The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-17
A race for a Kentucky Girl

Old Farmer Jacob Rust lives about four miles
from this town, says an Albany lKy.l letter to
sne New YORK sun. He las good mountain
taFh, ana IS very WelttO-do in a rough and
Ihlnly populated region, where a man with
SlO,O0O Is considered rich. Mr.. Rust has sew
srai daughters. and Ellen, the oldest, was the
nahdsomest Of the all young man named
Henry Curtis from Ohio, whose parents had
gone there from this county, has been spending
the summer among his relatives at Albany
curtis brought with him bicycle. It was the
nrst n Clinton county, and as in the case of
hatlsla elbow, people came miles to see il.
curtis was an expert rider, and frequently dis
played bis bicycleship before the eyes Of the
admlring mountaineers He was kind enough
70 allow number of the young men TO try his
veiocipede, as it was called in Albany, but
their bruised faces and sore Joints soon maQe
them very shy Of the machine.
Curtis fell in love with young Ellen Rust He
pressed his courtship and was accepted. Farmer
Rust was opposed. He objected TO Curtis be-
cause as far as the farmers knowledze went ne
Oh not have what is technically known as any
visible means Of subsistence, or, as Mr.. Rust
terne It, he was a lazy good-for-nothin, who
had nothing to do but go ga Joplin around the
hills on two wheels Curtis assured him that
he had good business and fiue prospects in
ONO, and 1t has since TRANSFERRED that his state
ment was true, but the farmer did not believe
him.
Henry and Ellen waited Ellen was of legal
age, and they could have easily sloped. but they
did not wish 70 do that. They wanted the old
man consent to the wedding. The bicycle ap-
peared to be Mr.. Rust's chief objection. He did
not believe in it,
MY gal. said he. "shan't marry any fellow
who fools away his time on such derued thing
as that. Why. ne might freak his neck any day.
aud then ia have his wilder to take care of. l
don't want for son-in-law any man who rides
on vel cipede. II be had horse or BUCK
board il would be all right"
Henry woul not put away his beloved ma
chine. He loved that next to Ellen and he
meant TO have them both. Monday Ellen was
visiting IN town at the home of a relative and
Henry went to see her. They were getting
angry at the old mans obduracy. II will ride
night out now see hum, ask him again for
your hand. said Henry, land if he does not
cons Mt I'll come back and we'll get married
anyhow. You are of legal age and we can
nave the ceremony performed here in town."
Ellen agreed. Henry mounted his bycicle and
started for Mr. Rust's place. The old man had
Just come in from short journey and his horse
ana blackboard were at the yard gate. The
young man made Known his errand
L I'D you once before that you could not
marry her, said Mr., Rust
Wei, am going to marry her, anyhow, -" re-
piled Curtis. She is in town now | am going
back there, and ia less than an hour she will be
nv wife,
Then you will have to beat me to town"
said Mr.. Rust, "and don't think any velocipede
can get ahead of my old mare and the buck
board. II you get there ahead of me que
you can have the girl.
Henry mounted the machine, the old m an
jumped into his blackboard and the start was
Made. On turnpike or level road Curtis could
have easily distanced the old mare, who was
not as swift as she once was, but it was
altogether different matter over the hills. But
ms recent experience with such difficulties
stood MIN in good service, and in spite of his
rough Nath, he soon had the satisfaction of
RAISING ahead of the humping buck board. He
waved his hand geefuly at his prospective
father-in-law, who was swearing at his old
mare and endeavoring to whip her into a faster
gait He got two falls, but he soon rignted
himself and his wheel without harm to either
and passed into town quarter of a mile ahead
of r. Rust. He then stopped for the latter to
come up. The farmer look d at the machine
moment, calculated, well, III be dernedn'
and said nothing more. They went to the
Baptist preachers house, took t e minister
across to the place where Ellen was stopping,
and there she I'D Curtis were married.