La Junta tribune., 1899-01-28

To the subjects of Queen Victoria. It
Is, happily. lost art, says the Army
and Navy Illustrated. but sixty-nve
years since dueiing was suniciently In
vogue TO induce an anonymous writer
to publish a book containing much
useful Information" ironically dedi-
Gated to Daniel O'Connell. ESQ. N. p.
and James Silk Buckingham. Esq. NJ.
p. as entertaining the opinion nrst
promulgated by the immortal Falffan.
OF happy memory. that discretion Is
the better part of valor."
The author advises "ali my country
men who go abroad to use the pistol
instead of the sword when they have
the choice OF the weapon. as the bal
ance Of killed and wounded IL now
much In favor OF the French. who, up
on the termination of the late war.
splitting some half-dozen of our trav-
cling young fashionables before break
fast" He recommends "Purdey. In
Oxford street. as the maker OF the best
dueling pistol locks" care in the selec-
tion OF stock which fits the hand
comfortably and to eschew saw han
dies Barrels should be ten inches
long and half-rined. which. consider
ing that throughout his volume he
poses as a man OF the strictest honor.
is puxzling. for he admits that wholly
rifed pistol Is considered an unfair
weapon. therefore. one not appearing
to be rified should be substituted.
On 1.-The chances" he writes: Many
a poor. long-armed. struggling fellow
has received the coup di (sic) occur
(or fatal stroke) who might still have
been in existence had he known how
to protect his person In the field" the
necessary protection consisting in
standing sideways and drawing in the
stomach.
Should the party be hit," presum-
ably because he could not draw in his
stomach. "he must not feel alarmed"
This seems difficult, as a man with
bullet in his stomach can hardly be
expected not to display some little ma
tural anxiety. for, as is admitted later.
"a shot in the digestive organs must
be particularly annoying to Won VI
want" To aldermen his advice Is
the old method OF fghting-the back
to the adversary and discharging over
the shoulder" THE chances OF a
mans being killed are about IA to /;
and of his being hit about to l." He
arrives at this conclusion by dividing
a mans body. when opposed to his ad-
yersary, into nine parts. Therefore
he says: LAS In only three of these
wound would prove mortal the chances
are three to one against his being
killed and to against his being hit:
that is. however" he hastens to add.
provided his antagonist has never
read my work: II he has. the case may
be different"
The combatant Is told mot to allow
the idea Of becoming a target to make
him uneasy, but to treat the matter
jocosely." He Is to laugh away the
evening over a bottle OF port and play
a rubber of whist, but he must avoid
drinking to excess or taking amy food
that tends to create bile" because
bilious objects are not seen either
distinctly or correctly" This would
rather be valid reason for getting as
bilious as possible; man with an at
tack OF jaundice should be invisible.
and able to blaze at his antagonist in
perfect safety. II he cannot sleep on
retiring to rest he is to read Byron's
"Childe Harold" his servant is to call
him at and give him strong cup OF
coffee: then he is to smoke cigar, and
ION his way to the scene of action" he
Is to take a brandy and soda, as
most grateful stimulant and correc-
tive"
No wonder our author recommends
him. at this point. to draw In his
stomach. III he dies. he is to 20 of
with as good grace as possible!" On
the other hand. II he hits his antagon-
ist he is to take of his hat to him
and express regret.
challenge is not to be in rhyme.
such as "a certain poetical brandy-lov-
ing major general of marines" wrote
to brother officer who ran OF with
his wife:
Wounds on the flesh surgeons skill
may heal.
But wounded honor's only cured with
STEEL
An Irishman is not to be chosen as
second, for nine out of ten have such
an innate love OF fighting they cannot
bring an affair to an amicable adjust
ment, and the first duty of a second is
to prevent the affair coming to seri-
Gus issue. Other advice is for the
second to take care his principal is
not inconvenienced by the sun and to
get his antagonist with something
dark behind him. when 1t will be much
more easy to hit him.
As may be inferred. the author holds
by dueling. for-"the man who falls in
a duel and the individual who is kill
ed by the overturn of a stage coach are
both unfortunate victims to practice
from which We derive great advan-
tAges. 1t would be absurd to prohibit
stage-traveling because occasionally a