The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-22
A TEXAS WEDDING.
A Ceremony in Which Trusty Rifles Played
an Important Part.

A Ceremony In Which Trusty Rifles Played
an Important Part.
Not very long since two men rode into
the town of Columbia, Tex. 1t is not
unusual for two men to ride into Texas
town, but these two visitors attracted
attention from the fact that they were
covered with mud, as if they had
ridden very hurriedly. Besides the mud,
they also had on their persons an ar
sonaI Of knives, pistols and similar
documents.
One was man over sixty, with long,
gray hair, and bloodin his eye; the other
was man of thirty years, built like
giant and wearing terrible scowl on
his face. They were father and son,
William Wofford and Sam Wofford, from
the backwoods of Matagorda County.
The old man said he was looking for his
4'darter Kate, v who had 'lit out with
her cousin, Bill Wof'ord.
1t seems that the principal cause of
the father anger was the poverty of
Bill. 1t takes hog and hominy to keep
louse. The young lady's father was Of
he opinion that the best time for poor
nan to marry was on the 3lst of Febru-
lry. On the other hand, Kate preferred
an earlier date.
The father and son discovered that
he runaway couple were occupying a
Imall tent half mile from the town.
The next thing the visitors did was to
make call at the tent. The missing
souple were at home, and prepared to
receive company, for the flap of the
tent was thrown open, and then Bill
and Kate, each armed with Winches-
ter, which they brought to bear on the
visitors, stepped out.
Then it was that the young Lochinvar
from the COW counties addressed the
following remarks to his prospective
relatives:
500 yous'pose Tn go'n to give her
up arter we done tramped it together
all the way from the Colorado to the
Brazos? Not much; she's mine, and
you may stan there now and see us
married. "
A minister who had been sent for ar
rived, and in short time the ceremony
was performed. The clergyman, who
would have been between two fires if
hostilities had broken out, was very
much Mortified at the prospect of his be-
ing suddenly called on to bear palm
and prance around in the mansions of
light. He was not on this occasion
wound up to ruu for three solid hours,
as if preaching a sermon. He went
through the marriage service as quickly
as if he had Just heard that his house
was on fire and he had no time to lose.
While the ceremony was in progress,
the bridegroom kept his rifle at half
cock, pointing at his father-in-law.
There were no congratulations except
that the clergyman congratulated him.
self that he was not called on to offici-
ate at a funeral in the capacity of a
corpse.
After the marriage was over the old
man earnestly pronounced benedic-
ton to the effect that if either of the
happy couple ever put foot in Matagor-
da County he would kill them both.
1.-The whole world is before you, cept
Matagorda County, and when am not
there to attend to you, Sam here will
provide for your wants" he added
patting his rifle and shaking his yellow
locks.
The old man and son departed, Kate
and Bell retired to the interior of the
tent and pulled down the flap, while the
disappointed spectators behind the trees
,who had been expecting a lombard
~nent, slowly returned to town.-TerG
SVtingS.