Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-22
FOR LOVE OF FAIR LADY.

II. Allen McQuary, the young man who
left Mountain Grove, Mo-, on the 18th o
May last, without cent in his pockets, t.
work his way round the world and back
to the starting point, within ls months
is in Yorkville. He arrived here las
Saturday afternoon, dressed as knigh
of old in black velvet, with a beautifully
engraved sword girded about his loins
riding black pony, handsomely capar
isoned, and followed by two immense
greyhounds.
A romantic flavor has this description
but not half so romantic as are the facts
which led up to the remarkable task thi:
modern young knight errant has under
taken. Indeed, few will believe the
story but THE ENQUIRER has satisfac
tory evidence that it is true, and as il
makes unusually interesting reading, il
is easily worth telling at length.
Mr.. McQuary is young man OF gooo
family, the son of a minister OF the Chris
tian church, who lives in Neosho, Mo.
and has undertaken his trip to convince
All eccentric, but wealthy father of
beautiful young girl, that young men O
today have as good grit as they had wher
the old gentleman was young, and above
all, to receive upon his return, the hand
of the young lady in marriage.
The full details Of the story were pub
lished in all the big newspapers of the
country, including the New York Jour
nal, st. Louis Globe-Democrat. Cincin'
natl Post and others, when Mr.. McQuary
started out on his journey. He has kind.
ly, however, repeated portion OF the
story for the especial benefit OF the read
ers of THE ENQUIRER. His version, ir
brief, is as follows:
"After several years. experience as
printer and publisher in Neosho, Mo-
am now % years of age-I sold out my
business and took work as Commercial
traveller. My business carried me into
several of the Mississippi valley states
including Arkansas. Railroad facilities
in portions of the latter state are not very
90 cd, and on account of this, in one little
town, about 45 miles from Little Rock,
was invariably detained for "a hours on
each trip. Here 1 became acquainted
with a pretty little girl, and this acqualnt-
ance was renewed upon subsequent trips,
until finally realized that had met my
fate. 1t developed that the young lady's
father was rich ex-C Confederate who own
ed many thousand acres of land and lived
about four miles from the town. When
NV sweetheart and I at last decided that
we would get married, we found opposi-
ton on the part of the old gentleman
She is his only daughter, and her mother
having died at her birth, the old gentle
man is peculiarly attached to her.
begged and persuaded the old gentleman
until one day he tried to put me OIL WITH
the assertion that young men OF today
are not made of the same kind OF stuff as
when he was young that they did mol
try to do for themselves; but were always
on the lookout for rich wives with whom
they expected to get fortune, wlthouI
work. 1 insisted that the young men
were all right only if they had the oppor-
tunity, and told him that was willing to
submit to any test. He took me up, ana
a few days later handed me written
document with a request for me to sign II.
1.-THE document was in the nature OF a
contract between us, and provided that L
must start out on the 10Th of May, 1897,
without cent of money in my pockeis'
earn enough to buy horse, clothe my
self in velvet suit, grid sword about
me, take two dogs, and make the trip
around the world in 1S months. must
pay my way wherever / go, in an honor
orable manner, and must do 5000 miles
of the trip on horseback the other 2O,oVO
by ship. I must get the signatures OF
governors of the states 1 pass through
and the postmarks of the towns along the
route. Also, must 60 to Cuba anu gel
the signatures of the commanding gen.
erals on either side. If l return with
in the Is months allowed, then l am
to have the old gentleman's permis-
sion to marry his daughter. 1t IS
condition, however, that under no CIR
cumstances must I eyer mention his name
until after have performed my task.
"When the old gentleman first gave me
the contract to sign thought he was JoK-
ing. l hesitated he bantered, and finally
I signed it. My sweetheart did not want
ME to undertake the journey and was will
ling to settle the matter in another way.
She is true blue. For time | thought
the old gentleman would relent, and he
thought would back out. But made
nv arrangements to start, and when lie
bccamc convinced that | meant business
he amended the contract by offering, III
addition to the hand of his daughter, after
complete the j""rney, the sum Of s9,ooo
cash.
"Well, started from Mountain Grove,
the date mentioned, told the newspaper
reporters of my undertaking, worked in