Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-04
A Cour,.b,D IoDr nnpre.

The Chicago Times tells an interesting sto-
ry of a young man in Fort Worth, Tex, and
young lady in st. John, N. B., who court
ed over the wires and were recently married
in Chicago. The lady is the daughter Of a
manufacturer of paper boxes named Odell,
who died in st. John several years ago, leav-
ing his wife and daughter almost penniless.
The girl mastered the art of telegraphy and
obtained employment in the Western Union
office in st John. Eighteen months ago a
young man wrote a message 10 Fort Worth
and gave it to Miss Odell to transmit. The
operator in far away Texas was a young man.
whose father, a Virginia stakeholder, was
killed in the war and left his wife and son in
circumstances similar to those of the Odells
He chose telegraphy as Miss Odell had chosen
it, more from necessity than inclination. He
received the message which was sent by the
young lady from st. John, and something in
the mechanics of its rensmission-known
probably to telegraphers- rs-attracted his atten-
ton. He telegrsphed back to know who was
sending it. The answer was returned: "a
young lady" With the natural galantry of
the chiyalrous southron, young Allingham
replied You send we'll" Not to be out
done, Miss Odell replied And SO do you"
From this simple interchange Of compliments
great fruits were borne. Naturally, and just
as two persons would fall into conversation
in parlor after an introduction, the st. John
young lady and the Fort Worth young man
fell into conversation over the wires. They
described the places where they lived, they
told who they were and many other things.
In time the wire from Fort Worth, it was no.
ticed, was pretty much always "hitched on
to the wire from St. John, when the Texas
operator had nothing else to do. In like
manner it was observed the st. John young
lady was talking very frequently with the
other end, almost, of the antipodes. This
thing after several months became alarming
ly frequent. Finally, in September last,
came the proposal. Answer was returned in
the affirmative by wire, and the happy day
was set for Nov. 26 Mrs. Odell and Mrs.
Allingham gave their consent to the union,
but the great question was ss to how the en-
gagged couple should meet. The bride-ex-
pectant was almost at one end of the North
American continent and the groom -prospec.
tive at the other Several messages passed
by wire as to where the wedding should take
place, and as Miss Odell could not travel to
Texas, it was finally decided to split the differ
ence and meet at point midway. The point
selected was Chicago, and on the 24th of
November a motherly old lady and bright,
vivacious little girl with brown eyes and wa
Wy golden hair appeared at the Briggs House
aud registered as Mrs. Odell and daughter,
st. John" On the 25th, the day appointed
for the meeting, good looking young man
with a sun-browned face and an easy car
risge registered in the running hand of the
telegraph operator, 'H. H. Allingham, Fort
Worth" and inquired for Mrs. Odell and
daughter. He was shown to their room, and
on the 2Gth Rev. Mr.. Barrows performed the
ceremony which united the young people.
The proprietor of the hotel gave the party a
quiet little dinner and on the next day Mr..
Allinghsm took his wife to Fort Worth and
Mrs Odell returned alone to st. John.