The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-11


us away7" cried the crowd.
The lady declared that she would not
give them away, and she was not sure
but that her conscience would permit
her to aid them. The meeting broke up
with wild cheers for their visitor, alder
and abetter, and the next morning,
amid another round of cheers, the cou-
pie drove away.
In few days a message came from
the late visitor, who signed herself
Elizabeth Harrison, stating that in a
few days May day would se celebrated
| at Ladybird on the square around
which the town was built and that at
4 o'clock In the afternoon the young
people would dance around maypole-
The children would first do the dane
| ing, then the young men and women
But since there were but two or three
young men In the town and they either
invalids or too spiritless to go away
| from such a dull place they did not
count Therefore 1t was expected that
some twenty-five or thirty hpung girls
would be dancing together constitut-
i ing a fine flock of Ladybirds to be
/ seized and carried away.
Mrs. Harrison strongly advised pre-
! pairing portion of Eaglebird for their
reception and that they be placed there
together by themselves. No one should
be forced into marriage; they should
simply be held until married from
J choice or It was evident that they pre-
ferred to return to Ladybird.
| That they had been fortunate in Sc
curing the services and advice OF a wo-
man was evident to all. Some who
, had believed that the scheme would be
the ruin of Eaglebird began TO think
that a number of the girls could be In
duced to remain with them as wives.
What such persons chiefly dreaded was
that the captives would feel outraged
at their abduction and that most OF
them, taking to flight, would make
good an escape.
Preparations were at once begun for
the raid in accordance with Mrs. Har-
rison's advice. One end of the town
was set apart for the girls and beauti-
fed so far as the men could beautify
it, though, to tell the truth, this con-
sisted chiefly In cleaning up, white
washing, etc. There was also clean
Ing up of the prospective husbands
There were but two or three razors In
the town. and these were in constant
requisition. Several men were APP
pointed hair cutters and did a lot of
shearing. The clothes the men had had
come in from the east and were got
out and furnished. Altogether after
the polishing a very presentable set of
young men were ready for courtship
and matrimony.
May day opened bright and beautiful.
All the teams in the town were har-
messed, and some thirty good and true
men started for Ladybird. At noon
they stopped in a wood a few miles
from the town for lunch and rest, but
by 2 o'clock were again on the march.
About 3 they sent out mounted scout
to watch for the time fitted for the at
tack and waited.
Over the waving grass and wild flow
ers, through the young leaves, came
the sound Of feminine voices mixed
merrily. Every man started to his
feet. In few minutes the scout rode
into camp and reported that the girls
were dancing about the maypole,
O'Brien, who was leader, gave the or.
der to start, and, advancing to the
cover of trees overhanging certain
houses of the town, they left their
, teams and. forming line Of battle, al
a given signal moved forward In per.
. feet silence upon the enemy.
Their advance was heralded by O
, scream, but before they were discov
cred they were within striking dis
, lance What surprised them was that
instead of running away the girls sank
, down where they were, covering theil
!. faces and shrieking. So expeditions
were the abductors that before the
elderly folks of the town could ever
collect to observe what was going OF
every girl had been carried off anG
: placed on wagon.
: Never was an abduction more easily
! ! effected A few of the girls resisted
as they were hurried away, but wheth
!. er or no they deemed resistance useles!
their struggles were not violent. Once
in the wagons, with a guard on eithel
: side, they remained quietly where the!
o were, and the caravan set out fol
a Eaglebird.
/ They had not been long on the wa.
e when guard at one of the wagons
I went forward to O'Brien and said:
"Some of the girls in the wagon In
with are snickering."
"Snickering? Are you sure it's no
Q hysteria?"
e mysteries be hanged. It's a girl
D. real smoker"
Then came other reports of the sam
s kind, and presently the girls began +
e take note of their abductors, then t
s ask what they were going to do witt
e them. and before long the train wa
q much like picnic party.
e Well, to make long story short
r Mrs. Harrison on her visit to Ladybir,
2 had told of the predicament of lot o
nice young men going downward 70
n want Of wives, and after duly prepal
ing the young ladies' minds reveale
E. the coming raid. Gradually she wo
y them over to permitting themselves t
n be abducted, assuring them that the
10 would not be forced to marry unles
ID they wished.
le Within few hours after the arrivs
IL OF the train at Eaglebird there was
lie wedding, and before the day was enc
N ed there were two more. The numbe
ie of spinsters each day grew beautiful
Id less, and in the end but two of thel
returned to Ladybird.
lie Eaglebird is now quite sizab1