St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-20
GETTING THE LICENSE
How People Put Their Heads in the Mar
rage Moose.
BEFORE THE CLERKS DESE
''Your Name and Age; Where Does the
Lady Live? It'll Be sl.25,
Please"

The marriage license clerk at the dis
trict court probably has as many odd and
funny experiences as any man in the
county building, and it is only neees-
sary to get him started once to get
enough stories to fill book. His is a pc
culia ar position, and while diseharging
his duties he sees more of human nat
ure than most people imagine. Not
n the cases which come before him are
funny, by any means. There are plenty
of sad ones, upon which thrilling
story coulu be built and moral drawn.
"A few days ago." said the clerk yes
terday, Il was standing at the desk
when young lady moving in the best
circles of the city came in, accompanied
by her father, stern, uncOmprOmising
man. who would almost sell his soul for
money. The young lady was in tears,
and when she came in was pleading
something, just what did not know at
the time. but L soon found out. The
father called for license for his daugh-
ter and man we'll known in Minneap-
oils society as libertine of the worst
description. 1t was issued, and short
time later learned the inside facts in
| the case. 1t seems that the young man
who was to wed the girl held mortgages
on the old mans property, and had
| threatened to forecloSe at once unless
| the old man compelled the girl to marry
| him. The young lady. who, by the way,
| is decidedly handsome. was not willing
| to make the sacrifice, but was forced to
do so. will predict that there will be
trouble there inside of year."
A few days ago tall, light-haired
| rustic burst into the Office, towing De-
| hind him round-faeed, fat young wom-
an, who seemed greatly tickled over
| something. The man walked up to
would dave stopped freight train, re-
| marked: 'ia
| Say, mister, I want to get mar
| riage license, and want one that no
| one can go back on" Is
| The various questions as to age, pre-
| yiOus marriage and the like broke the
| couple all up, but finally the groom
| grew confidential and Informed the
clerk that they been keeping company
| for three years, and that he had just
| plucked up courage. enough to propose.
| A complete history of the girl and the
| courtship followed. When the clerk
! had the license made out the groom
| asked: ''Wall. how much be We going
to charge me fur it?''
| On being told that the regular charge
was s1.25. he smiled, and, pulling out
| two big cartwheeIs, handed them to the
! clerk with the remark:
| ''It's with 81 to me to get married, so
you can keep the,change."
| 1t is amusing to see a man who is
forced to wed the damsel come in to get
a license. AS rule he is not in the
best frame of mind, and answers the
questions putst0 him in sulky, indif-
| ferent manner, as though he did not
care whether school keptor not. Some
| times the woman in the case comes her.
| self. and man must have heart like
| stone who can listen to her story and re-
| main untouched. She seldom has money
enough to pay for the license, but even
| if she has it is seldom asked for, as the
clerk is not so hard-hearted as he is
| given credit for being. About 95 per
! cent of all the marriage licenses issued
are issued to foreigners, some of whom
cannot even speak the English Ian
guage. Such people always protest
against paying the necessary SIPS, and
let it be understood that they think they
| should be rewarded instead of fined.