Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-06


mounting to the Americans cheeks, and
Dire WAS lighting up his eye.
Now. see here" he said. bringing
his fist down on the table. This we're
thing has got tn stop. II any more Of
it appears in your paper I'll take care
of that waxed muStached gentleman in
the American fashion. Good mornin.'
Turning on his heel. he departed
from the Office Of the Courier. leaving
the interpreter to deliver his message.
The next morning the Courier print
ed another article about Tuttle's road
that was worse than the first. His
bankers informed him that in view of
these attacks it would be useless for
them TO offer the bonds. They would
not be taken by the public.
What can do TO stop the rascals"
asked futile.
Give them a thousand franc adver-
tisement.''
We don't do such things in Amer
lea
'You Americans have not vet learned
the way affairs are arranged in older
countries.
Hold on a few days. Don't do
anything till let you know"
The manager of the Courier, not hav-
ing received a reply to his fighting
editors challenge and thinking he had
a good chance 10 clinch matters, sent
a message TO Tuttle stating that if he
did not send a written apology to be
printed in the journal he would pub
lish an article showing how. for hav-
faI
an American swindle. they had been
subject to Insult and a demand for
satisfaction had been unheeded.
Jest you wait minute" he said to
the messenger. land I'll give you an
answer to take back with you"
Then he sat down at desk and in
/ dited the following epistle:
/ Manager OF the Courier des -:
! Monsieur-I have decided to accept the
! challenge OF your fighting editor. 1 I'M
derstand that l have the choice of weap-
ons, but don't want to act the hog, SO
/ III give your fighting editor q choice be-
tween two kinds of fight that has been
tried often in the state Of kaintucky.
/ The first plan is bowie knives in a dark
I room; the second is rifles at from 500 to
1000 yards. Respectively yours,
EZEKIEL FUTILE
There is no record as 10 the recep-
ton of this note in the Courier office.
No reply was made for some time.
When it came it expressed surprise
that Mr.. Tuttle should suppose that
either of such barbarous plans as he
had proposed would be acceptable in a
civilized country like France. Wouldn't
he name some other plan that could
be accepted by a gentleman? To this
futile wrote that the only other plan
in such matters in vogue in America
that he CTuttlel approved of was over
handkerchief" which meant that
two seconds held a handkerchief be-
tween the disputants, who fought with
pistols as near together as that would
allow His opponents were at liberty
to choose that method II they liked in
preference to the two others he had
named but for his part he thought
the distance between the parties was
mighty small.
Mr.. futile waited patiently for a
further reply. 1t did not come but
the next day a gentleman called on the
American, who introduced himself as
NJ. DumOnt, member OF a Paris club
to which all disputed points of the
code duello were referred. He had
called TO assure NJ. Tuttle that his
plans of fighting had been referred to
a committee of which he had the honor
to be chairman and that the committee
had decided that NJ. Cavillac was not
bound to fight on those terms. This
was communicated in bad English.
Look here, monsieur" said futile,
L.
asked me. But since I'm in for this
yere muss I'm going through with it.
You go tell him that il he don't accept
, one or tother Of the two plans fust
, offered before shutdown I'll withdraw
'em and insist on fight over a hand
kerchief.'
Mon Dieu." exclaimed the French
man. Americans are like re wild men
, d'Afrique"'
= SO indignant was he that he forgot to
bow himself out futile. who now
gave up all expectation Of the fighting
, editor meeting him on his own terms
p notified his bankers to proceed with
their preparations for placing his
bonds.
= The next move on the part Of the
n Courier party was to send an invita-
, ton to Mr.. futile to a conference to
take place in the editors office Upon
, the Americans arrival he was inform
I ed that they had been mistaken as TO
r the Investment he was about 10 offer
and If he would withdraw the charge
1 of blackmaiI he had made they would
4 publish an article stating that fnan
ciers had pronounced his bonds good
p investment and the probabilities were
O that the loan would be largely over.
subscribed.
Z, This ended the matter. The Courier
approved Of the loan. Tuttle OF his
n own accord gave them an ad.. and tbs
bonds were all taken. futile went
/. back with a couple OF hundred thou
2 sand dollars commission and became Q
O famous railroad man.