The record-union., 1894-11-30
LONE STAR WEDDING.
Loves Devices and au Old Mans OBJ
duracN.

All the old residents of Montague
| County, Tex, says the st. Louis Globe
| Democrat, remember Uncle Henry Har-
ris, the preacher lerryman of Red River,
| during the latter part Of the eighties.
| There have been many greater men in
| this part of the State ana many more IN
| tellectuai ones, but there have been few
| who were so universally loved or who
were SO widely mourned for alter their
death.
Uncle Henry was one-legged man,
! and the wooden stump which supplied
the place of his missing member was a
very primitive affair. 1t was joined to
! the stump of his leg by single strap,
which could be removed in very few
| moments.
| Calvin Dubbs, half-breed Choctaw
Indian, courted his daughter, May Har-
| ris. Uncle Henry was opposed to th g
suit OF Dubbs because of his ungodliness
and bad character. His daughter did not
| share in these objections.
One afternoon Calvin Dubbs rode up to
| the Jerry, and as the river was high, asked
to be ferried over. The old man and lobe
started to take him across, but no sooner
did they reach the middle of the river
when their passenger whipped out a
bowie knife, and in very few passes
severed the longer of the TWO ropes that
bound them to the trolley. The boat i'm
mediately swung around in the current
and renamed stationary in midriver.
whats that for?" cried Uncle Henry
in alarm. Don't you know we can't get
across now?"
Don't know about you. / kin max @
it all right, myself"
Calvin sprang to the saddle, urged his
pony over the side of the boat Into the
water, and struck out for shore. The
two captives on the boat watched him
helplessly until he gained the shore they
l., "A loft AS la a 90 10
OF the cabin, arrayed in her Sunday best,
and two men on horseback rode out from
their concealment back OF the bluff. The
object OF the stratagem gradually dawned
on the old mans mind.
"There's goin' TO be weddin'," yelled
Calvin from the bank. wen let you
attend as Witness"
Nv Whar's your license?" shrieked the
father, and whar's yore preacher?'
Here's the license" yelled Dubbs,
waving a legal-looking document; "can
you read it from there? And this man
here's the preacher"
The couple took their places. and the
alleged preacher began the ceremony.
| Uncle Henry began pleading and expos
tulating, but ali i'll vain. Suddenly he
| grabbed the Winchester he carried in the
! bottom OF his boat, and drew a bead on
his prospective son-in-law.
stop that tom-toolishness, or Pll
shoot
| .'Shoot and be d-dp' yelled Calvin.
go on. parsonW This latter remark was
addressed TO the preacher OH shore
| Whatever might be said against Calvin s
morals, nobody evers.doubted his nerve.
.'Crack ~ sounded the Winchester from
| the boat, and with thGd bullet buried
itself in the horn of the bridegroom S
! saddle. SCalvin made a quick motion to-
ward his own gun, but May caught his
| arm.
''Don'tv' she cried. "Pa amt goin' to
hurt you. Ii he'd wanted to, he'd bored
you the first crack"
The ceremony was brief one. but
every few moments Uncle Henry would
blaze away, just close enough to the
bridegroom TO be unpleasant. When il
was all over the party rode away. with
many tantaiizing adieux to the captiyes
in the boat. This was an unusual wed !.
ding. 1t was never customary. even in
! Texas, TO have a wedding ceremony on
a river bank while the father of the bride
as captive on boat in midstream. fired
desultory shots from his Winchester at
the bridegroom.