The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-07
JNew York Tin,es.)

The question. of duelinE is once
more attracting widespread attention
owing to the recent incident ut the
election Of the new president Of the
French Republic. which very nearly
brought two of the most pr"minen!
statesmen in EUROPE to what is called
the field of honor"
Have you ever { = a duel. Very
likely sou have not. Probably the
mention Of tho word switches your
mind to pictures vi romantic combat
such as those If tho legendary
musketeers aud the Japanese Sanlurai.
As q matter y fact. nothing OF the
puels are commcn enough. Indeed.
during the mild season. when It Is not
discomfort tosEet up with the sun
for an outing Id the country. II or
more encounters place every day.
But only q simultaneously Ut these can
be called serious. and even these
amount to Very little. indeed. Wheth-
err Quoting ism evil to society or:Nhc
CONTRARY is a matter open to discus
sion. hut % Tar as Frances IL con-
lcerncd II GEMS than II other method
OF settling trttiing disputes.
The modarn Frcnchman lights a
duel with the same ease as he would
drink q cocktail. In fact. he seems
TO take pleasure IN being mixed up IN
affairs of honor. This is due un.
douhtcdly to the great publicity given
cinematograph has become another
factor in the encouragement of duel
ing-the fact that a few hours after
the fight the "heroes" might enter n
moving picture show @n II houle-
Yards and see themselves fighting the
duel all over again tand take their
friends TO see Il. TOO. seems to he q
great i~nducement.
Following the law that demand Gre
ates supply. an entcrprising Snowman
who owns a piece of waste ground
near the Big Wheel" in tile Champ
de Mars. where2the 1900 exhibition
was held. has fitted up his ground as
a ffrst-rate dueling field. If YOU have
a quarrel of any. sort. You can go to
him and hire his place for SO any
time between 5 and 8 in the morning.
place is roped in more or less like a
boxing ring. Its length and width are
carefully measured So as to save time
to the seconds. AN attendant IL also
there. who Is supposed to keep away
intruders. but q twenty-franc piece
will procure a tine seat from which
You will have an excellent view of the
proceedings.
You go somewhat earlier than the
ufPVAitSO tiiu0s uSNduSc luo man WHO
has taken your money has impressed
you with the necessity of keeping your
presence a ecre,. Hidden behind
same boards YOU watch the arrival of
the combatants. Aa taX or two brings
the first party and his second-often
a doctor also.
The solemnity OF the four men is
tremendous. They exchange only a
few words: everything is done in the
most formal way possible. AS q rule
they r all dressed in carefully but
toned frock coat and Il top hat. 1t Is
considered Very proper to arrive first
on the field. and therefore the first ar
rival is very pedantic as to how many
minutes his opponent will keep him
waiting.
When the latter arrives. escorted by
his seconds. more stiff bows are ex.
changed bY the two groups of men.
The four seconds get together. and II
1t is a sword fight. they measure the
length Of the bla des and pass them
afterward to their surgeons, who
fully wash them with a strong disin-
ed. and the two men placed opposite
each other at such distance as will
bring them within touch Of each other
when Zen garde."
The opponents have by this time
discarded their ffock coats and top
hats. remaining in a soft shirt with
%rolled-up sleeves Their appearance
in this attire is considerably less inn
pressive than before. The fun begins
after the word "a vous. massieurs,"
has been given. Quite often the fire.
eater, whose tales have terrorized a
cafe the evening before. feels rather