The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-05
DECLINE OF THE DUELLo.
A Curious Creole Affair OF Honor in the
Olden Days in New Orleans.


New Orleans Letter to Nashville American.
Not far from the grounds where the magnif-
cent buildings of the Worlds Exposition glorify
the landscape with their assurances of peace and
progress is beautiful grove of half dozen live
oaks, whose green gray plumes of long fantastic
moss possess strange funereal suggestiveness.
Their story holds that in early years of this fair
State six gay young creole gentlemen were stroll
ing together to the plantation of mutual friend.
1t was heavenly right. The moonbeams were
weaving their softening spell over scene by
nature soft and languid to voluptuousness. In
breeze, fragrant with kisses from the blossoms
of an orange grove not far, the six oaks gently
shook their messy pendants and made fantastic
shadows on the velvet sward. what a place
for sword playl" exclaimed one of the party. II
echo your sentiments" replied another lightly.
'"Then let us try it, said the first ga capital
idean answered the other, and he drew his jew
elled rapier. In moment they were at it and
the weapons were weaving in and out with a
gaily glittering rapidity that made mockery OF
the gentle moonbeams.
what a pity for US to stand idly byW OBJ
served another of the party. Let us pair off,
then" said number four, and they all drew ST.
simultaneously. 1t must have been pretty sight
those three pairs of graceful and gallant fell
lows at parry and thrust HARDLY those grand old
oaks that live to-day. But the play waxed warm;
presently the eyes of the eombatants outiashed
. their swords, and when the sun came up over the
rim of the level lovely Louisiana plains with the
same semblance OF SuddenneSS that one notes In
his rise on the ocean, he looked on the six oaks
not as usual, but on six CHASTITY, upturned faces,
for which those oaks now stand monumental.
One man fingered a few hours over day to tell the
story of the night, and now as the str anger
eteams up the muddy and moody river the
creole points to those oaks with expression
and expressions compound of pity and pride.
1t is easy enough to infer that with the de-
scendants of such men the duello, though dy-
ing, dies hard, especially in a cline where the
blood burns little faster than in the North or
m Europe.
Yes, the poor old duello is dying Public
opinion has gathered head against it, and it
must 60. A case in point occurred the other
day. The city editor of a great paper took a
holiday and appointed one of the repo,torial
corps his pro tenn. This promoted reporter re.
quested another of the corps to attend to a GER
tain matter, which he refused, saying it was the
city editors business not his. Words multi
Piled, blow was struck, a scufle ensued and
they were parted. Next morning the temper
airy editor, grandson of a famous Napoleonic
general, sent his brother reporter what is termed
a peremptory challenge, i. G., one that leaves nc
room for apology, instead of one that bears the
provision of unless or if.
The challenged reporter son of a famous
Southern senator. was clearly in the wrong
from the start. IFS 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 1.-The Oaks,