The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-10-21
'DECLINE:0FlTHEDU.EL.
CURIOUS CREOLE ArrA1u

" Its5Ftf' --sg1I---ss- ,--7I -. ~ = III. n
OF Olden Days In IoaIAiara..A Modern Meet
Ing Diet md stopped by ,pablle senti.
-ment-The ,worIl'a Expositlon--NIors
keoa,. .Adds.l-,la,,ers Aboa. Art.
Special Correspondence af ne Ia.e!sdncer. TX
NEw ORLEANS, Oct. lS.-"Times change
and we change With .hem," qao.h The
Roman man Of fashion who preached the
three graces OF pagan philosophy, Eat
drink and be merry in vivid and various
verse. It is indeed true that by the mer,
citul march Of years wrongs and absurd.
ties are tro.l.!en into the ground, and onl,
exceptionally spring up again. Take for
instance the duello, concerning which but
q hundred and thirty odd years ago even
90 devout Christian as the celebrated
DR.. johnson declared that without It's
restraining influence society would be.
come a bear.garden. L1}5's.2 Y fl5 ,7l 3
AS the chief bear Of his generation the
learned Doctor was then accepted for an
authority on this point and for sixty years
afterwards, the practice lived in England,
even as late as 1885 Y ~ l',''erssi ~
AN OCCASIONAL APPEAL
to II being made by prominent men.
About the last great cartel was tho one
dispatched bYyoung Disraeli to the Irish
agi.ator Daniel o O'Connell, who, however,
having killed one man, had announced
that he would never fight again.
In this country the duel, especially the
pofitlcal duel, tourishcd for the first fifty
years Of our national existcnce-eycn in
staid New England, whore belligcrents al.
journed to Rhode Island on the same psin-
clplc that bunk Cashiers favor Canada. In
the Southnp TO the breaking out of the
war the code prevailed and readiness to
spill or be spilled was The top laurel OF a
mans reputation: Among the Creoles the
duel more than tlourished;
% M 1T nLossoMED TO ExcEss
a1d many thrilling tale OF il remains.
Not far from the grounds where the mag
niicent buildings OF the Worlds Exposi-
ton gloriiy the landscape with their as.
suranccs Of peace and progress is a beauti-
iul grove Of half-a-dozen livc-oaks whose
green gray plumes oil long fantastic moss
possess strange funercal suggestiventss.
Their story holds that in the carly years
OF this far State Six gay young Creole
gentlemen were strolling together to the.
plantation OF mutual friend. 1t was a
heavenly night. The moonbeans were
weaving their soitcnins spell over a scene
by nature soft and languid TO voluptuous-
ness. In a breeze, fragrant with kisses
from the. blossoms OF m orange grove not
far the six oaks gently shook their mossy
pendants aud made i5.rg[I,-,.,- = =.
Htgt FANTASTIC SHADOWS
on the velvet sward. .What place for
sword.play! exclaimed one of the party.n
| echo your sentiments" replied another
lightly. '.rhen let us try it said the first.
"A capital idea,n answered the other, and
he drew his jewelled rapier. In momen,
they were at it and the weapons were
weaving in and out with saiiy plitteriur
rapldity that made a mockery OF the gentle
moonbeams. Icy -
"What q pity for us to stand idly by!',
observed another OF the party. .iI.et us
pair off then, said number four. and they
all drew simultaneously. It must have
been pretty sight-those three pairs oi
graceful and gallant fellows Mt parry and
thrust hard by those grand old oaks that
live to-day. but the play waxed warm:
presently the eyes Of the comba,ants -
z EourRLAsuEo THEIR SWORDS.
and when the sun came up over the rim
Of the level, the lovely Louisiana plain with
the same semblance of suddenness that
one notes in his rise on the ocean, I G
looked at the six oaks, no. as usual, but on
six CHASTITY upturncd faces, for which
those oaks now stand monumental: One
man fingered few hours over day to tell
tAe story of the night, ard now as the
St anger steams up the muddy and moody
river, the Creole points to those oaks
with expressions compounded OF pity
and pride. 1t is easy enough to infer
that with the descendants of such men
the dueIlo, though dying, dies hard.
especially in q cline where the blood
burns a little faster than in the North or
in Europe. Yes, A
TIE rooR OLD DrELLo. w 5z
is dying. Public opinion has gathered
head against it and it must 20. 4 case in
point occurred the other day. The city
editor OF a great paper took holiday and
appointed one Of the rcportorial corps his
pro TEN. This promoted reporter request
ed another OF the corps to attend to a Ger
tam matter, which he refused saying it
WIS the city editors business, not his.
Words multiplied ].
- Btow WAS STRUCK, $3.50,
a scufile ensued and they were parted.
Next morning. the. temporary editor,
grandson Of q famous Napo!eonic general,
sent his brother reporter what is termed a
peremptory challenge, i. e., one that leaves
no room for apology instead OF one that
bears the provision OF ,tnl,.s or il. The
challenged reporter son Of famous
Southern Senator, was clearly in the wrong
from the start. His friends felt so and
would have, made him apologize, but no
chance of that was given. With as much
secrecy as possible the meeting took place
under "rhe, Oaks" as the old dueliur
ground OF the city Is called and where many
a famous duel has been fought. The
seconds were measuring of the grounds
WHEN a LETTER ,.','.,.4.;, =,
signed by some Of the most prominent cit
liens and old soldiers OF the town was
brought to them, praying a postponement
fora day and submission Of the matter to
their arbitration. The seconds decided to
grantit and placed their principals under
arbitrament. The resul. was that the
committee ordered the Senator's son to
apologize, which he did. The apology
wasaccepted, andiriendship reisned again,
50 much for tho progress Of peace in
Southern Society! The long night OF