The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 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, il
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 town before the
railroad got there, before the United
States acquired the territory. What ]
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 a 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 l 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
bVAALu his boCht heIutl OF 'heIuel
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.
II 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 a jolly, generous fashion, and
the way gentleman wants TO spend his
money is the way a gentleman ought to
spend it. was born, gentlemen, in St.
Louis fifty-eight years ago. It 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 a
silk hat on Sunday l 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 AMI 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 in 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.
"Whatr said 1. greatly astopished.
eyes, he answered. "Some fellows
insulted me last night, and this morn.
ing l sent a challenge to all three and
we fight tomorrow at daybreak. DR.. Y.
will be our surgeon. Won't you attend
as a witness or as an assistant
Gas an outsider" / replied, still
greatly surprised, "but not as an as
sistant or as a witness. | am due IN
Washington on the 18TH"
"The habit of this country" d" 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 sec each other
tell everybody that Deleye III 'he code
auello, ana III thaI only ior reNeuglns
wrongs and insults must now go to
my once TO arrange some papers. II
40 not see you again before then' be al
the railroad station Where your Full
man Is, little before dayDreak, where
my second ana VIII PICK you up and
take You to the ground. But watt LET
us have another drink before we part
must tell here what l did not know
TIL subsequently For some time the
colonel had been a source of much
laughter to the frequenters Of the 20
looms ON account of his innocent pecu
liarities, and especially ON account Of
his strong aversion 10 shooting on sight
and equally STRONG predictions il
favor Of dueling. Ne Of the railroad
hands were in the Star Of the West th,
night before / arrived. laughing about
"Old Clay" when one proposed thai
they get up a duel with him. One could
appear to take his side and could ther
act as his second; another could be Z
,;4.,. - ,a,.., ,..;+...-- .., III,
i.Ii+5 60 ~ '''' -, -
I5 - 49, it ~ a. i - Tt',' ys 10 ''' va =.
80. ~. - -, ~ ,l 5il t -.
~ '''s.s a. -, ,'',' ~ ''''n
'-o' ~ -. y - - ~ 49,
-, 'p ~ ,o'9t .sI "J''.5 i, 'i,o o,'iie', ,
- ~ nav '''7 ''''' '''' i'''''' l'P''
M, Ti.'.. -........,. ....--..i--, A.
w. - - ''' 4. - - "a,
oI",I'5 "a IN m 49, IN -i''''3, ~,
~tl-i'. ~ M - ~ '''--, 7'-'l'
g. -l.''., -, - 80 '''-a
~, - al IL '''s ;9 s,i9'','' y'i' iva ~ ts
seem tbe colonel raye ''r nm tbe % ofter,,or ,',