St. Paul daily globe., 1889-04-25
The GRETNA GREEN
To Which Fleeing Pennsylva-
MIA Lovers Look Most
Longingly.
Bothersome Marriage Laws
Which Inure to Jersey
Benefits.
Quaker Couples Think 1t the
Proper Fad to Fly to
Camden,
To Tie the Knot Which Penn's
To Tie the Knot Which Penn'S
Laws Make Rather
Difficult.
Letter to the New York Sun.

clerks o1hce here from 1000 to 5000
marriages annually, which is about four
times the normal rate for city of 70, 600
Inhabitants. The Camden and Phila-
delphia ferries are in way responsible
for this abnormal marriage rate, al
though even if the ferries did not exist
there would probably still be an unusu-
ally large number of marriages in Cam
den, so long as small boats could be
hired to cross the river or the swimming
was good. 1t all began in the pas
sage by the Pennsylvania legislature
of marriage license law that
probably has more red tape and less sense
in it than any similar law in the world.
1t is more trouble to get license to
marry in Philadelphia than it is to get a
girl willing to marry. Courting has be-
come a secondary consideration as a
preliminary to marriage in the Quaker
City. The great thing is to make sure
of your license. Both parties have to
pass a sort of civil service examination
as TO their age, sex, and previous con-
dition of Servltude, or otherwise; and
after that the parents all around
have to submit schedules of informa-
ton, under oath, as to the condition OF
their minds as to the contemplated
ceremony. If the parents are dead
the fact has to be established. If they
live in distant parts of the country they
have to send on their affidavits just the
same. If they are unknown, missing,
or beyond reach, it makes no difference; :;
the law is the law, and the marriage
cannot go on unless something that will
pass for parental consent is obtained
by forgery, perjury, or in some other
way. Naturally, young people do not
like to pass the ordeal of these half
public examinations by county officers
as to their legal readiness for matri-
mony, and they take the easiest road to
avoid it, which, in the case of Phila-
delphia young people, happens to be
the road across the river to Camden. In
New Jersey
NO LICENSE IS REQUIRED.
At first the Camden marriages were a
good deal more heard of than now, and
there was distinctly bad odor about
them, but within two or three years the
matter has settled down into a regular
thing, and it is taken rather as matter
of course that young people about to
commit matrimony, who have no large
circle of friends, nor any other reason
for public wedding. shall run over to
Camden and save the bother of the
Pennsylvania laws. The Sudden pros
perity that the new law brought to the
Camden dominieS was largely respon-
sible for the early unsavoriness of
the business. Some of the clergymen
then serving in Camden could not stand
prosperity, and they sailed into the
marrying business by the wholesale and
recklessly. A certain Episcopal minis
ter named Sleeper was leader in the
coterie of ministers who made marrying
their business. He lived on a Cooper
street, only few blocks from the ferry
back of cards that he had freely circu-
lated, a map of the city, with the route
from the ferry to his house plainly in
dicated. He paid the hackmen
liberal commission on all the bust
ness that they brought 10 him, and
in the first rush of trade was max
ing money fast. Several other clergy
men of the city were scarcely behind
him in the enterprise with which they
pushed the matrimonial branch of their
business. There came an explosion at
last, however, over some improper mar
riage that Sleeper had performed; he
was deposed from the ministry. and
narrowly escaped unpleasant experI-
ences with the civil authorities. He
moved away. and the other clergymen
took warning and began to conduct the
marrying business more prudently. At
present there is only one minister in the
city who makes marrying
HIS SOLE BUSINESS.
He is Rev. j. II. Burrill, an old man,
retired some time ago from active relig-
iouS work, who lives on Cooper street.
within few doors of the house once Oc-
cupied by the famous Sleeper. He is gem
orally spoken of in Camden as Sleeper's
successor, but everybody says that he
is careful and discreet in the manage
ment of the business, and as yet there
has been no trouble over any of his
marriages. He gets the cream of the
trade now, averaging 100 marriages a
month. He conducts himself quietly,
but it is said that he goes shares with
the hackmen on all the business they
bring him, generally giving them half.
probably be considered a legitimate
move to counteract the competition of
the amateurs of the regular pulpits.
The regular clergymen still do a good
deal of making two hearts beat as one;
some of them averaging from thirty to
fifty marriages month. Rev. j. r.
Westwood, a Methodist, is one of the
best known men in this branch of the
business of saving souls, and Rev. DR..
Bagley is another man with a long rec
ord at the city clerks office. DR.. Bagley
is probably the most famous of the
lot of marryers just at present on ac-
count of a little mill he had the
other night with brother of a young
of whom the family did not ap-
prove The brother and a friend called
upon the minister to ask if the marriage
had really taken place. The minister
was at home, and also happened to have
a friend with him. The interview be-
tween the four gentlemen was of
personal nature, and folks in
the neighbOrhOod wondered what had
broken loose in the dominie'S house.
When the police arrived the brother
was captured in daZed condition and
with his face hammered to jelly. His
friend was even worse cut up, but man.
aged to slip through the crowd and get
away. The Rev. DR.. Bagley and his |
friend were breathless. but otherwise in
pretty good condition. The brother |
heavy fine added to his licking as a pen
atty for his rash venture into the do |
main of muscular Christianity. and DIR. |
Bagley has ever since been marrying |
twice as many couples as before.
Although there is no license to marry |
required in New Jersey, the marriage |
law is really strict, and, since the Cam |
len ministers have begun to live ND to |
It, the previous general disapproyal of |
heir business has nearly vanished. |
They are
COMPELLED BY LAW
md, as matter of fact, so far as can
De ascertained, they do ask the parties
wishing to be married long list of
questions as to their eligibil-
tY for matrimnnu in regard To n go non