Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-07-11
CUPID wins in
HARD STRUGGLE
TENNESSEEAN COULD NOT BE
THWARTED BY LOVE GOD
AND MADE GOOD.
OFF TO kEosAUouA
Thomas jefferson Jonathan Wilbur
Hardin Leaves to Wed After Ro-
mantle Effort to Find
Bride.

The indomitable Dan Cupid" Is a
sticker and it is a hard matter TO GUST
the elusive, though none the less ag-
gressive and perservering Danny"
off the job when he is hep to the OBJ.
ject of his affections even If she
seemingly tries to elude him and fit
about butterfly-like from place to
tugging at the heart strings to test
their calibre. But pshaw, a woman
would not care rap for the fellow
that is gutter when merely a game
of catch me and you can have me is
being played.
Fate Intervenes.
Fate, Kismet, or whatever name
you may call it seems to have been
making great sport with the heart
affairs of the much tormented Thomas
Jefferson Jonathan Wilbur Hardin, OF
Cumberland City, Tenn, in his eff
forts to meet and wed the object Of
his affections, the elusive Eta Crafts.
Thomas made the paper acquaintance
Of Eta through a correspondence
bureau some nine months ago. This
acquaintance ripened into-well you
know the logical sequence when two
who feel they want each other al
though the plan of courting be sight
unseen method of proceedure-and at
any rate they decided to become one,
believing that in union there is
strength
Got in Bad at Start.
If perhaps Thomas Jefferson, ETC.,
got started wrong when he made his
initial bow to the community in
which resided the idol of his life, he
at least was not to blame. His advent
in police circles was not his doing so
much as it was the work of cruel
fate or circumstance over which he
was powerless to exert control. In
his effort to perform his part of the
contract, Hardin left his vast tobacco
plantation in Tennessee to call upon
and marry Miss Crafts. Enroute to
Ottumwa where Miss Crafts was at
that time engaged as domestic in
the household of one of Ottumwa's
most respected families, Hardin stop
ped over at St. Louis, where unfortu-
nately he was relieved of a large por-
| ton Of his roll and his railroad ticket
was also among the missing.
Arrived With Carnival.
4
mere matter of money, he then pur-
chased from the remnant of his wad,
railroad transportation to Ottumwa
and arrived in the city simultaneous
| ly with the Paterson carnival that
showed here a matter of less than
three weeks ago. Arriving here his
balance in the wallet was soon alb
sorbed by boarding and lodging bills
and thus he was arrested as vag.
This was his introduction to the OF
tumwa public.
Proves Pedigree.
In explaining his predicament to
the court the day following his ar
rest, the story Of his romance was
| told in a frank and honest manner
fully convincing the court and the
persons present that he was no vag
but on the contrary comfortably
situated farmer from the Sunny Ten
nessee' made famous in song and
otherwise.
Introduced by Letter.
The Hardin-Crafts romance com
menced, nine months ago when
Thomas was introduced to Eta by
letter by friend of both. The court
ship was carried on by correspon
dence, photographs were exchanged
! and the love between them ripened
! When they met Saturday after sc
many obstacles had been placed il
their paths the former declaration o.
love was cemented by mutual con
sent. Both declared they were salts
4 fed and the wedding should be
J solemnized without delay. This, says
the groom will take place tomorrow
at Keosauqua.
4 Works on Farm.
On the day he was released HardiI
went to work for the brother of Coun
ty Supervisor Rhinehart on farm
near Ottumwa and while he admitted
! that he could not milk a COW, havini
no particular need for them on hi
tobacco plantation, he was able to, ant
!, did work in a manner as Is testified
by Mr.. Rhinehart, that would be
proud boast of any follower of agr1
/ cultural pursuits. His service Will
2 employed by Mr.. Rhinehart were Q
$ the best and both parties to the cor
r tract perfectly satisfied. Mr.. Hardi
{ is half owner of a 500 acre farm i
his native state and said before leav
9 ing the city:
Has Plenty OF Money.
!; "I'll show them that even though
: ! am worth 100000, am no vag, an
! am not afraid of work. I'm soutl
I erner,' said Hardin, "and care NOR
s for manhood than do for clothes, bl
|, this police business almost put me OF
" of the running with that girl. I eve
q thought that she had given me tt
e e cold shoulder but now | know bette
= She came back to Ottumwa over
r, week ago for her effects and we a
1, ranged matters completely.
If Goes to keosauqua.
After several delays and trying ci
cumstances that would make mo
anyone else give up, Hardin receive
It his draft from home yesterday f
r S100, being vouched for by Supervis
g. Rhinehart and when seen by a I
d porter yesterday afternoon, was smo
e ing a big Havana cigar with relis
is A smile of satisfaction oversprea
Ig ing his pleasant countenance for
g. was then on his way to the dep
Of where he boarded the south bou
as Rock Island passenger train for Ks
az SauQua