The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-03-11
WHY KEHTUCKIANs EIOpE.

Inthe country districts of Kentucky
a girl is an old maid at IS, at 90 she
is passed and relegated to teacups,
cats and kiiitting. Corkscrew curls
are hers, and on her hands when she
goes to church are half lace mitts, not
kids. All this, writes a Shelbyville
correspondent of the Henderson Jour-
nal, makes the race to conjugal happi-
ness one of almost maddening haste
lin Kentucky. Twenty-seven elope-
ments in two days is the record of
one backwoods county this season.
In common with all the other States
of the Union, Kentucky has more
poor families than rich ones, and it
follows that the preponderance of
marriages is among the former, whose
purses are not always equal 10 heavy
outlays for elaborate wedding cere-
monies. Hence it is that the most
economical scheme of elopement is
highly popular, with the added ad-
vantage of the spirit of romance that
surrounds the idea of running away
and being pursued by alleged irate
parents, who, it should be noted, never
succeed in coming up with the elopers
until the knot has been tied. The
whole affair is pleasing illusion, and
may it always be so.
The old people, however, raise
perennial objections-they always do.
The old people are matchmakers who
follow all the traditions of the South,
and the girl who is ambitious to dodge
the implication of being called an old
maid will take no risks. Down here
in Kentucky there is no dearth of
suitors, and the average Blue Grass
belle does not have to wait long.
She has sweethearts before she is out
of short skirts, and it is no uncom-
mon thing for her to be engaged while
she still wears her hair in long plait
down her back and tops her curls with
a jaunty tam o. -shanter.
Here in Shelbyville eloping couples
find mecca. saquiet little place,
with lots of churches and no end of
obliging ministers. The town, is
stop for all trains, but the elopers do
not take the railroad if they are in
fear of being discovered-notin in Ken
tucky. These young Lochinvars take
the best high-stepper from the stable
and start down the pike in good rig.
They then feel assured that they will
clear all pursuers and get the knot
tied before the father can interrupt
their plans by appearing on the scene
with bootjack, gun or glad hand.
In some counties in Kentucky last
fall the number of elopements is said
to have been as great as that of ordi-
nary unromantic premeditated marri-
ages. There are instances where three
girls and three young men have formed
a party and eloped together. The
method of procedure sometimes is
unique. The belle wants none of the
traditions lacking not in Kentucky.
Her wardrobe may be slight, because
she is in hurry, but she is sure to
take along
Something old. something new
Something borrowed and something blue.
A Lawrenceburg farmer heard that
his daughter was clearing out with
the son of a neighbor. There was
no very strenuous objection and the
father bought some wedding presents
and with some of his friends started
out in pursuit. They arrived in town
about an hour after the ceremony and
were told that the happy pair had gone
to the hotel for dinner The whole
party, headed by the new brides
father, rushed into the diningroom
and formally presented the gifts after
ward buying tickets for honeymoon
trip to Cincinnati.
Several marriages have been per-
formed on railroad trains, and one
couple sought refuge by taking their
minister on board boat which was
plying on the Kentucky River below
Frankfort.