The morning call., 1891-04-26
VAN ZANDT'S
Two LOVERS.
4 Graphic Story Of an Attempted Duel
in Fair France.
Duellists, Seconds and Spectators Were Pie to
the Inn-Keeper-A Man You Ought to
Know-General sickles' Hobby
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

NEW YORK, April 90 1S9l.-It was when
| our fair countrywoman, Marie Van Zandt,
was turning the heads of the Parisians.
Among those who were bewitohed by her
beauty was a young American, living
abroad, who seemed to meet with some
favor in the singers eyes, until he was cut
| out by Frenchman who, to put it very
| mildly, had decided facial blemish. To be
| Tilted was an insult not easily to be borne,
but to be Tilted for One-eyed man an in
suit only to be washed out in bl-l-l-ood-da,
| and the young American challenged and
was promptly accepted.
The spot chosen for the duel was Sc
cluded forest nook near Gree, Department
| Seine ct Marine, where jolly lot of artists,
! friends of both parties, including many
| Americans, were then sketching, and some
thing like three dozen of these set out to &C
company the fighters to the field of honor.
| 1t was novelty 10 most of them and they
were in very high spirits as they walked
| along in the early dawn. Presently, how
| ever they heard the thunderous approach
| of whole squadron of cavalry, and before
| they had thought Of getting out of the way
they were all placed under arrest
| They wers taken to the nearest village
and arraigned, and the trial adjourned to
| the next day. The Judge, the principal
inn-keeper and the gendarmes were not
| going to miss such an opportunity to pluck
the criminals. They were remanded to
the custody of the officers, who took them
to the hotel. Here they were allowed to
| drink wine and play billiards " for the good
| of the house." but not to leave IL lest they
should Datronize the rival establishment.
| After they had paid heavy bills for their
nights lodging-two-thirds of them slept OH
| the ttOOr-an1 had Turned in fines to
| the Judge the few francs they had left,
they were allowed to depart. Everybody
was well satisfied. The Judge, the inn
i keeper and the officers each had something
| to divide, the duellsts had proved their
| courage and the spectators had an adven-
ture 10 tell OF and fat sketch-cOoks to show
| Tell you the challenger's name? Ger
tainly not. He is living in New York to-
day, and 1 doubt whether his beautiful
young wife ever heard of the duel, or would
so much as guess his connection with it if
she should see this account.
A Man You Ought 20 Know.
"There's man you ought to know" said
! friend, pointing out gentleman who had
just turned into Broadway from Twenty
| fifth street.
"Who is hep"
"That's John Brisben Walker. the editor
of the Cosmopolitan. He made an enormous
fortune in the West, and he bids fair to do
| just as we'll here as he did in Colorado. In
some respects he is a remarkable man. He
has just left his Office for the day. he is
never there after noon. His energy is some
| thing boundless."
Some days later it was my good fortune
to be introduced TO MIR. Walker. He was eX-
| ceedingly inaccessible in one respect
| nothing could induce him TO permit the con-
| versation to take turn personal TO himself,
| I'm fran n m
| gained much extremely interesting informa-
ton concerning his chief. Mr.. Walker had
| already won and lost a fortune when. in
| 1879, he began in Colorado the cultivation
of alfalfa the Lucern clover of EuroDe)
on an extensive scale. For ten years
he spent about half day on horseback, per-
| sonally experimenting farm operations
which, during later years, involved the en-
| plOyment OF more than forty men and the
| harvesting of more than three thousand
| tons of alfalfa hay per annum. He has
| made careful study Of the farmers inter-
| ests in the United States, and during his
| residence in Colorado took an active part in
the defense of their legislative interests.
| While engaged in this WORK he also pur-
| chased large piece of worth ess river bottom
| near the center of the city and by bold en-
| gineerng operations recovered it from the
| water and made it so valuable that
it is said the railway companies have
offered s1,2Oe,OoO for what but few
less. But these engineering opera
tons were carried forward in the face o.
obstacles formidable enough to daunt al
most any man. Twice the river swept
away all that had been done, but the third
| attempt was crowned with complete sue
| cess, to the establishment of the most capa-
| BILE engineers of the State. Soon after
| Mr.. Walker came East he purchased
the Cosmopolitan. Those who under.
take to steer magazine out of
foul weather into fair have about
| all they can attend to. Mr. Walker was
well equipped for the work by tempera-
ment aud by training. 1t was no place for
a man who was apt TO ''wayer in his faith"
| but something more than mere tenacity of
purpose was in demand. Among the essen
tials were convictions absolutely free from
ambiguity and the patience which is proof
| against exaSperationS small and large. o.
| stacles which Stagger some men stimulate
others. He had had experiences of char
acter well calculated TO tougher his natur-
ally athletic mental and moral fiber. They
gave him powers of endurance not easily
abled him to place at the disposal of the
| magazine just the kind of service which in
| sured success. To the affairs of the Cos
mopolitan he gives personal and unremit-
| ting attention. Mrs. Walker is the daughter
| of General Strother, writer who attained
wide celebrity as Porte Crayon," and the
| Walker household includes seven possible
| Presidents, to say nothing of a very young
lady who, unlike her father, is to the last
degree autocratlc.
Items for the Sex.
A modish scarf-pin for a young gentle