The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-04
THEIR HUMOROUS SIDE.
Dueling Affairs Are Not Always
Serious.

Duelng stiu hoUrishes on the CONT
nent7 but although one occasionally hears
Of a fatal result. there is far more com
edy than Tragedy In the so-caIed anfaires
@ honneur Of the present day.
Nothing could have been more fsrcical
than the Deroulede-Buffet affair, in
which, it wiz be remembered. each party.
while loudly proclaiming his intention TO
light TO the death, took every possible
care to avoid the other. The duel be-
tween Count Boni de Castellane and n.
de Rodays, director Of the Figaro, is an
other recent instance. Ii is said that con-
siderable establishment was. expressed
when it was found that the Journalist
had been wounded. Such an outcome Of
the tight was unlocked for. and when il
Is considered that the bullets used by
Freucn cOmDatants are generally faxed
little surprise need be expressed at the
farCical termination OF so many duels.
French journalists are famous for their
dueling prOpensities. Once every year the
Paris newspapers publish a list of their
correspondents and contributors, with
their various accomplishments appended
after their names. In these lists records
Of former duels stand out prominently
among their achievements. In fact, 1T
would seem from an examination of
these lists that it is a sine qua non for
the tenure Of his position that every Paris
newspaper man should light at least one
duel a year.
However. many Of these duelists seem
t
happy frame OF mind Inc eminent
French critic Sainte-Beuve during an en-
counter with an offended author lifted
an umbrella to protect himself against
a few raindrOps. His seconds pointed out
that this was offering much better mark
TO his adversary IT cannot help IL, am
swered Sainte-Beuve; II came 20 stand
IRE, not water.
A good story is told Of a noted Russian
swashbuckler who fought duel with
Polish painter. The latter gentleman was
the insuIted PARTY and on the advice OF
an ingenious friend selected neld cannon
as his weapon, and the officer, hnding that
nobody would back hin up ID refusal
had to acQuiesce. Two field pieces were
procured. gunners employed 70 load
them. and the cOmDatants were instruct
given signal The Russian ought 70 have
known that an upward inclination OF the
cannon. however slight, would cause the
balls to 90 whizzing yards aooVe the
combatants heads But ne was SO un-
manned by the novelty of his position
that when the guns went on with an
appalling noise he gave leap INTO tho
air and fell fat on his face. A second
shot being proposed he would have none
Of 10. but apOlOgiZed.
Not long ago a French critic was chal-
lenged to a duel by comedian whom he
had offended. The two c0mpd talls
formed a striking c0ntrast-tne clllc De-
ing extremely cOrpuient, while the actor
vTas small and spare. But before they
took positions the actor graEely 9p-
preached his opponent. drew line with
q piece Of chalk on the latter waistcoat
and said. Let us cQualize the chances,
auv hid 7 make outside this line shant
count" OF course, the critic laughed
and in a moment both we're good friends
once more.
Unfortunately present day affairs do
not always end happily, even though
started in Jest For instance a cavalry
officer at Cologne got into dispute Wlth
a Young professor. When the epitnet
"Schafskopf'' (sheeps head was uttered
II became evident that an encounter was
inevitable But the officer was good
fellow. and decided with his comrades
hat there should only be a pretense al
a duel. as the cause Of the quarrel was
n was decided that the two duelists
should be placed thirty PAGES apart ana
the charge not be- rammed. O. loose
charge makes the bullet deviatel, but the
officer was TO fall and pretend 20 be dead.
and after the professor had been vel
frightened there was 70 be rec0ncila-
ton and a breakfast
The parties appeared on the ground. the
seconds called Time. the professor
fred and the officer fell 70 the ground,
a. had been planned The young pro-
feesor was thrown into Mysteries q re-
morse and terror. But when the onlook-
e-s we're about 70 explain to him the
Joke they found TO their horror that the
0a7rar was really dead, the professor
bullet had severed the carotid artery