Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-11-20
EDITORS FOUGHT a DUEL.
Results were Not Particularly Disastrous
20 tho PArtIcipau ts.

Results wcro Not Particularly Disastrous
20 tho Participates.
The old editor had the inside track
and was doing the talking.
II never had more than one duel" Le
began.
You speak as II one were not
enough" interrupted the listener.
1T WAS an ample sufiicieucy," con-
iinued the editor, with, n smile. II was
at the tine of it's occurrence 22 years
Ut age and the editor of the Smugvilis
indicator. was also ! hot-headed
youth, with yearniug for gore an.l
glory. In the county adjoining minc
was ioathsome contemporary of
mine. built on about the same lines I
was, and it wasn't more than year
after we had been contemporaries until
we were in u fine row. He would wri,e
Scathing editorials, and so would I,
and tina?y we dropped our pens and
took up pistols. That is, we agreed 10
fight u duel.
"FortMnately for us we had friends
who were more sensible than we were,
who took charge of all arrangements
for the bloody ARRAY. It was decided
and that we should fire two shots at
each other. the weapons being double
barreled shotguns and the distance ten
PAGES. That suited us exactly, for W.
were extremely bloodthirsty and
wanted each Others gore in large guam
titles. The fight was TO take place at
six O'Clock in the morning. in n Sc.
cludcd spot, aid we were there prompt
~ with our seconds. Our Instructions
were 10 fire the first shot after count
ing three, and il one or both survived
another shot might be fired as quickly
IS the principal could get his gun ready
That made it regular rough-nnl
tumble for half the fight, and also made
II more interesting. 1t isn't necessary
for me to go into details of what I
thought lust before the battle, moth
er;" suffice it to say thought writing
scath'ng editorials was preferable TO
shotSuns ut six n. IN, However, we
kept our nerve and took our places
ready for business. And I think we
meant business, for we took aim RICH.
at each other. Then came the count
ing, and finally the deciding three
and bang! went both guns ut once.
felt as if 1 had caught an entire car
load of shot from my face down, and
fumbied over on the grass. What had
become of my opponent did not greatly
concern me at that supreme moment.
for | was wondering why 1 was ncc
dead
"In half minute the doctor was feel
Ing me. and after minute or two more
he said had been miraculously saved.
and pulled me TO my feet. Evidently
my opponent had also been miraculous
~ saved, for he was standing about ten
Ieet away from me with his doctor.
and the sight he presented made me
forget all about the duel ard break
into tears OF laughter. 1t appeared to
have The same effect on him, and he
began laughing Mt me. Then we both
got mad. and In five minutes we had
iickcTl seconds, doctors and everybody
else on hand and run them clean out of
the woods.
This being accomplished. We s'iool,
hands and took n look at ourselves i'm
n glass, which had evidently been
brought for our benefit. Permit ma
to omit an elaborate description OF what
We hooked like. Those confoundcd Soc
onds had loaded our guns to the r,u>zle
with printers ink. and the way ii was
S shattered over us was enough to hava
made MS laugh at first. and then lick
the crowd that had put up the Job on
us. However. we had showed VIC had
sard, and the iokcrs kept In hiding
until we announced in our respective
papers that all was forgiven n-,l III.
Ratchet was dead and buried. That wna
ny Only duel" continued the editor.
and am extremely glad that the guns
were loaded with Ink instead of buel,-
shot" Washington Star.