The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-05-28
EUMORS OF
ard Courage Drawn Out by
the Code.
lSan F -ancisco News Letter,l

: SuElOuUuIu&S. anu lJC ~VItci Ade
therefore, GROUPED together some "
the more ml,thfui incidents end cpl
sodes-which have come under bi
observation while in pursuit of infor
nation Of the graver and more dra'
matte sort-under the head OF 9TH
HumOrs and Pleasanlries of thu
Field" as follows;
AT er the duel between Henry Clay
and John Randolph, in 1876, an(
while the two distinguished South
ernels were shaking hands, Ran
dOlpb said, loosely; ~ Ou " me
coat, Mr.. Gay" the second bullet o.
the latter having passed through thu
skirt of the VirginIan's coat or dress
ing gown, very lear the hip; to which
the kentuckian pr mptiy and pleas
antly rellied; Il ain glad the Diet. il
no greater" And 1t has been stated
by someone that Clay once remarked
while convelsing with a gentlem a
about the duel, in years afterWard'
that he might as Well have tried &c
shoot at a pair Of tOngs al at Ran
dolph.
Senator Foote, of Mississippi, who
during his life became engaged in
three fairs Of honoI-one wllh Mr..
Winston, of Tuscumbla, Ala. in
which he was wounded in IN ; left
shoulder, another with J. Il. II.
Ciaibnrne, of Mississippi, in which
neith1r WAS hurt; and another with
the brilliant s. s. Prentiss, also of
Mississippi, in which Foote was Sc
verely wUunded-was one OF the most
courageous Americans OF his day, but
it was proverbial of FOote that, while
he would stand up to be fired at
without the slightest hesitation, he
VAS said to be 50 poor q shot that b
could not his q barn door at ten
pac.s," and it has al-O been said that
after Prentiss had been placed to his
stand, lie heard the breaking ola twjg
in a tree near him, and looking up,
saw a youth belonging to one of his
neighbors. and exclaimed; Get
down from there, my little man, fol-
tie Governor is a mighty poor shot,
and may hit you"
SAM HUUsTON's DOG AND COCK
CREST.
During the week preceding the
duel between Gen. Sam Houston and
Gen. White, Houston remained at
the home Of Sanford Dune |, pra, cts
ing meanwhile with pistols. AT this
temporary home, says a writer in the
Bowling Green (kentucky) LteW>
gencfy', were two beIligerent young
dogs. named Andrew jackson and
Thomas Benton, On account of their
pugnacioUs dispositions. These dogs
were continually fighting ouston's
political sentiments leading him to
espollse the cause If the Jackson pup,
which, very much to his delight, was
a constant winner in the fiays. Tue
hour for rising and preparing for the
duel, on the arrival Of the day, was !
$40, a. m. Just before that hour
General jackson barked beneath the
window of his admirers room. wax
ing him. Houston arose without
disturbing his attending friends. and
began the task OF n"lding outlets
with which to fight White. AS the
first bullet fell from the mold, u game
cock, which Houston admired scarce,
~ less than he did the dog, crOwed q
loud, clear note. Houston, with that
element of superstition which finds
a place in nearly every mind. ACCEPT
ed the early greeting Of his friends
as a happy omen, and, marking the
bullet on M side for the dog, and on
the other side for the chicken, made
up his mind that his pistol should be
loaded with it, and that he would
ii first that particular ball at Gen.
White. Houston ailerWard said that
he was not supeIstitious, but that
these two circumstances made him
feel assured of success-thus uisprOv-
ing his own words. Tie bullet was
used and White fell at the first fire.
Alter the duel Houston selected a
dog and a chicken-cock rs a coat Of
arms, and many were the comments
made by those unfamiliar with the
facts, in after years. When, as Presi-
dent of Texas and Senator in Con-
giess, he spotted 80 strange q crest.
These facts are authentic, having
been related ny Gen. Houston to San
ford Duncan, Jr., while en- Route to
Washington during HoustOn's term
United States Senator from the
Lone Star State"
WAYS OF AVOIDING A nUEL.
Speaker Carlisle is said by the
(Ohio( News to once have
an exasperating litigaEt
10 fight u duel. The latter accepted
promptly, and, rs was his right,
chose the place and weapons, which
ae chose to be respectively Boston
and clapboards. After
when MI. Carlisle quietly let the
drop. When Hon. George
was in Congress from Mas
in 1897, he was challenged l
~ Hon. Thomas B!Ouht, iOf. North
-aroiina, to fight a duel. Now, as it
happened, Thatcher was a cOnspicu.
brave man, but unaIterabiy
opposed TO duelllng, so lie informed
he North CarOllnian mirthfully that
Is his wife and children Were greatly
Interested in all matters of such I'M
DOrlance he must consult them, and
should certainly not fight unless with
heir permission. In a day or two
the two gentlemen met,
Md Biount said to Thatcher; II
knew you were a coward and would
lot fight" "Of course you did" re-
Jlied the other land that Is why you
challenged me-" Fisher Ames, in
tlluding to the affair afterwards in a
conversation with Dwight Foster,
said: There is the advantage Of
a wife, you see."
A merchant of Miliedgeville Ga
named Edmunda, was challenged by
l person named Adams, in order
hat, as The challenger said, II may
wipe out your Insult with blood, sir "
The insult offered Y Edmunds, by
ne way, consisted of privately mark
ng q number of the coins in his
money drawer, so that the chivalric
Adams was neatly ed when he
ole them. Mons. f. Bouvet, who
a duel with Mons. Roger du
Ford in France. in 1850, was, at the
ime OF the hostile meeting, the pres
dent Of the peace Society,"" and
,nly ashort time before had delivered /.
! speech in the Chamber of Deputies
duellirg. These gentlemen
with pistols, but neither was
lurt.. +.
WITTY CURRAN'S MEETINGS. 4
1t is said of John Phllpot Curran,
-