The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-10-24
How Missouri Farmer Lost all his Mar.
riageable Daughters.

How Missouri Farmer Lost all his Mar.
riageable Daughters.
In Notoway county, Mo-, there resides an old
farmer. who appears to have suffered severely
in what most persons will be disposed to be-
lieve very foolish cause. Living in sort of
semi-barbaric style, on the verge of a pictu-
rescue wood, and having spent more than his
neighbors in the education of large family Of
daughters; he became accustomed to regard it
as impertinent for the sons of other farmers to
visit his house with matrimonial intentions. To
such an extent did he cultivate this opinion
that the daughters themselves, fearful that they
might be deemed to be old maids, grew impa-
tie1t and resolved to encourage eligible bach
elors on their own account. The courtship
was all. the more romantic and inspiring
through having to be done at secret places in
the wood Signals were exchanged, so that the
lovers might not be surprised at their trysting
places. This system was continued for con-
siderable time without any hope that the "stern
parent" could be brought to reason. Ultimate
", to vary the monotony, it was considered de-
sifable that one of the daughters should eiope
by way of experiment, to see how the old man
would be effected. The result was a shooting
match, which ended in compromise; and the
marriage of the disobedient fair one with the
youth OF her chOlce.
The success of the scheme so charmed the
second daughter and her lover that they in
reasonable time afterward, resolved to go and
do likewise. As in the first instance, they too,
were discovered and the shooting scene was
re.enacted Happily for the combatants, some
friends interposed, and the affair terminated
without either having been wounded seriously,
the lovers being in due course made happy.
After it came to be regarded as risky thing to
undertake the courtship of the remaining
daughters but, as the young men were not
wanting in either courage or enterprise, further
elopements were planned and successfully car.
ried out until the old man was robbed OF all
his treasures, with the exception of one, and
she was only spared to him by reason OF her
tender years. However, misses OF thirteen and
fourteen summers do not take long to bloom
into manageable young ladies, and in this
case, it so happened, proved no exception Be
ing the last ofthe family, she was looked upon
as the greatest prize, and as consequence, the
competitors were more numerous. The day of
elopement arrived at last. Taking advantage
of the temporary absence of the watehful old
man, the undutiful daughter jumped into the
buggy of the most venturesome of her lovers,
and started at break-neck speed for the Iowa
line. As ill-luck would have it, however, the
enemy was encountered on the way, and what
promised to be a deadly contest commenced
with reyolvers. The old man dismounted and
used his horse as q shield against the murder
Gus bullets that were aimed at him. The young
girl took refuge under the seat of the buggy,
and called to her valiant lover to "sail in and
cripple old dad" After such an admonition,
as may be expected, the lover felt stronger fo5
the battle, and literally trained bullets around
his antognist."
Not being able to get chance at him with
out DESTROYING the "snield," the inglorious
youth resolved to shoot through the body of
the horse. The plan succeeded so we'll that the
old man, having had one of his fingers on his
right hand carried away, threw his pistol upon
the road. Sharp as thought, the lover reseated
himself in the buggy and never drew rein un-
til he arrived at the gate of a magistrate,
where the pair We're united in wedlock. 1t
will be remembered that the fights which pre-
ceding all elopements in the family invariably
ended in the forgiveness and reconciliation, al
though the readiness of the old man to make
terms was, in point of fact, not attributable to
a sudden change of sentiment. He would still
have vengeance, if he could, but, finding the
intended son-in-law wounded, while he had
only scratch or two, he thought it better to
arrange matters. In the case of the last daugh-
ter the circumstances were entirely different.
This time it was the old man who came off
second best; and, in order to balance the &C.
count, he procured warrant for the arrest OF
the young man, on charge of attempt to muir
der. The bride has since been found without
the bridegroom-the whereabouts of the latter,
as she asserts, being entirely unknown to her.
Now, it is quite evident from the unhappy ex-
perience of these young persons, that it is not
always good policy to cripple the pursuing
parent in the hands, for this may only impede
the progress an hour at most whereas the
slightest touch of bullet lower down, say at
the cap of the knee, or the ankle, can be relied
on to provide him with as much as he can at
tend to for several weeks. If there are any
other families addicted to the queer practices
above described, this may be worth attention.