The Rock Island Argus., 1883-07-02
NINE HONEYM00NS.
From the Cleveland Herald.

report IN the nelgnDOfnOOu tndI the lauy
has been bride on nine seperate and
distinct occasions The matrimonial re-
porter of the Herald started forth yes
terday to seek out and interview this
ployandrous wife. The house is a
weather-beaten old structure, built on
the ancient plan, with the side towards
the road and the door midway between
the ends. opening into the company
room. Mrs. Dyer, who responded to the
rap, was not the vision of loveliness
the young man had travelled 25 miles to
see. She is apporantly about 60 years of
age-no exact data on this point were
obtained. She did not impress one as
having sufficient attractiveness to beguile
more than two men into committing
matrimony, yet before the interview was
ended she exhibited seven marriage Ii
censes and two certificates which serve
much the same purpose as do abstracts
of title where real estate is transferred,
preserving the lady's identity. The pre-
sence of the two certificates she explained
by informing her caller that she married
two of the deceased in Pennsylvania, in
which state no license was required In
the conversation the young man was
given brief biographical sketch of every
one of the eight who had gone before,
the recital being illustrated with portraits
of the gentlemen.
Cynthia Boardman was first led to the
altar as a blushing bride thirty-fve years
ago. William Rawlings, skipper of a
canal boat, was the happy man. He
did not live long to enjoy his good for
tune, for one bright May day, just as a
prosperous freighting season had opened,
Capt. Rawlings lead mule kicked him in
to the ditch, and he sank beneath the
muddy waters of the raging" not to
rise again until elevated by means of a
stone derrick The widow, after a
proper season of mourning, was again
wooed, and attached her fortunes to
those of Henry Ladd, whom she had EN-
| ployed to run the boat after Rawlings
fatal bath One night Ladd was brushed
off the hurricane deck by a bridge nortt
of the Bolliver level. and the mules wen
| into Navarro with DO man at the helm
The boy, who slumbered as he rode, haG
not missed the commodore, and not unit
the ditch was dragged, two days later
was the question as to the mode of hi;
departure settled.
| Mrs. Ladd shortly afterward went tt
Western Pennsylvania to visit a relative
and while there was married to JOhI
Henderson, a cooper. The fated JohI
made but few barrels afterwards. and IL
two short months his grave was seeded
down. The relict concluded her visi
and returned to her Ohio home. William
johnson was the next candidate. He wa
accepted and survived for a period o
nine-years He was buried at Hudson
and Mrs. johnson, undismayed by Tho
decay of her previous hopes, was unfteC
| in marriage to one James Dixon o
| Shalersvllle. He sold the canal-bOat
which had become rather ancient, anC
with the proceeds and the personal estate
of johnson bought the farm which Mrs
Dyer now cultivates. James soon fol
lowed his predecessors and became a
member of the angelic choir,
After following him to his grave the
bereft wife made another journey tC
| Pennsylvania, where she changed hei
name to the more euphoneous Maybury
The happy pair moved to Indiana
Wabash ague shook the life out of Mr.
Jacob Maybury in four years and his wife
returned to Summit county in time tt
console John Ladd, one of her first serie
of brothers-in law, for the death of hi
second martial venture by marrying hin
herself This, added to his grief, wa
too much for John, and he remained
only for six weeks. For four years Mrs
Ladd lamanted, and then, her love TO
mariners returning, she became the wifi
of Andrew Upton, who ran on th
short trade between Cleveland and Bed
ford. The days of the doomed Tiptol
passed swiftly by, and IN the year 1877
he went to that bourne whence tow an
heel-path. likewise sluices and water
gates, are unknown, The widow Tipto
went back to the farm and started
youthful crayon artist on the road t
affluence by giving him an order for pic
lures of her husbands. The contrac
was taken at wholesale rates, and til
money for which Tipton's boat was sol
settled the bill Surrounded by th
counterfeit preseDtments of her believe
dead, the frequent widow, who had neve
been mother waited for the next cal
didate to come her way. Dyer was blow
in by the heavy storm of 1880 He wa
not so popular as many Of the form'
husbands. But said Mrs. D, Il WI
gettin' too old to be particler, and too
him.
"He doesn't appear to be in goc
health, ventured the reporter as he ros
to leave, casting a compassionate eye 0
the devoted Dyer, who was wrestlin
with scythe in the rank first groweth.
No; George amt overly stout
reckon his picter II soon go along tt
rest on 'em, replied Mrs. Dyer, glancir
proudly at the crayons which surroundt
the room