Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-24
COLONEL GIRARDEAU.

In Albitumen, N. NJ, there lived sew
eral years ago an old gentleman named
Clay Benton Girardeau, who hailed
from Missouri. AS is well known, it
was considered ungentlemanly in the
early days in Arizona, New Mexico and
Texas to ask man his real name. We
accepted the names that were given.
Albitumen was a town before the
railroad got there, before the United
States acquired the territory. What l
am about to relate happened in the new
town, the one built around the railroad
station.
was on my way from San Francisco
to Washington in the early eighties, and
owing to snow blockade in the noun
tains to the east of Albitumen | was
detained in that town for several days.
On the morning of my arrival met a
man whom knew, and was introduced
by him to nearly every human beng IN
the place who was at all introducable.
Among others was introduced to Col
onel Clay Benton Girardeau, lawyer
of the place. "Old Clay" he was called
behind his back; "Kernel" or KERNEL
Clay" or 'Kernel Geradoo" to his face
He was both politician and lawyer, and
got his living by either or both, but was
more given to talking in barrooms than
to talking for his clients in courts.
Unlike most men who went west in
those days, Colonel Girardeau carried
no pistol-said that he did not believe in
carrying one, that he had too little
money to fight a highwayman for, and
as to fighting others, there was always
the code duello for that.
If you have ever been to Albitumen
you doubtless remember the Star Of the
West saloon. near the station, where
one can get drink, food or game at
any hour of the day or night.
Everything is open,'' said the colonel
to US in describing the place; "every-
thing is done in view of all, and no one
thinks the less of a man for taking a
cocktail before breakfast any more than
he does for taking breakfast, nor does
one lose caste by playing at faro or any
game of chance. Money is earned to be
spent in jolly, generous fashion, and
the way gentleman wants to spend his
money is the way gentleman ought to
spend it. was born, gentlemen, in st.
Louis fifty-eight years ago. 1t was a
town then. Now it's like Philadelphia
unfit, gentlemen, for a man of spirit to
live in.
when st. Louis began TO put on n
silk hat on Sunday left the place, the
home of my birth, and went to Kansas.
Then Kansas began to improve, as the
preachers say, and l quit. I've been
coming west since then, and now I've
been in Albitumen two years, and it's
what this saloon is, gentlemen. It's the
Star of the West. You can drink and
gamble every day in the month and no
one says a word. Yes, gentlemen, this
town is the healthiest, happiest town in
the world. 1t has only one blot. They
don't believe in the code duello. They
believe il, the shoot on sight principle.
It's wrong, gentlemen-wrong. The
duel permits of a gentleman making his
will or declining an invitation to dinner
or paying his bill"
After luncheon l met the colonel
again. Somehow I spoke about the code
duello.
by the way" said the colonel, 81
have an affair on hand tomorrow"
"Whatw said 1, greatly astonished.
Eyes" he answered. "Some fellows
insulted me last night, and this morn
ing I sent a challenge to all three and
we fight tomorrow at daybreak. DR.. x.
will be our surgeon. Won't you attend
as a witness or as an ASSISTANT
"As an outsider" l replied, still
greatly surprised, "but not as an as
sistant or as a witness. I am due in
Washington on the 12th.''
"The habit of this country" continued
the colonel, sis the barbarous one of
shooting on sight, or telling your adver-
sary to go heel himself and then begin
shooting when you see each other.
tell everybody that believe in the code
duello, and in that only for rcvenging
wrongs and insults. l must now go to
my Office to arrange some papers. If
do not see you again before then, be at
the railroad station, where your Pull
man is, a little before daybreak, where
my second and l will pick you up and
take you to the ground. But wait; let
us have another drink before we part"
\ Il
must tell here what did not know
till subsequently. For some time the
colonel had been source of much
laughter to the frequenters of the sa-
looms on account of his innocent pecu-
liarities, and especially ON account of
his strong aversion to shooting on sight
and equally strong predictions in
favor of dueling. Five of the railroad
hands were in the Star of the West the
night before I arrived, laughing about
sold Clay" when one proposed that
they get up duel with him. One could
appear to take his side and could then
act as his second; another could be a
iutie apart and be witness, ana coulu
be called upon as their second, and three
could insult the colonel. If the colonel
took the insult and did not funk, as they
thought he would, then the seconds could
fix up the pistols, extracting the bullets
and replacing them with painted paper
wads.
They were much surprised when the
colonel not only took I'D the insults. but