Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-11-20
A Wedding in a Balloon.

One day, l was living in Philadel-
phia, a celebrated balloonist was ush-
cred into my study. He had just ar
rived from New York, with an invi-
tation from one of my scientific
friends, who wished me to come to
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in the wick
ed city of New York Gall PHILADELPHIA
ans think New York very wicked),
and unite him in marriage with a
most excellent lady of that city. The
messenger said that after the marriage
ceremony the wedding party pro-
posed to go up in balloon from Cen
trail Park, the scientific friend before
mentioned having made costly
piece of philosophical apparatus by
which he expected to experiment on
air currents as he assembled to the
clouds.
The evening before the wedding l
arrived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
where an effort was made to induce
me to perform the ceremony in the
balloon and among the clouds. But
l refused, saying that while l believ-
ed in the "higher laws" l doubted
the legality of a wedding performed
so high up above the municipal au-
thority; besides that my head is apt
to get dizzy at great height, and l
might not be able to see straight
enough to tie the knot; besides that,
it is very risky for my church to have
its pastor go so high up, lest, having
got so finely started, he should not
return, the memory of Elijah flashing
across me; besides that, if l should
slip and fall from height of two or
three miles, somebody standing
underneath would be almost sure to
get hurt. OF course / remembered
the proverb that "matches are made
in heaven" but / do not believe in
it, tor some of them are lucifer match
es, and from the odor of birthstone
know they are made in the other
place. Besides all these objections to
performing the ceremony in the
clouds, the reporters would get hold
of it; and as it was a dull timeamong
them, | knew what was left of me
after the balloon peril they would
finish.
Presisting in this idea, at two
o'clock p. M, in the parlor of the
Fifth Avenue Aotel, | united in we'd
lock as scientific Il gentleman and as
good lady as the country holds. l
was invited to go up to Central Park
and see the wedding-party start on
the balloon excursion. Having sever
al hours before therail-train started,
accepted the invitation. The news
papers had stated that would per-
form the wedding as the balloon was
being cut loose from the earth-the
only time | ever knew the neWspa.
pers to be mistaken. The great natur-
al amphitheater in the park had been
enclosed. AT one dollar a head, the
largest audience l ever saw was as
sembled on tip-toe of excitement
The housetops in proximity were
covered with people anxious to see
the bride and groom and minister and
balloon. 1t was four o'clock when ]
arrived on the grounds, unaccompa-
MED arrOusing no suspicion as to
who | was, had an opportunity of
gazing on the most amusing and side.
splitting scene l ever witnessed.
The great balloon fastened to the
earth swung and struggled and flop
ped, as much as to say, "time to go;
bring on your weddingparty." There
were ten or fifteen reporters present
Some of them had their pieces all
written; others were busy. One clev.
er fellow, reporting for the "New
York Winding Sheet" showed me
his report, with full description OF
bride and groom and minister, say.
ing he had never seen the minister
and wanted to know if had, and if ]
thought that his description was &C
curate. l told him | thought it was
beautiful, and if the minister was not
satisfied with that he never would be
satisfied with anything. The balloon
not being quite ready, the bride and
groom took long ride through the
park, and as it was getting toward
night, and the reporters becoming
impatient, it was demanded that the
balloon start and the wedding begin
1 quietly told one of the reporters
that the wedding ceremony had beer
performed two hours before in the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. He denied it
till l told him / was the minister
at can't be possible" he said, "that