The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-07-19
Married By Telegraph.

The Rev. DR.. C. s. Colt, pastor of the
Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church
on BeIieville avenue, Newark, recently
performed a novel marriage ceremony
in the main Newark Office of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. He said
that Miss Margaret Wright, of Albany,
New York, who was on visit to friends
in Newark, requested him to marry her
by telegraph to gentleman in San Fran
cisco. He told Miss Wright that such
marriage would not be legal. She then
said that she was engaged to DIR. F. M.
Shaw, of Los Angeles, who had promised
to come East for her. He had written,
however, that owing to rush of busl-
ness he could not journey East at the
time agreed upon. He urged her to join
him in San Francisco, where they would
be married. She replied that she wanted
more than mere promise to marry be-
fore she would take such long journey.
DR.. Shaw then proposed that they should
be married by telegraph, with witnesses
| at the Newark and San Francisco offices,
and she accepted the proposal.
The Rev. DR., Colt, after much urging,
consented to perform an informal mar
riage ceremony with the understanding
that Miss Wright and DR.. Shaw should
be married afterward by clergyman in
| California. He forwarded number OF
questions to DIR. Shaw, who answered
/ that he was fifty-one years old, did not
have wife living, and that no legal OBJ
| jeetions to the proposed marriage exist
ed. The Rev. DR.. Colt refused to give
Miss Wright marriage certificate, the
one from the minister in California.
| At 8 o'clock one evening the operator
in the Western Union Office at Market
and Broad streets, Newark, was sur
| prised by the appearance of the Rev. Mr..
Colt and fashionable party coming into
the Office. Miss Wright, who has dark
chestnut hair, brown eyes, and an olive
complexion, wore dark silk dress, with
white bonnet and lilies of the valley.
4 She carried in her right hand small
| bouquet of white flowers She blushed
| a deep crimson, and laughed nervously
when the Rev. Mr. Colt said to the oper-
ator that she wished to be married by
telegraph. BY request of the Rev. Mr..
/ Colt, the operator telegraphed to DIR.
Shaw, who was waiting with his friends
in the San Francisco office, the question :
Are you ready?"
In few minutes the answer was
flashed back:
sc Yes, and have been for an hour"
The Rev. Mr.. Colt then read the ques-
ton, which the operator sent to DIR.
Shaw: "Do You take Margaret Wright
for your lawful wife, and promise to be
faithful to her until separated by death "
There was considerable delay at the
San Francisco office, and while waiting
for an answer the bride chatted pleas
antly with her friends, one of whom said:
"Wouldnt it be joke, Maggie, if the
doctor said no?" The bride joined in
the laughter that followed. Meanwhile
DIR. Shaw telegraphed, II do, and ]
pledge her my love and protection" He
also sent ON the name of friend, Mr..
Shere, as his witness in San Francisco.
Mr.. Gibson of Newark was the witness
for Miss Wright. A few days after the
ceremony the bride started for Oalifor-
mia to join her husband. She is q years
old, intelligent and accomplished. ed.-Ne,t
York SIN, June 30th.