The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-04
The DAILY ARGUS.
coURTsH1Ps IN GRAvEYARDs.
An Old Grave-Digger Tells How They Love
and Woo at Saratoga.
New York Commercial.


81 don't think there is as much genuine
love making in Saratoga nowadays as there
used to be years ago. said old Sexton
Palmeston, as he leaned on his spade
They all seem to be going for money
Why, haven't had four genuine love cases
in the graveyard this year. Now, when
a man is going for money you don't. see
him bringing his girl over here.
How does he act when he is going for
money!" ssked
why he spends his time around the
florists; he heaps presents on her; keeps
her room full of flowers; hands chairs on
the balcony; always stands ready with
music programme; looks after her mail;
always compliments her clothes, and
And what else?" I asked impatiently.
why, the counting for-money lover even
looks after his sweetheart's table He even
goes and brides the head cook to send her
chicken livers en- brochette, woodcock and
Spanish mackerel. The cooks always have
these delicacies for guests. provided they
are well paid for them. Oh, he gives his
girl an elegant time, but there's no love in
it..
But how does the all-for-love young
man go TO work. / interrupted.
why, he don't fool around at dis
lance, said the old sexton, with bouquets
and programmes, and nice breakfasts. He
just quietly walks his sweetheart over to
this graveyard, and, sitting on enc of those
benches out under the trees yonder, he takes
her hand. He sits right down and attacks
her heart. He don't fool around
buying flowers for her eyes, nor
candies for her tongue, nor
perfume for her nose; he just gets his arm
right around her heart, and when it begins
to throb, and when her cheek gets red and
warm, he knows that girl is his'n. Don't
stand so near the grave or it'll cave in.
Why. that Girl would rather have one hour
of Our warm graveyard counting, than 400
years of such iceberg counting as | see
going on over in the. States parlors I've
seen this courtin' goin on tor forty years
(By jimminy there's benet I'm gettiag too
near that other gravel | see old gray
headed men every day riding up here in
carriages whocourted their wives in this
graveyard forty years ago. There's r. L.
Stuart, the wealthy sugar refiner. -
But he's an old bachelor, interrupt
ed,
Never mind that. tell you my bench
es could Tell you why he never got mar
ried. He loved the girl well enough,
and
But who else do you remember seeing
here?" [ asked
why, there was Mr.. Wilson of the
Mutual life. He used to walk around here
thirty years ago with beautiful blonde
girl. | can see him now kissing that girl
but I'm not going to tell all / know
Andrew FL. Green, he married a girl he
courted in my graveyard. Fernando |
Wood used to have seat here, and Charles |
4 Dana, he used to know, forty years ago, |
Ill about flirting in graveyard Old Gen. |
James Watson Webb used to walk the young |
aides uphere fifty years ago, and his son, |
he doctor, why he could never get along |
Ut all counting Miss Vanderbilt until he got |
ler away from the stuck up States hotel, |
ind found himself one day in one of my |
seats | knew Vanderbilt would lose /
laughter that night. / tell you these |
seats mean business every time. |
Did / ever have any senators or governors |
IN my seats? Why, of course. Senator |
herman courted two girls at once in this
and President Arthur knows
where all the best seats are. They needn't |
,e ashamed of it, either, for Hamilton and
De Witt Clinton used to do the same tking
when they were boys. Boys win be boys,
continued the old man, as he jumped out |
# the grave, land girls viii be girls. Girls |
With big hearts like to be loved and fellows
With big hearts viii kiss and love them.
don't care how straight their parents may |
make them sit up and down at the
states, they will occasionally get |
way and come up here in the graveyard |
@ act natural, and I'm the last man to
under em. Why. 1 often keep these
open till nine O'Clock when
here are genuine lovers enough around to
warrant it. / don't mean f1irters. mean |
cal, genuine lovers"
But how do the lovers manage down |
It Long Branch, and over at Newport,
when they have no graveyards handy?" /
tsked.
s'I don't know, but they have mating |
places somewhere. ] ,spect they sit ont /
n the sand under the bluffs, or sit round
lnder umbrellas in the pavilions, or get /
n dismal corners in the balconies |
They're got to-by gosh; they're got tor
That's what the old Saratoga graveyard |
said