The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-10-06
OLD TIME DUEL.


! OLD TIME DUEL.
A Believer in the Code Has Something TO sax
on the Ducllo ns /; Was.
(Frcm the NeT York s:ar)
els dueling still popular among gen
tlemen?" was asked by Star reporter
the other day of a military man who has
been prominent in several 'atfalrs.
"No, times have changed rnarvelously.
During Jackson's second term the Dem
ocrats, flushed with victory at the Presi-
Dental election, were rather arrogant.
Many dashing and gallant young men
had been elected from the Western and
Southern States, and conscious Of their
great numerical superiority were some
what disposed to carry matters with q
high hand. Dueling in those days wss
much in vogue and personal discussions
in the House were frequently brought to
an abrupt termination by an intimatlon
that injurious impItations would be re-
sented elsewhere. John NJ. Patton ond
Henry II. Wise, OF Virginia, Baiie Pay.
ton, of Tennessee, Gallatn Hawes, OF
Kentucky, Jesse Bynum, of North Caro-
lima, and many other Southerners were
known to be prompt with the pistol, and
it was understood that call to the field
would follow any damaging personal at
tack upon distinguished members Of the
ruling party. The rude demeanor and
offensive vituperation by which Congress
has been disgraced for some years past
would have been promptly punished
forty years ago. Now it excites COM
paratively little public attention and is
only met in Congress by a retort in
kind"
Chow do you account for the decline
of the dueling mania?"
"The decline dates from tnc time it
was made ancillary to gambling and
swindling, or to the settlement of dis
putes between vulgar scoundrels. Since
then it has gone out of fashion rapidly.
The gross abuse Of dueling has done
more to remedy its owr mischief than
moral appeals and legal ensctments."
"What do the Irish think of duelng?"
"Gratton's dying advice to his sons
was: always be ready with your pistols.
The Irish are often much too ready.
There is trait in the Irish character
which is considered by many to be
nationally chivalrous, and that is a gen.
eral dislike to seek in courts of law a
monetary compensation for honor out
ragged through woman's folly. In this
country reparation for loss Of service is
considered thing as correctly reclaima-
BILE as loss of profit on broken contract
for cargo Of wheat or cotton, while
among Irishmen, in nine cases out Of
ten, the man who works upon the weak
ness of wife, or trifes with the affec
tons of a sister, is not subjected to an
assessment for damages by a jury, but
summoned to give personal satisfaction. y
Men disinclined to make targets of
themselves in obedience to q convention
al code of honor have often got out Of
the difficulty by availing themselves OF
the right accorded to the challenged to
choose the weapons. An old whaling
captain not long since declared he would
fight with harpoons or not at al, an al
tentative declined by his adversary. A
Missourian daunted his antagonist by
insisting upon combat with rawhides,
limited to half an hours duration
General Putnam was once challenged by
a young officer and proposed that each
should sit upon powder-keg, with a
lighted fuse in the bung. AS he would
hear Of no other terms, the General had
his way. Al the appointed time the
belligerents took their seats, the fuses
We're ignited, and. the veteran watched
the progress of the fame with unmoved
countenance. Not so his opponent. He
took intense interest IN the st-lessening
match, and when the fame got sugges-
lively near the bung hole showed his
possession OF the better part Of valor by
jumping off the keg and making for the
open field till arrested by Putnam roar
ing out: "Hold on, my boy; it's only
onion Seed
Two Western editors OF opposing
newspapers once made fools OF them
selves. It came about though the editor
of one of the papers declaring in leader
that the editor Of tie other paper was a
bigamist, and that gentleman resenting
the calumny by pulling the ibelers
nose in the public street The Mayor of
the town kindly undertook to arrange
for the difficulty being settled in prop
er way, and the two editors were soon
ensconced, rife in hand, behind the
trees in wood. For two mortal hours
they lodged and peeped, neither caring
to fire, lest by missing he should leave
himself at his enemy's mercy. Then
the rain came down, and one of the
combatants discovered that it had satu-
rated his powder.
"Is your powder wet?" shouted he to
his rival.
'No," answered the other.
s'Mine's beautifully dry" continued
the first.
But his adversary, guessing how mat
ters we're, came boldly out OF cover, with
his weapon ready to come to the ''pre-
sent"
"stop!' cried the appalled, man,
'stop! Let's have a parley. You're a
darned good fellow. Suppose instead Of
shooting we go into partnership
cali right" replied the other, and
they returned home together.
OF course both editors had to set
themselves right with their subscribers,
which they did by telling them that their
guns were wet, and wouldn't so of.