Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-12
How an ImpecuniOus Pennsylvania
Farmer betrayed the Costs of his
Daughters Wedding.

1aTHer DelTaleu Tie C0SIS OF his
Daughters Wedding.
ABOUT year ago, if we remember
| rightly, story went the rounds which
created that ingenious person, Western
| farmer, with having successfully carried
out one of the most original of plans for
getting his daughters comfortably settled
in life, without any cost whatever to him
| self. He had large and expensive fam
| lily. Three out of four of the daughters
were manageable. They were verv
pretty girls, and had many admirers. The
| father permitted them to receive attentions
from the most eligible young men, and to
| all outward appearances seemed perfectly
| content to part with his treasures until
asked to do so. Each demand for con-
sent was the signal for an outburst of
! feeling that ended in the sudden exit of the
applicant. The lovers, however, were not
to be prevented from attaining happiness
by what they believed to be the whim of
a selfish father. They eloped, were mar
ried, and forgiven. The real state of the
| case was, the father could not afford to
buy three suitable outfits, and paw the ex-
pense of three wedding feasts. Not see
ing any prospect in the immediate future
of being better able to do so, after ran
sacking his brain to find his wav out of
the difficulty, he at last concluded to
frown on the young people, ard take the
chances for what might follow. The
elopements didn't cost him a cent: the
expenses of outfits and weddings was
saved; his reputation for liberaiitv did
not suffer in the least, and his neighbors
continued in ignorance of the actual con-
dition of his eXchequer.
The Western farmers device was a
very clever one, but, like many other
clever devices, it has been eclipsed. This
time the scene has been changed, and the
credit has been accorded to farmer of
Mechanicsville, Venango county, Penn.
for having accomplished a feat which
will be preserved in the history of his
family, and spoken Of with pleasure by
future generations. The farmer referred
to is represented as being ''weIl-to-do, but
rather impecunious," which we take as
meaning that he had a good farm, fairly
stocked, large family, and a slender
bank account. A few weeks ago he had
manageable daughter She had been
courted by the son Of a neighboring farm
er for a number of years, and had grown
so tired of it that she expressed desire
to have the dream of her life realized be-
fore the end Of the present year. The
lover, it is but just to say, was also anx-
ious He wished to avoid the necessity
of having to journey night after night
over a lonely road during yet another
winter. The father of the young girl,
thus pressed from within and without,
was almost On the brink of despair. He
could not afford to disburse the necessary
funds for such a wedding feast as he would
be expected to provide. The crops had
all been gathered and sold, and the butter
for two or three months pledged in the
payment of debts. To incur any further
obligations was not to be thought of. For
nights he lay awake, turning the matter
over in his mind, until he finally found
way out of the dilemma. The next morning
he thrilled his daughter with pleasure by
announcing at the breakfast table that he
had decided TO consent to her marriage,
and was willing that the ceremony might
take place as soon as the arrangements
could be perfected.
Then there was a meeting of the re-
spective parents, the day was fixed, and a
list of the friends and kinsmen of the
intended son-in-law carefully made out.
To this was added the names of nearly
every farmer residing in the county. The
day of days came round at last; the roads
were hard with frost, the .aky was clear,
and the guests began to arrive at an early
hour. The house was soon crowded until
barely standing room remained The
barn was used to increase the accommo-
dalton. The marriage ceremony over,
and the young couple started on the way
to the nearest railroad station, nothing
remained to be done but to discuss the
viands and wines. At length the time ar
rived for breaking up the company. The
farmer, after having good-humoredly
appropriated all the compliments he
could get, walked leisurely to the front
gate, and there took a position from
which he was enabled to demand pay
ment for dinner and horse feed from the
guests. The proposition was received as
a capital joke, and it is said that every
person present, not even excepting the
clergyman, willingly paid the "tax" No
one suspected that the real object of the
farmer was to make up enough money to
pay the expense Of the wedding. On the
contrary, all believed that he had con-
ceived the idea for the purpose of adding
to the merriment of the occasion. Indeed,
the chances are that the system which he
so successfully inaugurated will become
popular in Pennsylvania. N 7.