The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-10-29
BILL NYE AS A "J. P"
He OnleIat.. at a Frontier Marriage Ceremon

He Onielatss at a Frontier Marriage Ceremony.
Edgar Wilson Nye. otherwise Bill Nye. is
writing a series Of autObiOgraphies for the Cen
ttry From the first paper in the November
number, we quote as follows: 3" / forgot % say
that the Office was not a salaried one but solely
dependent upon fees, the County furnishing
only the copy of the Revised Statutes and a
woolsack, slightly and prematurely bald. So
while was called Judge Nye, and frequently
mentioned in the papers with great eousideTI-
tiOn, was out Of coal about half the time. and
once could not mail my letters for three weeks
because did not have the necessary postage.
Friends i'm the Eastern States may possibly re-
call the time when my correspondence, from
some unknown cause, seemed 10 flag. That
was the time. or course could have borrowed
the money. but had, and still have, a foolish
horror or borrowing money. ] did not mind
running an account, but / hated to borrow.
"rhe first business that had was n mar
riage ceremony. 1 met the groom on the
street. lie asked if / could marry people.
said that / could to limited extent. lie said
that he wanted TO get married. ! asked him
to secure tie victim, and / would get the other
ingredients He then wished to know where
my office was IL occurred TO me at that mo-
ment that there was no fire in the stove also.
no coal; also, that the west half Of the stove
had fallen in during the night. So l said that
/ would marry them at their home. He main
tanned that his home was over 50 miles away.
aud that it would consume too much time 10
20 there.
"'Where are you stopping at?' inquired
using the Pike County style Of syntax in
order 10 show that was one Of the people.
Well, we met here, Squire. She come in
on the Last Chance stage, and I'm camped up
in COMMENT Canyon. not fur from Soldier
CTick. We can go out there, / recon.
- did not mind the ride, so ! locked my
Office secured book Of forms, and meeting
the young people at the livery stable went out
with them and married them in a rambling,
desultOry sort Of way.
THE bride was a peri from Owl Creek
wearing mOccasins Of the plioeene age. The
rich Castilian blood Of the cave jewellers man
tied in her cheek along with the navy-blue
blood Of Connecticut on her fathers side. Her
hair was like the wing Of raven, aud she
wore u tiara of clam shells about her beetlIng
brow. Her bracelet was a costly string of front
teeth selected from the early settlers at the foot
Of Independence Mountain. With the shrewd-
ness Of a Yankee and the hauteur of the saw
ago she combined the grotesque grammar Of
Pike County and the charming naiyete of the
COW. puncher. She was called Beautiful Snow.
But think il was mostly in q spirit Of banter.
She was also no longer young. | asked her,
with an air of badinage, if she remembered
Pzarro, but she replied that she was away from
home when he came through. The cave
jewellers were a serious people. Their plumb
ing was very poor indeed; so also were their
jokes. Her features were rather classic, how
ever. and was about to say elean-cut, but on
mature thought | will not say that. Her nose
was bright and piercing. It Te5embled the
bTeast-bOne of a sand-hill crane.
The groom was q man of great courage
and held human life at very low figure. That
is why he married Beautiful Snow without
any finching; also. why have refrained from
mentioning his name; also, why kissed the
bride. | did not yearn to kiss her. There
were others who had claims on me, but did
not wish to give needless pain TO the groom.
aud so / did il. He had no money, but said
that he had saddle which if could use was
welcome to. i did not have anything to put
the saddle on at home, but rather than return
empty handed took it.