The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-07
Welded ON PIXIES PEAK.
Remarkable Ceremony Performed by
NiRht.


ever happened in this strange country
took place last night on the very summit
Of Pixies Peak. TWAS a wedding, per-
haps the most peculiar in all the history
of Hymen's triumphs since time began.
Your correspondent, happening to be
belated at covering an assignment, met
the party as they were trudging up the
mountain road short distance from the
summit, and upon recognizing one of the
party was invited to the wedding.
The pack was reached a few minutes
after midnight and the party, which con-
sisted of six persons, including the
writer, squatted down upon the rocky
crest and waited patiently for the hour
of /, the virgin hour of day. as 1t is
termed by the aborigines. Our watches
were frequently consulted, and, as the
minute hand swept around the circle
towards the hour mark, the officiating
clergyman arose and said: Friends, the
hour approaches let the few minutes that
remain be spent in silent preparations for
the ceremony" All complied with the
order, and while the others busted them
selves in getting ready for the important
event by DOMINIC shrOud-like mantles of
pure white, your correspondent had
naught to do but wait. The silence that
reigned for those few minutes was pain
fully awful. Not soud save the rat
thing of the garments could be heard.
Far above the noises of the world seated
there on the highest point on the conti-
nent and breathing in the pure air made
one feel as if he was in close contact with
the better world. So quiet was 1t that
the ticking Of my watch sounded as loud
as an old-fashiOned tilt hammer" in a
steam blacksmith shop.
AS the hand on the watch touched the
hour mark the clergyman broke the 81
lence by eXClaiming Amen" and after
brief pause said IAN things being ready,
the ceremony will begin" | had Won
dered all along why the preacher and one
of the men had carried a barrel up the
mountain between them. But as the cOu-
pie to be married stood the barrel on end
upon circle of stones, and then climbed
upon it, understood the scheme was to
elevate themselves three feet above the
natural altitude for the purpose of get
ting IL 800 feet above sea level to be mar
fied. The gr0omsmau and bridesmaids
took their positions on either side of the
couple to support them during the Ger
emory.
The minister donned a curiously shaped
head covering, resem bling the pictures of
Druid'S hood, and began the ceremony
by saying: Dear friends, we are here
for specific purpose, to solidify the af-
fections of this man and woman, whose
high aspirations have led them thither
| after great difficulty. l therefore, in ac-
| cordance with the power vested in me as
priest of the great temple of earth,
whose ceiling is the azure vault of heaven,
do now, in the presence of three witnesses
of human form and myriads of dlsem-
bodied spirits, proceed 10 the happy but
responsible task agreed upon. John jeff
ries of Old Mans Gulch, do you promise
before the said witnesses, upon your
word of honor and before God, promise
and swear that you will take this woman,
Martha Washington Tilgman, to be your
lawful wife, to love her, to care for until
the end appointed" Il do" was the an
swer, in tones that echoed down the
mountain sides. The same questions
were asked and answered by the bride,
when the priest, claspiug them in a
strong embrace, pronounced them huS-
band and wife.
AS he relaxed his grasp, and to prevent
his giving the bride the first kiss, the
groom gave sudden lurch forward
smacked his lips against those of the
bride, and in went the head of the barrel
on which they were standing In the
scramble to get out the barrel careened
over and rolled down the mountain, with
the priest and others of the party pitch
ing headforemost in its wake. Down
rolled the barrel, and down tumbled its
followers till the former struck a light
ning-shattered trunk of an ancient pine
where it's hoops gave way and the occu-
pants, only slightly injured, landed in a
bed of mountain fern, where the others,
more frightened than hurt, joined them a
minute later.
was invited to get into the wagon and
gladly consented. We drove through the
storm along the old trail for several miles
when the horses came to a sudden stop Sc
sudden that we were thrown forward from
our seats and landed in a promiscuoLs
| heap in front Of the wagon, the priest and
groomsman going down among the feet OF
the prancing horses. With great presence
of mind they both crawled under the
wagon and soon after were climbing over
the tailboard. No sooner had the horses
baked than the storm ceased, and we
were able to see short distance ahead of
the team. One look was sufficient to
freeze the marrow in our bones, for on
either side of the roadway stood line of
grinning skeletons, who waved their bony
arms and hands as if bestowing a bene-
diction.
Down through the horrible line Of the
dead marched the ghost of an Indian
chief, followed by dozen braves and as
many s>luaws. just as the leader reached
up his arms and Kissed out gibberish that
sounded like ''Pooh a lah TOO sooch a
toOm, and the remnant of the tribe set
up one of the most fiendish and ear-pierc-
ing war whoops ever heard by mortals.
The sound echoed and re-echoed through
the valley and made one feel as if the
whole army of the damned had escaped
from pandemOnium.
Notwithstanding our fright, we could
not help but admire the situation. The
priest sprang from the wagon and fed
Just as the ghost of the chief glided over
the heads of the trembling and thor
oughly cowed horses into the wagon and
knelt beside the bride and groom He
placed a hand upon the head of each and
in broken English, said: Me old chief
do pale face bride no harm. Me make
storm stop and come with some of my
people to bless bride" Then, withdraw
ing his hands, be opened the girdle that
surrounded his bony waist and took there
from massive ring of virgin gold stud
ded all around with immense garnets.
Placing the ring upon the brides thumb,
he patted husband and wife upon the
head, chucked the bridesmaid beneath
the chin and departed, leaving strong
smell of birthstone behind. The grooms-
man and ! got out of the wagon to pacify
the horses, which we succeeded in doing
after an hours hard work, after which
we drove slowly away. We had gone
probably two miles when we overlook the
frightened priest, who sat, painting for
breath, upon huge bowlder short dis