The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-11-27
Marriages in Massachusetts,.

Strange to say, in spite of the growth
and development of the resources of the
country and increased demand for labor,
even during periods of financial de.
preston, the number of marriages in
this and other States is not so great now
as it has been in previous years. The
rate in 1860 was one in 1924 of the
population; in 1870 it was one in 1854
aud in 1878 one in 60. 10, January show
ing the highest record and March the
lowest. 1t is found that marriages are
not so much affected by hard times after
all, for statistical tables show that mar
riages increase among the poorer classes
of the community with remarkable
steadiness in spite of business depres-
sion, althoughit would naturally be sup
posed that the reverse would be true.
The decrease is found among the
wealthy classes, where it would not be
expected to occur. Young men often
give as a reason for not marrying that
they can not support family, yet they
spend more annually than would be re-
CURED for securing an abundance of
domestic felicity. Catholic clergymen
are called upon more frequently than
those of other denominations to officiate
at marriage ceremonies. In fact. very
large part of the marriages of the State
are presided over by Catholic clergy
men. Some of the most astonishing
extremes in age seem to find a golden
mean somewhere in marrying. Last
year one gentleman under twenty-one
married lady over thirty; one
about twenty-three married a bride
OF over fifty; and one over seventy
married fairy OF twenty years of age
There were eight grooms who drew
their first prizes in the matrimonial lot
terry in the persons of eight brides who
had been previously twice widowed. An
other groom chose as his third venture
one to whom he was the fourth prize.
Seventy-eight colored couples entered
upon life of dusky bliss, including
twenty-three cases where the grooms
were colored and the brides white. The
ratio OF white marriages last year to the
white population was one in 60. 81 and
that of the colored marriages was one
in 32.05. A little over half of the brides
and bridegrooms were natives. When
infants of thirteen and fifteen present
themselves as candidates for matrimony
as has recently happened, although it
might be suspected that the young
things couldn't leave their mothers, vet
with the written consent of parents and
guardians even such obstacles as ape,
or rather lack of it, are passed over, and
the couple who ought to be just think
ing OF getting promoted into the mas
ter's room of a grammar school are ele-
waited to the dignity and responsibility
of man and wife. 1t was by no means
an unusual occurrence for two lovers to
present themselves to the Register for
a certificate and then never to be heard
OF again by him or any clergyman, it
probably having occurred to them that
discretion was the better part of valor
in their case. The change in the mar
riage rate during the past twenty-eight
years shows that it is rapidly diminish
ing, to account for which is not an easy
task and the inquirer is only left to
wonder at the result of statistical tables
which record for us the backward
growth of marriage as compared with
an increasing population Boston 7rav-
1Ue,.