The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-07-04
AN AMERICAN
BLUFF WINS
Georgia Mans Adventure
With a French DueIist.

Abner Church after serving an ap-
premiership at selling a patent clothes
wringer to the farmers Of New Eng
land was selected to open one of a
number Of agencies abroad fo:t The sale
of the same article. France'0 as the
territory assigned him. with Paris for
his headquarters.
He had no sooner opened his sales
room than he was called upon by the
representative Of a Paris morning pa
per for an ad. Abner told him that
he was not yet ready. The solicitor,
taking his reply for n refusal, intimat-
ed that If the paper didn't get the ad.
it would be to the disadvantage Of the
enterprise. Abner replied that he came
from a land where in journalism the
advertising and the newspapers opin-
ions were kept s%eparate-in other
words. where newspaper blackmail
was unknown. The journal was vel
come to fire away"
The next morning an article appear
ed in the home columns of the paper
in question stating that all clothes
wringers tore the articles wrung in
them, and the Eureka sold by Abner
Church simply reduced them to rib
bons. Other such notices appeared at
intervals and copied by other pa
pers. Abner made up his mind that
he must stop the SANDER on his ma
chine or shut up shop and go home.
He called at the Office Of the Journal
that was blackmailing him and pro-
tested. He was listened to politely by
the editor Of the home department and
when he had finished was referred to
NJ. Jules Chicolet, another editor, who
he was assured would take up the case.
Abner found NJ. Chicolet sitting in a
study furnished a la Louis XVI. read
ing a novel and smoking n cigarette.
Abner stated his case. to which the
gentleman listened attentively and at
the end asked:
do I understand, monsieur. that
you accuse our journal of blackmail-
ing you?"
That's what it looks like"
Then as a representative of the pa
per I have the honor to refer you to a
gentleman who will call upon you this
afternoon"
Abner said that all he wanted was to
be let alone, but while he was talking
NJ. Chicolet passed out Of a rear door
and left him standing alone. The
wringing machine agent went back to
his store to think the matter over.
While there a genteelly dressed
Frenchman entered and said he came
to arrange an affair between M.
Church and N. Chicolet.
Il have no quarrel with N. Chico
let" said Abner. "Who the dickens
Is NJ. Chicolet anyway
pardon! Monsieur, being an Ameri-
can. does not understand. M. Chicolet
is the fighting editor Of the paper"
writes up duels, you mean"
mo, monsieur; NJ. Chicolet writes
nothing. 1t is his duty to give salts
faction to those who think they have
been insulted by the journal and to de-
fend its honor. I understand you have
accused 1t, Of blackmailing you. You
must retract or fight"
"You tell the fighting editor that my
grandfather lost an arm on the south
ern side at Gettysburg, and we
Churches would rather die than lay
down. Tell him I'll fight him with r.
fes at 500 yards"
The visitor protested that such weap-
ons were not used in Paris, to which
Abner replied that in America no n
fought with anything else, and he
would fight with the weapon he could
handle and none other.
When the fighting editor received the
news that he must stand up against an
American rife It occurred to him that
for that occasion at least he would earn
his salary. He was a perfect swords
man and a dead shot with a pistol at
short range, but had never fought with
rifles. Abner, who had all the 80 call
ed tickery Of the Yankee as well as
the lighting proclivites Of the Geor-
gian, had sent him word that he'd bet
ter make a will, since he proposed to
aim straight at his heart and he had
never missed, anything with a rifle.
Just after daylight n morning the
fighting editor drove up to a secluded
spot In the Bois de Boulogne, alighted
with his attendants and waited for his
antagonist. Presently an automobile
appeared. On the roof was something
Of a black hue and oblong shape the
nature Of which could not in the dim
light be detected. Abner alighted, and
the porter Of his store removed the mr.
tcle from the roof and carried It on to
the field. NJ. Chicolet went up to 1t for
a look and saw a comm, on the lid Of
which was q silver plate bearing the
name "Jules Chicolet Died"-that
very day.
N. Chicolet shuddered. This gro
tesque American way Of fighting threw
him OF his balance. Abner stood near
the comm, leaning on 4 long, ride and
looking at the man he intended should
occupy It With q strange, &abolical.
M- 'A2 ~ A..