, during the existence OF the srea'
Know Nothing or Native American
marty. which finally captured the s'a'e
and elected !. N, Johnson Governor =. "
Mr.. Teyis was editing a small paper III
Townsville, called the Old Odken b"c@e'
"A kind of Temperance and Na'i'e
American paper, which had consldera-
b,a circulation at that time. Dui ing the
,o,it;cal canvass, one of those Mistakes
dressed up in the garb of woman'caiiinS
herself Madam Pellet, came to to town
and lectured on Temperance and ~o-
mans rights. Some language was used
hv the Mistake, which poor Ievls re-
norted in full, which reflected on the
Democrat party and on Mr.. Lippincott,
then candidate for state senator on the
democratic ticket. Lippincott took ex-
ceptions and demanded a retractlon
which Teyis refused, when Lippencott
Immediately challenged him to mortal
combat Friends, as they unusually do,
int,,,ered, but only made things worse;
in fact they secretly urged them on in
a sly way, thinking perpaps that nothing
Serious would come Of it--but they were
reckoning without their host, for both
narties were game to the backbone, and
the challeng was at once accepted by
Teyis, double-barrled shotguns at 40
Yards distance being chosen, place Of
contest to be selected by the seconds.
Well do [ remember beautiful sum-
mer morning, when all nature was smil-
inc and the hardy miners of Brandy City
were doing their level best to get all
the good out OF the supply Of water to
make "home stake" out OF their hy-
draulic claims, when billed shirt" cav
alcade ascended the hill and approach
ed the camp. All wondered who they
we're, but thinking they were politicians
paid little attention to them and kept on
piping the dirt into the sluces. The first
lot was the Tevis party; they took up
quarters with Old Andy Weymouth, the
father af Port Townsend's present in
dustrious blacksmith. Shortly after
ward another cavalcade arrived and took
up quarters with old Joe Johnson on the
hill. This made the miners think
"What are they after? Has there been a
strike somewhere, and have they come
to locata?" What astonished them
most was the number of "biled shirts"
which in those days were only worn by
politicians, ministers, etc, who some
times visitei the camp, butnever in such
numbers. Our town lay right on the
boundary line between Yuba and Sierra
counties, the mines being on the Sierra
- --ssile. Many were the remarks made that
night as To who the party were, but not
word could be obtained from either
party as to their business i'll camp.
They ate, drank, laughed, played cards
and made themselves very sociable--
yet each party kept apart. On . l.
lowing morning they were seen to go on
the ridge over the boundary line, and it
became known what was their object,
The miners dropped pipes, picks and
shoyels, and with gum boots and all their
mining toggery fastened after the new.
comers, as old Mcdonnell said to
"see the fun" Old Jack Wilson mosey-
ed along with pick and shovel on his
shoulder and, when asked what lie was
going to do, said: "Well, I've hearn
ez there's goin tor be fout, n / thort
ez how Imout make piece" by diggin
hole fur en-"
arrived on the ridge few moments
after the duelist parties, and found them
measuring the ground to make sure they
were in Yuba county, after which the
seconds measured of forty yards and
placed their men, Lippincott winning
choice of positions Before the strag-
Cling miners lad got in place, the words
"One, two three, fire ~ were heard, and
simultaneously both guns went off Tevis
'ell, pierced through the heart. Many
thought he had not fred, but on exam
nation it was found that Lippincotts
nat had been grazed by Tevis, making
aclose ctll for him. Poor Tevis was
placed in an old sluice box, and old jack
Wilson got the job to dig the hole, and
made his "piece." The parties scattered
In various directions, the miners returned
TO their picks and shovels. As old Nc
Donnell said afterwards, it was "the
squarest thing in the way OF fight" he
ever saw outside Of Kentucky. In few
days Tevis' brother had the remains