The Southern herald., 1888-11-17
RUNAWAY LOVERS.
Harpers Ferry q Haven Of Bliss
to Them.
A Minister Recounts His Personal Expert
ence with Those in Haste to &ed,-Th6
Bridge Favored Place. -OHtwItting
Stern Father.

Two things tended tomake thfb place
popular with young coupfts in the past.
There was some refAance in having the
ceremony performed amid such wild
scenery, 1t was the most convenient
spot runaways could reach. The mar.
riage laws Of Virginia are very strict,
and ten years ago the laws of Maryland
we're correspondingly lax. On pay
mont of the fee, license would be
granted the applicant, and the contract
ing parties themselves might be abso.
lutely non-existeBt Harper's Ferry
is connected With the upper valley BY
a railroad, branch Of the Baltimore 4
Ohio, AS Maryland wes Just across
the Potomac, this was the most acces-
sible point FOR lovers whose parents
looked too coldly upon their wooing.
Inc building of parallel road has Wis
IDLY lessened Harpers Ferry's import
ance as a Gretna, so that its glory in
this respect has probably departed.
My first charge of a church was In this
place, and as my house was convenient
to the depot was very often called
upon to marry these runaways, The
bridge crossing the Potomac was the
spot generally selected, and for the rea.
son that the ceremony must be per.
formed in Maryland twas in the cen.
ter Of this great iron structure and
amid surroundings as romantic as car
be found anywhere that the knot was
usually tied.
The early morning train from the
upper valley usually brought the run
aways, Sometimes they had ridden all
night to escape and catch the early
train. They were easily spotted on the
train by the conductor or the train
hands, and as kind of agreement ex-
listed between these and the telegraph
operators, an offer would soon be made
to procure the license and insure its ar
rival in time to allow them to return on
the next train. The bargain was soon
struck, and as the insurance was the
important part, the fee charged was
generally gauged by the size of the
prospective xgroom's purse. The license
arranged for, the next step was to find
preacher.
Even the street urchins had learned
to know the status of these couples,
who arm in arm wandered listlessly
about the street, and offered to find the
preacher for them. Sometimes the de.
nominational preferences would prevail,
but this was not often, and most of the
work came to me.
Occasionally the dress and manner ol
the parties would indicate wealth and
cultivation; but this was not often the
case. More frequently the Language
and dress indicated the low position
they held in the social strata. Imagine
a big, raw-boned fellow dressed in store
clothes, paper collar, an insignificant
necktie and unblackened boots, and you
have the makeup of the individual be-
fore you. You mentally wonder as you
look upon the groom: What must the
prospective bride look like!' II she is
pretty and attractive, we are not sur.
prised at opposition. Sometimes in
quired why they had come so far to be
married, and particularly why they had
run off. The reason was likely to be
no decided objection, but mere captious
ness upon the part of parent, who re
fused to comply with the requirements
Of the law. once asked young fel
low why he had come so far, and espe
cially since the cost was so great. Hi
reply was: The gals father never TUX
no count NV her, an when ! asked hin
10 give me letter to the clerk, sayin
he was willin', he lowed that he hadn
nuver give it to none the yuther gall
an he want goin' to give 1t to her, an
80 / had to come here or not get mar
ried for some time / felt sorry fol
the poor fellow and married him. Tht
first couple l married was from thu
northern. part Of Pennsylvania. They
had come to Virginia to hve.l ! coult
never understand why they had no
been married before they left home, a
both seemed to be very nice people. Ii
ignorance Of the stringency Of Virgins
laws they had gone to Winchester, ex
pecting to be married there, but not be
ing able to procure a license they re
turned to Harper's Ferry and ordered
one sent from Hagerstown. As the!
could not receive this in time TO ALLOW
them to return on the evening train
1.-the license was ordered 10 WevertOn
three miles below the Ferry, and w
went there and j married them in th,
railroad waiting-room. AS a canal boa
L a 1