The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-25
CITY HALL AND HYMEN.
ROOM ~, IT'S MATRIMONIAL BUREAU
AND ATTENDANT CUPIDS.
Here APP Ieants TO Wed Are ouestiopes. -
Aiternsa Is Huntss Ne, and the Certia-
Nntn Iaanes-A NJ nrrinnr aArrnnnr.

Room 10 In the City Hall is nominally q com
mittes room for the Board OF Aldermen. II Is
In the eastern wing OF the building. There IL
nothing worth noticing in the appointments
Of this room. In the centre stands a combine
tion Of table and desk. Straight back ed chairs
are placed around the walls. A railing cuts OF
q narrow slice OF the eastern portion OF the
room. and behind It is another desk. Three
long windows light It. Here. however. is the
matrimonial bureau Of the City Hall. 1t con.
slsts OF Chief Cupid Harry Van Pelt. two as.
sistant cuplds and an Italian bootblaek, who
acts as interpreter.
There 10 no provision made by the city for
such bureau. None OF the men interested in
It 10 city officer. None Of them receives a
salary from the city. They are there by
sduatters' rights and because they have made
themselves useful Since this so-called mstri-
monial bureau has been running the Alder
men have been relieved OF the clerical work OF
making out marriage certificates and getting
the history Of the people who come to
get married. This work Is dono by
Chief Cupid Van Pelt or one Of
his assistants. They also hunt UP an
Alderman TO tie the knot They depend for
their pay upon the fees the bridegroom may
feel disposed to give them. Sometimes they
don't get any fees at all. Men who are forced
into matrlmony by way the police courts are
brought to this room for the ceremony. In
such cases Mr.. Van Pelt and his assistants
receive no fees. Occasionally . bridegroom IL
so poor that he cant afford n fee. but such
cases are rare. Most men are generous on
their wedding day and on the whole the City
Hall oupids fare we'll As the foreign popu-
latlon In this city has increased. business in the
matrimonial bureau has doomed up. In Italy.
France. Russia. Spain. and Portugal conflicts
have occurred between the state and the
Church. and only civil contracts Of mar
rage are accepted. Most OF these civil con-
tracts in this city are made at the City Hall.
before an Alderman. and occasionally before
the Mayor. Nearly 1000 such marriages were
made there last year.
These represented nearly all conditions OF
life. The majority ofthe couples who 60 there.
however. are Italiana Sometimes they are
Italians OF wealth. but more frequently not.
Marriages that are arranged In this matri-
moniai bureau have no wedding-march at
tachment. and very seldom are there
any flowers. That doesn't rob Thorn OF
sentiment. Chief Cupid Harry Van Pelt
however. 10 not a man Of sentim ent or OF many
words. He 10 rather above the medium height
and his hair and moustaches have grown gray
In arranging marriages. It's his business q
queer one. too. but he found that there was
an opening for this kind Of work and he took
advantage OF it. From all accounts. 1t has not
been improbable. Nor does the Alderman,
who may DO captured In the building to per-
form the marriage service. have any particu-
lar sentiment about It He usually finds It a
bore. There are no fees for him. and one
marriage is very like another when one doesn't
know know o the .si.cumst,anIGeeS The Alder;
great Convenience TO tbem as long
as they must tie these knots. "sojer' Flynn
performs more Of these marriages than any
his spare tme roaSd City Ha he
not at hand the cupids have to look up an
Of the Aldermen and they know their haunts
II no Alderman is in the building q messenger
that some Of them frequent.
Business Is very dull now. said Mr.. Van
Why year ago this room used to be iIIied
one. We don't get the fees that we once did.
either. Lots OF the marriages are charity at
iSr fee. Now. what DO YOU think o. hat
are rare now. can tell you These are hard
times. Well. here's a couple. any way"
the Brides father and mother and her Two two
nncies They were much better dressed than
noon. for Notwithstanding the duIness OF the
times, nye other couples were married that
The groom was a thick-set prosperous
a white scarf. a new light-col ored overcoat
pride was slim and tall and not, more than
which she used to good advantage. Her
d DIRE s Vas 81 cheap brown , ,maseri.
was graceful She smiled every time the
groom looked at her. but she didn't talk much.
me, d p 20 sad made
occasion The mother, was sharp-featured
woman, She raid much more attention 70 the
who and he Probably had money ' n the the
msdd hs niE'' sGh sei It. S Rr fs
nor the groom could speak English.
IL tS SEGuF ss Dl II ' ssd . sloD%
to aks s; .sts I'm IN front Of Nj Van peit,
their ages. Mr.. an Pelt asked each Of ths%;
groom had not and the bride 6Ius hsd and said
she had not. That completed the lrellmlna:
the wedding party: Cupid Van Pelt put on his |
hat and went out to find an Alderman, There |
sistsnts as IooEouts and Waited. Half an hour
q. , The groom at interynls with an
aus Of Of the RS Pulled snd when the
thooGht no one was looking he held her hand. |
Her relatives engaged IL a lively conversation |
occasion. In the mean time. although no Al |
derman had been found. four more couples. |
l3. and all the chairs were occupied. These |
couples. however. were neither so young nor |
so we'll dress cd AS the first couple.
At $50 an assistant brought word to Chief |
Cupid yan Pelt that Alderman Saul had en-
tered the City Hall with party OF ladies' who |
wanted to see the Governors room, This was |
good news. Mr.. Van Pet met the Alderman at |
tho foot OF the stairs as he came down and |
persuaded him to come into room - and tic a |
few knots. Alderman Saul looked bored. but |
he did not refuse.
There was a hustle in the room when the Al |
dsrmAn entered. Zach pride prinked her hair |
a bit, Alderman saul summoned the first cou- |
pie before him. They stood up. and behind |
them were the BRIDES relatives. The boot |
black acted as interpretsr; and after the Al. |
dermRn had been satisfied that the bride and |
groom were OF age and that neither had been |
before he began this service:
II either OF you know OF any impeachment |
why you may not be lawfully Joined together |
In matrimonT yOu will now confess IL, or IL any |
person present can show any just cause why |
these parties should not be legally Joined to- |
gethsT In mstrimony let them now speak or |
hereafter hold their peace" No one offered |
any objection.
join right hands" said the Alderman.
Then he continued :" Do you, :. take this |
ia state OF matrimony1 Will you love, com