Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-08-04
THEY RACED FOR BOEHM
Two Brooklyn Girls Rowed For
Lover.
WINNER MARCHED HER PRIZE OFF

The Contest Is Said to Have Taken Place
In Prospect Park and Was n Holly Con-
tested One-Mr. Boehm Thrashes n Young
Man Who Mentioned 1t.
NEW YORK, Aug. "A highly exciting
story comes from Brooklyn of an aquatic
contest in which the contestants were
young ladies of uncommon beauty, and
the prize for which they struggled, If not
altogether beautiful, was certainly uncom-
mon. The prize, in fact, was said to be
the hand, heart, mustache and ct ceteras
of a gentleman named Frederick Boehm,
and the girls who are reported to have
rowed for the young man were Miss Nell
lie McFadden and Miss Mamie Butler.
The contest between these young girls
for this most interesting prize is said to
have taken place on the lake In Prospect
park.
In order to fully understand the situa-
ton IL Is necessary that the reader should
know something of the antecedents Of the
parties concerned
The Two Contestants.
Miss Nellie McFadden works in a big
Brooklyn store. She is n pretty girl, Is
lively, weighs 40 pounds and is 10 years
old. She lives with her brother and sis
ter-in-law in q little frame cottage ut 80
Wilson street, Brooklyn.
Miss McFadden has girl friend who
is employed in the same store and whose
name is given as Miss Mamie Butler.
Frederick Boehm, the prize, is said to be
also an employee of the store. His resi-
dence is given as 81 Clinton place, Brook
lyn. He is described n dashing young
man, who paid attentions to both young
ladies.
4 time naturally came in the lives OF
| the two women when they made up their
minds that they didn't want to share the
| affections of Frederick. Each agreed that
she wanted all his affections or mona.
| 1t seemed Frederick couldn' decide which
he liked best. He told the young women
| with fine disintcrcstcdness, that they
| must settle 1t between themselves, as ht
really could not be guilty of any favorit
ism. 1t was when this decision was giver
by Boehm that the two young women dc
cided to row the race.
| According to the romantic story as q
| was waited across the great Brooklyn
bridge to this prosaio town, the race wa
| thrilling in all respects. Steam launches
swans and gOndolas all got out of the wa.
to give the two desperate girls n chanc'
in their light skiffs.
| Nellie Won the Prize.
| Miss Nellie is said to have pulled IL
bettcr form than her rival, only lifting
her oars three feet out of the water on re
covcry and splashing somewhat less Dur
ing the first half the two skiffs move'
along like one catamaran. Nellie is sail
to have gradually forged slowly ahead un
til her rivals bow was at her oarlocks
Then came the struggle, the mighty strug
gle at the finish. Plump Nellie is said {
have won by half n length.
This is the story-or rather n com
mingling of the stories-wafted across tn
bridge, and which gained wide circula
ton in Brooklyn. After the race, SO run
the tales, Frederick accompanied the girl
back through the romantic windipgs t
the boathousc. There Mamie is describe
as placing her arm in that of Frederic
and marching off with her nose in tn
air, while Nellie sat on a bench and wept
There Is still another story to the effeC
that the Three went off and suppcd togctf
er in glce, and it must be admitted tina
all who know Miss Nellio McFaddcn wi
say pooh" to the weeping part of til
i story.
Mrs. John McFaddcn, the mother {
Miss Nellie, says concerning the eXcitin
episode: Nellie is n very lively aid bri Il
young girl. as her father and have fr,
qucntly found out. But she is "A thorough
ly good girl. All know about the row
ing match. - and here the mother laughU
heartily, lis that she came homo In.
night very tired and this morning WI
all used up. Her hands were sorr, and 81
, said she ached all over She told me 81
had been rowing in Prospect park wit
friends from New York. She said SOM
thing about n race. But l don't kno
anything about her racing for youn
man. That isn't like Nellie. She has
great many admirers. And she wouldn
cry If she wcrr defeated. Still she migl
fl have n race about n young man. Your
l girls have funny freaks sometimes. Nc
lie can row very we'll. Her brother, who
: an expert Oarsman. taught her"
MIR. Bnchm Got Mad.
. 1t was not until n late hour last eve
ing that Mr.. Frederick Boehm, who,
, | will be admitted, is vitality interested
Z | the affair. conGCscCndcd to take any a
ton toward admitting or disprovir
these sensational reports. When ut la
he did decide to act, his course was DO
and emphatic. He did not hurry to q
- newspaper offices with explanations or d
mails, as some persons would have don
I He contentcd himself with hunting up
L certain Harry Gcrson of Ill Haywa
street and giving that young man n soul
. thrashing.
Whether this punishment was dealt o
to GcrsOn fer having betrayed n confiden
or having maliciously invented a VA
out of whole cloth is not known. All VI
Boehm would condcsCend to say of {
, pummcling was, III teach him to Ike
his mouth closed"