Gilpin observer., 1913-07-24

~
-. he had quarreled, and won judg-
ICs=s"N "a ment of one hundred dollars. His
III NSssW u colonel made complaint to the
ISHT7| czar. who sent for Kumron, and
N I'M demanded to know why the sur
| lSaA.soJ geon had resorted to the courts
instead of to the duel. The cul.
prit explained that he had religious scrupes
against dueling.
Religion" the autocrat retorted, "is one thing;
honor is another" And he commanded the sur.
geons resignation.
In the German Reichstag Socialist recently
attacked William for the imperial sanction given
to dueling. He concluded fierce denunciation
with the assertion that were the royal exemption
from the code removed 80 that the crown prince
might become principal in an affair Of honor,
the kaiser would instantly put the ban on such
personal combats.
1t is probable that the allegation of the Social
list was without any warrant, and that, did honor
permit, the kaiser would send his heir to the
neld without whimper. But this charge,
well as the czar's pronouncement, calls attention
anew to the fact that dueling Is still encouraged
by the highest civilization the continent of
Europe though for generations the divinity that
doth hedge about king has commanded that
the immediate family Of royalty, as well as the
sovereign himself must not be exposed to such
peril of bullet or blade Aforetime 1t not
So Many kings became famous for prowess in
personal encounters with the foe, and than
once a duel has served to determine sovereignty.
There has been nothing of the Sort however, in
recent history. although only skilled diplomacy
avoided an encounter between George III. of Eng
land and Frederick of Prussia.
King Georges Duel.
These two peppery and opinionated monarchs
had long list of grievances between them At
the time Of crisis, the chief quarrels between
them were over marriages and Mecklenburg
Finally they agreed to settle their disputes by
personal combat according to the code.
King George chose, his second, Brigadier-
General Sutton, while Colonel Dersheim was to
serve Frederick George in residence at
Hanover The Prussian monarch was at Saltz.
dahl, which is near Brunswick. Arrangements
for the duel were formally completed, and Hide
sheim, on account of its convenient location,
selected for the place of meeting. Naturally
those In the confidence of the two sovereigns
were In state of frightened suspense, and every
effort was made to prevent the fight. These fail
cd, however until the Prussian minister to the
court OF St. James by a ruse secured slight de-
lay. The interval suficed to remove the causes
Of bitterest contention, and the monarchs grew
calm enough to hear reason.
Under all the circumstances that would have
been the most curious Of duels had 1t been
brought to pass. The outcome might have been
either farcical or tragical.
For the matter of that, there have been actual
meetings aplenty Of either kind the ludicrous or
the CHASTITY.
Combat In the Tree-Tops
Perhaps,the absurdest duel fought in the
eighteenth century. The Marquis Merle de
SainteMarie was indefatigabe duelist An
other gentleman almost equally busy the field
was Monsieur Pierrot dIsaac Now, pierrot in
French is sparrow, and merle is backbird. Out
of these seemingly innocent facts came combat.
for dIsaac, on visit to the nobleman. delivered
himself in this wise:
"I am Bonapartst monsieur lie marquis: you
are Royalist. l am the sparrow: you the
blackbird. Isn't there one bird too many?"
The marquis gracefully accepted this suave
statement OF the situation.
Precisely" he agreed my choice is pistols"
And he added "As is appropriate for birds Of
our species, let fight in the trees"
This whimsical suggestion carried out
The seconds had their places on the ground, but
the principals were aloft in the branches of trees
that stood the requisite distance apart. The in
stgator of the duel the victim, for at the
first fire d'lsaac received a bullet in the Leg
which sent him crashing through the branches
He managed to seize one Of the lower limbs and
from there was helped down by his seconds.
But the marquis failed to be discreet in the
time of victory. Seeing his adversary laid low
he began twittertng joyously initiating the song
of backbird DIsaac only waited for his leg
to heal before issuing a challenge on account of
the offensive chirping, and in this second en-
counter, which lacked any bizarre feature except
its cause the Marquis de Sainte- Marie was Sc.
verely wounded
duel more amusing in wholesome way was
fought in country some seventyfve
years ago. An itinerant preacher named Brown
used to travel through Kentucky. He was man
possessed OF mighty snews, and. too, of a GER
tain skill that would have delighted n league
manager, as the event showed In his exercise
OF the ministerial function he scathingly rebuked
a man of notorious pronigacy. who retorted with
q challenge.
The parson. as the challenged party, had
choice Of weapons He selected for each com.
blatant halfbushel OF Irish potatoes-large ones.
solid and well rounded The further stipulations
OF the. engagement were for distance OF fifteen
PAGES and the taking OF only one potato at a
time from the receptacle.
The profigate protested but in vain. Event
ually the two met In accordance with the clergy.
mans requirements When the word was given
the parson instantly hurled potato, which