Gilpin observer., 1899-01-26
WAY TO FIGHT DUEI4S.
MUCH USEFUL INFORMATION"
FROM AN OLD BOOK.
Conduct of the Wounded Man-"Must
Not Feel Aiarmed"-"Ir Ec Die. Ho
Is to Go on with as Good Grace
as Possible"

is, happily, a lost art says the Army
and Navy Illustrated, but sixty-five
years since dueling was sufficiently in
vogue to induce an anonymous writer
to publish book Containing much
useful information" ironically dedi-
Gated to Daniel O'Connell, Esq, NJ. p,
and James Silk Buckingham, ESQ. M.
P, as entertaining the opinion first
promulgated by the immortal FalfpaH,
of happy memory, that discretion is
the better part of valor."
The author advises all 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 is now
much in favor of the French, who, up
on the termination of the late var.
amused themselves by oceacicuIly
splitting some half-dozen CT oUT tray-
cling young fashionable5 before break
fast" He recommends "Pdrdey, in
Oxford street, as the maker Of the best
dueling pistol locks" care in the selec-
tion of a stock which fits the hand
comfortably. and to eschew saw ha,--
dies" Barrels should be ten inches
long and half-rihed, which, consider
ing that throughout his volume he
poses as man of the strictest honor.
is puzzllng, for he admits that q wholly
rified pistol is considered an unfair
weapon, therefore, one not appearing
to be rifled should be substituted.
On ''the chances" he writes: MANY
poor long-armed, struggling fellow
has received the coup di (slc) occur
col rt,. ,ir~I, f.Af1 h,
been in existence had he known how
to protect his person in the feld,' the
necessary protection consisting in
standing sideways and drawing il 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 man with
bullet in his stomach can hardly be
expected not to display some litte ma
tura anxiety. for. as is admitted later,
"a shot in the digestive organs must
be particularly annoying to a yon vi
want" To aldermen his advice Is
"the old method of fighting-the back
to the adversary and discharging over
the shoulder" THE chances of n
mans being killed are about II to /;
and of his being hit about to l." He
arrives at this conclusion by dividing
a mans body, when opposed to his ad-
versary, into nine parts. Therefore
he says: 'As in only three of these a
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.
''nrnNilC1 % CT hnc
read my work; If he has, the case may
be differe9t."
The comLatant is told mot to allow
the idea of becoming Il target to make
him uneasy, but to treat the matter
jocosely." He is to laugh away the
evening over bottle of port and play
a rubber of whist, but he must avoid
drinking to excess or taking ANY food
that tends to create bile" because
bilious objects are not seen either
distinctly or correctly" This would
rather be a valid reason for getting as
bilious as possible; a man with an at
tack of jaundice should be invisible,
and able to blaze at his antagonist in
perfect safety. If 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 a strong cup OF
coffee; then he is to smoke n cigar, ana
ION his way to the scene of action" he
Is to take a brandy and soda. as
most grateful stlmulant and correc-
tive"
No wonder cur author recommends
him, at this point. to draw In his
stomach. "If he dies. he is to 20 off
with as good grace as possible," On
the other hand. II he hits his antaron-
LIST, he is to take off his hat to him
and express regret.
A challenge is not to be in rhyme,
such as "A certain poetlcal brandv-loy-
ing major general Of marines" wro,c
to brother officer who ran or with
his WIFE
Wounds on the fash a surgeons skill
may heal.
But wounded honors only cured with
steel
An Irishman Is net 10 be chosen as
second. for nine ont of ten have such
an innate love Of fighting they cnnnot
bring an affair to an amlcnbe adjust-
ment, and the first duty Of second Is
to prevent the affair coming TO n seri-
Gus isguo. other advice IA for the
second to take care his principal ia
not inconvenienced by the sun and to
get his antagonist with eomething
dark behind him. when II viii be ,nuch
more easy TO hit him.
AS may be inferred, the author holds
by duellng, for-"the man who falls in
duel and the individual who is kill
ed by the overturn Of stage coach arc
both unfortunate victims to practice
from which we derive great advan-
tnRen Il Nnnld be nhsnrd 10 nrnhihit