The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-29
is GRETNA GREEN.
wheeling Growing in Popularity
as Good Place
FOR PEOPLE OCOME and MARRY.
Some Recent Instances OfPeople who
came to tho City Single and Return.
ed Homo Matcd.-.How Obstacles to
tho Issuing ofLiccnsos may DO Over.
conc.

wheeling seems 10 DO becoming
popular as a resort for people fromthrce
states who want to be married. Yes
terday Clerk Hook issued marriage
licenses to Michael sorg, aged twenty
five, and Caroline B%ettler, aged twenty
one, both of Allegheny County, Pa,
aud to Albert E. Bland, aged twenty
four, and Elizabeth schater, aged four
teen, both OF Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
The latter was a peculiar case. There
were urgent, apparent reasons why the
two should we'd, and they had the
parents full consent, but under the
Ohio laws a license cannot be issued to
a girl under sixteen. West Virginia is
more liberal, allowing girls to marry at
twelve years OF age, and for this reason
the couple came here.
There is scarcely q week that some
couple from beyond the confines OF the
county does not apply here for a license,
and most OF them got them. They
| almost invariably give the same expia-
nation for coming to Wheeling-they
"iust wanted to take the trip" The
average case of this kind seems to DO
like that OF the couple who were quietly
married away from home. and tho
groom suggested to the bride that she
| should say nothing about 1t for awhile.
ooh, I sha' Mt" said she; Pm as
much ashamed OF it as you arc"
In a majority of cases there is no
reason for leaving homo except that
| the people do not want to be married
in the presence Of their friends. A
different kind OF q case was encountered
by Clerk Hook on Sunday, though. 1t
was a genuine %elopement.
A couple from Indiana called on Mr..
Hook ut his residence. They came in q
hack, and tho groom was in q very good
humor. Mr.. Hook asked how old the
bride was, and was told that she was
twenty.
"You are in the wrong %state,' said he.
1.-THE lady must be twenty-one hero to
get a license without her parents con-
sent"
The groom was at a loss what to do
till Mr.. Hook suggested that he get in
the hack again and drive on ont to st.
Clairsvillei In Ohio the bride is her
own mistress at eighteen. This advice
the couple took, and no doubt secured
the papers they had come so many
miles to get when they might as
we'll have stopped just this side OF the
Indiana border.
There is something about the appli-
cant for q marriage licence which en-
ables the experienced observer to know
him when he enters the clerks office.
Even when, as is not infrequently tho
case, n stranger makes a mistake and
goes to City Clerk Thoner, his mistake
is usually apparent before he says a
word.
"Do you issue the licenses hcre?" a
stranger asked the city clerk.
Eyes, sir"
"Well, l want one"
Mr.. Thorner took up his book Of
blanks and dipped his pen in tho ink.
"NWhat is the number?" he asked.
"Number? Why, this is the first"
"First what2"
"First time l have been married"
"Oh, you want a marriage licerse?"
"Of course" said the stranger, getting
even redder than he was before.
81 thought you wanted to omen a
saloon" And he directed the applicant
to the county's end Of the big building.
After a stranger has his license he al-
most always hunts up a justice OF the
peace. Justices cannot marry people
in West Virginia, but the squires are
all used to this sort of visits, and being
accommodating men, they send for a
minister and allow the ceremony to be
performed in the Office.
A man twenty years Of age, whose pa
rents lived in Germany, applied for a
license. There was nc. objection except
the legal technically which requires
the parents or guardians consent ii
either party is under twenty-one. This
was arranged. A friend OF the bride
was appointed guardian for the groom,
gave bond as the law requires, formally
granted his consent, and the license was
issued. 1t is easy to get married in
West Virginia If a person has a dollar
and q hall.