Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-09-09

The American
Code
It Did Not Please French
Duelists
By George c. COnant
By George c. COnant

railroads were first beginning to be
built in America. there were no rail-
road kings 10 finance them. Those in
the west especially were paid for by
the farmers living along the proposed
line. who subscribed each for a small
lot of the stock.
Zeke Tuttle. a Kentucky farmers
boy, returned from the war between
the United States and Mexico, where
he had served as a volunteer in rifle
corps composed chiefly of hunters. to
find a railroad projected that was to
run close to his fathers farm Zeke
became much interested in the pro-
posed road. which would enable his IA
ther 10 get his products to market and
thus utilize them. The young man was
good talker and made tour along
the route that had been laid down by
the engineers, for the purpose of per.
suading the farmers to subscribe for
the stock of the company.
He met with remarkable success
This was owing TO a natural gift he
possessed for demonstrating the advan-
tages that the railroad would bring to
the farmer rather than to any especial
willingness on his part TO take his
money out of the wooden stocking in
which he kept it and put it into the
shares of the road When sufficient
track had been laid to warrant mort
gage those interested began to look
about for funds to be obtained in this
way. At that time per cent was the
prevailing rate of interest in America.
which was much higher than that paid
abroad. 1t was therefore decided to
attempt TO place the stock Of the road
In Europe When the directors came
to look about them for man to dem
onstrate the enterprise to foreigners
they naturally pitched upon Zeke Tut
tie for the purpose.
Zeke accepted the work Offered-he
was to receive his expenses and
commission-and, making the journey
to New York by stagecoach. canal and
other primitive methods of conveyance.
crossed the ocean in sailing vessel
and one day appeared in Paris with his
charts and printed information setting
forth the advantages of his railroad.
He found certain bankers who were
so favorably impressed with his argu-
ments that they consented to offer his
bonds TO the public. One day while
they were making their preparations
TO open the subscription books a man
called on Mr.. Tuttle and solicited an
advertisement of the sale for his paper,
the Courier des -. Tuttle declined
to advertise.
The next morning an article appeared
in the Courier des - warning persons
not TO subscribe for the bonds of the
American railway since the road had
| not yet been built.
Unless this article were retracted by
the newspaper that published it Tut
ties scheme for placing his bonds
would be a failure. He called at once
at the office of the Courier des - and
asked to see the manager. Tuttle was
aslong, gaunt, rawboned American of
the backwoods type. dressed in store
| clothes he had bought for the occasion.
The manager was a carefully dressed
Frenchman of aristocratic mien. An
interpreter was called. and Zeke en-
tered a protest against what he called
blackmail. The manager said some
thing in French to the interpreter, who
asked Tuttle to follow him and led
him to the office of an elegantly dress
ed man who sat in a luxurious chair
reading one of Alexandra Dumas nov
els The interpreter said something in
French to this gentleman, then said to
Zeke:
This is M. Cavillac. re fighting edi.
tor of our journal. You having in
suited us by accusing us of levying
blackmail upon you, have been in
structed TO bring you here zat you may
repeat your charge if you so choose to
do"
II don't talk any French" replied the
westerner. but that's what we call
such rascally proceedings in pure
American"
The reply was transmitted to NJ. Ca
villac, who gave the following rejoin-
der to Mr. Tuttle:
This journal, like others, is liable to
print something that will displease
some one. For the purpose of satisfy
ing such or defending it's honor a gen.
tleman is appointed to receive and give
challenges to and from those who are
offended or offend. Since you have ap-
piled an offensive epithet to what has
been said in the columns of this paper
NJ Cavillac begs that you will do him
the honor of giving him satisfaction in
mortal combat"
well, I'll be jingedr' was Tuttle's
exclamation. I'm goldurned If |
haven't a mind to satisfy him by
slapping his jaw"
"Zat would be out of order" said
the Interpreter. HE is armed and
would shoot you"
For a moment Tuttle was thrown, so
to speak. on his beam ends, but he
soon rallied.
what kind of mortal combat is it ?
Bowie knives?"
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