The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-24
TROUBLE IN HLoPERsnILLE
Ruinous Cuttinx or Rates for Marrying
Runaway Couples.

Runaway Couples.
Loursv1LLE. July 23.-There is great stir In
Jeffersonrillc. When the matrimonial In
dustry OF Jacksonville Is affected there are
hard times In that town. Jcfrersonvle lie In
Indiana. on the other side OF the Ohio River.
opposite Louisville. 1t has about l2.0Oo in
babitnn's. OF whom considerable per centnge
arc dependent uron the business OF marrying.
They do not Get married themselves but they
marry others, end n large portion OF the
revenues Of Jef,ersonvillr come from that
source. All railroads In Kentucky come to
Louisville. and cons rnuenily all eloring couples
from hen'usky start at once Tor Jelor. onvillc.
Kentucky law requires that both contracting
par les to marriage shall be Il We re- OF nge
unless they have The e. nsent OF their parents.
AS many full neither condition. lolersonyil;e
Is their plac" OF refuge. and many hundred
couples are married there every year. A half
dozen mag s,ratee and Numerous clergymcn
are ready A. nl hoars OF tho has or night TO
tie tho knot AMI mako Two souls happy for n
foo ridtnlously small in proi orton TO the
amount of bl IS conferred
Naturally the comnetition for the wedding
fees anon: the magistrates AM clcrgymen
has Crtwn vcry sh arp. aud matters have be-
come so bad That omen conflict IL feared
Everything has boon Gonc 20 facilitate the
flight NJ elopnG conl los. Nearly every ono OF
tho magistrates haS n "runncr' at is, ono
who drums up trad, ;or his employer. Per-
haps tho species l. unknown e,sewnore. hut
In Jetersonvil'e it has been carlicdt that high
ntc of development achieved only ~ long
practice and keen comr"ti ion. The runner
keeps watch Mt ii. b NJ 'andings and rail-
way dcp"t1 for runaway couilc.. When he
sees ono he Immediately offers his MD In pilot
ing thom to. II magistrates olcc. whore they
q [ al 4 To iS lnli 20
accepted, ior these c"urrs are rural and gno-
rant AMI do not know Mhirh wny 10 IN, n. mud
business requires much act and knOwled ~ %
human an, "rs inr u runner might mako
pcrienced runners rarely err
In addition. there are tn. professional wit
no. SOS. ln,linna law.ns vol! as that Of Kentucky,
requires ihnt tnn.e who ma rr without the co1-
sent III their parents sha / be Il years II age.
Most often these brides ao only II or H. or
ny.n younger. But thu ruume' At once obtains
and sMears That ~ his own 10 -onnI kn"w-
edH ., TIE girl Is p. Though she may yet he in
short dresses and he may never have srrn her
e:o. Q. His oath is nj enc accepted and thai
settle. the matter THe proes i"nl Yituesss
them ;'nrc prospcrcd At he business.
This summer the marriage business in JET.
mSs aud he ss Of nS has
henn re .n'el This has strucH a vital hlow nt
tho chief industry OF Jcilcr' onviln. There have
not been enough marriages to 90 around. But
N" reduction IN he 'otnl volume Of trade h IS
increased tn" w energy and .ntorptisc # tho
null ESQUIRE kriswin htt'"! IN n Emo bust e,s
isris oek hs bn @ from tho Gnsyilo
tiers over tho door Mar m NAL iari r." lis
runners were in-trHrtei 10 say that Ms
in J"Ier-onviIl". and 10 oxratin,e mnon
the the, beauty & h:s lar'o's an,I tne snee,l
marr,ase ceremony. This was too much for
Esquire Hall. lie saw ESQUIRE Kri.wn's hu
nna sases h him; M e %r an sS i
eyes The couples as t"ey Iands. lie also .n dis.
He got out n great "umber OF his bus ness
cards ns.i With tbs notice neatly nr'nie on ihem:
All marraees. eunra teed t. ia,t a yeari
These we're distributed by his runners, and
those intending marriage. and the lunncrs.
catching the fever OF activity. went 81 far q. to
mako arrangements with Louisville hack
drivers t. semi them customers.
Win the GO. SSomre:ition at 50 high nitch It
SHARP contaet Hitler the maristra.es lave ave
been on good terms with each other hut day
or t two nG1 &C u'red the incident which has
i,usi, ess having been very slack for four or
FIVE days. Thomas shayer und Mary Dnncnn.
arrived in sr;on>ile: shaver and the eirl
EnoS whc accept es sn' ri n ns msn
said hat his emrl"y could pronounce til.
most si HeantiisI marriage ceremony EYER heard
GO with him, but John House. ESQUIRE Halls
Now you come and 60 with me- krigwin
will charge YOU s5 for marrying you. Esquire
Hall will do it for s2.5u.'
krigMin's ran wae not to Re driven ont Of
the fold in that manner. and he y ohlsed that
the ceremony should be performed TO-. 81.
Thereupon House cut tho fee. to sl.50. keie-
wins man dropped TO dollar mi then he
THOUGHT he had tn" contract Hs and the
bride elect were about TO start off when House.
determined never to yield laid
You must rot so with that man. I promise
you that ESQUIRE Hall viii marry yon for
nothing. and hewili give yon n nice photo
graph OF himself for your paror 1t has an
elegant frame; and You will appreciate it."
list this Tempting "fler nm AMI House s' carried ear
thcm off In 'riumnh to Esquire Halls. But
the ether magistrates are indignant They
declare that Hal rs action will r. in their bust
ness. that now they will have to marry elopl, G
couples from Kentucky for nothing. and give
them pictures OF themselves This Is why
there Is such u stir in Jeflersonviile.