Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14
A RACE FOR A KENTUCKY GIRL,
Bicycle Against BuckbOard-LOver on
One and Father on the Other.

An Albany, KY, dispatch to the New York
Sun says: Old Farmer Jacob Rust lives about
four miles north of this town, has good noun
tain farm and is very well to do IN rough and
thinly -peopled region, where man with
$4,000 is considered rich. Mr. Rust has sew
eral daughters, and Ellen, the Oldest, was the
handsomest of them all. A young man named
Henry Courts from Ohio, whose parents had
gone there from this county, has been spending
the summer among his relations at Albany.
Courts brought with him bicycle. 1t was the
first in Clinton county and, as in the case of
katisha's elbow, people came miles to see it.
Courts was an expert rider and frequently dis
played his bicycleship before the eyes of the
admiring mountaineers. He was kind enough
to allow number of the young men to try his
''velocipede," it was called in Albany but
their bruised faces and sore Joints soon made
them very shy of the machine.
Courts fell In love with young Ellen Rust.
He pressed his courtship and was accepted.
Farmer Rust was opposed. He objected to
Courts because as far as the farmers knowl-
edge went he did not have what is
technically known as any visible means
OF subsistence, or, az Mr.. Rust termed
it, The was lazy good-for-nothin' who
had nothin' to do but 20 gallopin,
around the hills on two wheels" Courts as
tine prospects in Ohio, and it has since trans
PRED that his statement was true, but the
farmer did not believe him.
Henry and Ellen waited. Ellen was of legal
age, and they could have easily eloped, but
they did not wish to do that. They wanted the
old mans consent to the wedding The bicycle
appeared to be Mr.. Rusts chief objection. He
did not believe in it.
My GAL" said he, 'shan't marry any fellow
who fools away his time on such derned
thing as that Why he might break his neck
any day, and then I'd have his wilder to take
care OF. / don't want for a son-in-law any
man who rides on velocipede. II ne had a
horse or blackboard it would be all right.
Henry would not put away his beloved ma
chine. He loved that next to Ellen and he
meant to have them both. On Monday Ellen
was visiting in town at the home of a relation
and Henry went to see her. They were getting
angry at the old mans obduracy. Il will ride
right out now, see him and ask him again for
your hand" said Henry, land if he doesn't
consent III come back and we will get married
anyhow. You are of legal age and we can have
the ceremony performed here in town.
Ellen agreed. Henry mounted his bicycle
and started for Mr.. Rusts place. The old man
had just come in from short journey and his
horse and blackboard were at the yard gate.
The young man made known his Grand
Il told you once before that you could not
marry her, said Mr. Rust
We'll, l am going to marry her anyhow
replied Courts. ''She is in town now l am
going back there and in less than an hour she
will be my wife"
Then you will have to beat me to town. said
Mr.. Rust land don't think any velocipede can
get ahead of my old mare and the blackboard.
II you get there ahead Of me guess you can
have the girl"
Henry mounted the machine, the old man
jumped into his blackboard and the start was
made. On turnpike or level road Courts
could have easily distanced the old mare. who
was not as swift as abe once was, but it was an
altogether different matter over the hills. But
his recent experience with such difficulties
stood him in good service, and, in spite of his
rough path, he soon had the satisfaction of
passing ahead of the humping blackboard. He
waved his hand gleefully at his prospective
father-in-law, who was swearing ut his old
mare and endeavoring to whip her into faster
gait. He got two falls, but he soon righted
himself and his wheel without harm to either,
and passed into town a quarter of mile ahead
OF MIR. Rust. He then stopped for the latter to
come up. The farmer looked at the machine
q moment, calculated, "Well, I'll be derned.'
and said nothing more. They went to the Bap-
tist preachers house, took the minister across
to the place where Ellen was stopping and there
she and Courts were married,