The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-01-13
A western Wedding.


A correspondent from Nicola, Iowa. fur
nishes the following account of wedding
One night last week party drove up, as
sembled in the parlor of a hotel, and sent
for the landlord. They had come in from
the prairie and were in search of an official
to tie the knot that should make them one
and inscparable forevermore. was invi-
ted to witness the ceremony, and ascend
ing to the parlor fouRd the expectant
bridegroom, man about 40 years of age,
and fair and bushing damsel of sweet 1O,
waiting impatiently the arrival of the par
son. For some reason no preacher could
be found, and they were obliged to fall
back at last upon very young fellow, a
newly-elected Justice of the Peace, who
had never before officiated at ceremony
of this kind. He was very nervous at the
idea of having to perform the ceremony,
and brought with him copy of EVERY
Man His Own Lawyer" through which
he looked for the desired form. Not find
ing any, and the crowd growing impatient,
he told the couple to stand up and hold up
their right hands. This done, he pronoun-
ced the following charge You, and each
of you, do solemnly swear that in the case
now upon hearing you will tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
and that you will love, honor, cherish, and
obey each other during the term of your
natural sIives, so help you God" Both
I,r 90 mill tha
Justice charged them dollar each, and
pronounced them man and wife.
One of the friends then produced jug
of whiskey from their sleigh, and pro-
ceeded to compound punch, of which the
whole party drank freely, and then had
dance. AS they could find no music their
efforts were principally confined to jgs and
break-downs. At last the party concluded
to put the happy couple to bed. The
bride was willing to go, because she said
she was tired, and her shoes p.nched her
feet. The girls of the party took her off TO
her chamber, and soon announced to the
bridegroom that everything was ready
The young fellows then intimated to the
bridegroom that they proposed to divest
him of his wearing apparel. He objected,
and then a scuffle commenced. The BRIDE
groom was as strong as an OK, and getting
angry he blackened one fellows eye, and
tore another ones coat off his back.
Finding that they could not get him up
stairs, they went up to see if they could
not make the bride get up and come down.
But she had locked the door and would not
let the crowd in. Some of them got a
hammer and nails, and getting a ladder
put it upon the outside of the house,
climbed into the brides apartment, and
nailed up the door firmly, saying that if
the bridegroom would not let them put
him to bed, be should not get into the
room, anyhow. They hid the ladder and
went off.
The happy man finding the way clear
walked quietly to his room and attempted
to enter He could not get in, and he
shouted "My dear, open the door % She
informed him that it was nailed up. He
then tried to kick it open, when the land
lord interfered, and told him he was not
going to have his furniture and his house
ruined in that way. He went out and tried
to find the ladder, but he could not do it,
At last some one remembered that light
ning-rod man had some ladders at the
other barn, and down the newly married
soul hastened. He secured ladder, and
at halfpast five in the morning succeeded
in joining his bride in the room above.