The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-08
Two Thousand Weddings.

A letter from West Alexander. Pa.
to the Pittsburgh Dispatch says: Justice
Mayes, the famous marrying Squire,
whose readiness with the words which
bind is known to every pair of young
sters yearning to be one within a radius
of several States, ten days ago cee-
brated his two thousandth marriage.
His official signature now stands at the
bottom of 1908 marriage certificates,
and 1905 people have stood up before
him and thought his plain words the
most eloquent and musical in the Ian
guage. If the domestic hearth-stones
which he had created were piled togeth-
er they would make very respectable
quarry; if all the happiness he had oc-
casioned could but rebound to his own
heart, he would be blest above mortals
could the divorce fees he has laid the
foundations for return to his own pock-
et his children's children might still
have a comfortable patrimony.
Marital affections seems to be indi-
genous to the soil hereabouts. The
town itself was christened by its found
er, Robert Humphrey, as far back as
1896, after the maiden name of his wife,
Margaret Alexander. The marrying
Justice himself has not escaped the m
lection, or perhaps has been a physician
not afraid to take his own medicine.
The lady who now presides over his
household is his third wife. The town
itself is an unpretentious little place, a
quiet old pike town, wearing but few
architectural adornments in the way of
wedding tinery. 1t is situated on the
line of the old National pike. Its neigh
boring town, Clavsville, helps in mod
est way to perpetuate the memory of the
Kentuckian statesman to whose broad,
public spirit the great thoroughfare of
former days owes its existence.
Joseph Finley Mayes is now close to
sixty-fve years old, and carries his
winters lightly. The frosty rime is on
his brows and chin, but his voice is
CHEEKY and his tongue as clipper as
ever He has been so much public
feature recently that his story as de-
scendent of line of knot-tiers is pretty
well known. He has now been holding
the Office of Justice of the Peace exactly
twenty years. He has compiled the
record of his matrimonial work in
periods of five years. During the first
five years he married 1913 couples; the
second, 1863; the third, 507; the fourth,
1874. The record shows the names OF
the contracting parties, the date, and
the fee given for each marriage. Upto
the present time Squire Mayes has re-
ceived for performing marriage cere-
monies the sum of So, 262. A.. or an
average of So. 12s per couple during the
term of twenty years, The fee allowed
by law was 50 up to 1865, when it was
increased to 50. About half-a-dozen
couples paid nothing, some paid the
regular fee and others paid as high as
SIS, $40, and one party was so liberal as
to fork over 500. The lowest amount
received, as shown by the ledger, was
90 cents. Most of the couples mar
ried here are from West Virginia and
Ohio, of course, where the license fee is
a tax upon matrimony. The justice
shrewdly puts out the enticng adver.
tisement: "No marriage license re-,
quired in Pennsylvania" and incloses
his card. The young couple show it to
their friends, of course, and so the
trade is fostered. Thirty couples of the
two thousand were colored. Fifty of
the men made happy were named
Smith, and thirty-two of these were
baptized John. Fourteen of the ladies
did not change their names, Business
has ranged in briskness from six
couples in one day to several days with
out any. Ir.. .. l,u.i ,-t t.t