Democratic messenger., 1894-11-17
A UNIQUE WEDDING.

All The old residents oi' Montague
county, Texas, remember | ncle Henry
Harris, the preacher-icrrvnan Of Red
river, during the latter part oi the
eighties There have been MANY
greater men in that part of the State,
and many more intellectual ones, but
there have been Jew who were So
universally loved or who were So widely
mourned after their death.
Uncle Henry was one legged man,
and the wooden stump which supplied
the place u; his missing member was II
very primitive affair. 1t was joined to
the stump of his leg hy single STRAP.
which could be removed in very few
moments
Calvin Duhb>, hali,breed Choctaw
Indian. courtcd his daughter. May
Harris. Uncle Henry was opposed To
the sui, OF Dubbs because 81, his IN
godline>- and bad character. His
daughter did not share in these o5-
leciion>.
Onc afternoon Calvin Dubb> rode
up Ia the ferry and, as the river was
high, asked 10 he ierricd over. The
old man and robe started To take him
across. hut no sooner had they reached
the middle nf the river than their
passenger whipped out II bowie knife,
and in a very few passes severed the
longer ot the two ropes that bound
them to the trolley. The boat immeli-
atcl V swung around in the current and
remained stationary in mid-river.
Whats that for" cried Uncle
Henry i'll alarm. Don't you know
we can, yet across now"
Don't know about YOU, | kin make
il all right myself
Calvin sprang to the saddle, urged
his pony over the side OF the boat into
the water and struck ont for shore.
The two captives ON the boat watched
him hclple>sly until he gained the
shore they had just lett. ~ he did 80
Nav came out of the cabin. arrayed in
her Sunday best. and two men on
horseback rode out from their conceal
ment back of the bluff. The object of
the >tratagem gradually dawned on
the old mans mind.
There's goin' I" be wed,lin'. :
yelled Calvin from the bank. We'll
let vou attend as witness"
"Whar's vore license" shrieked the
father. "anL whar's yore preacher
Heres the license yelled Dubbs.
waving 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 cere-
mony. Uncle Henry began pleading
and expostulaiing. but all in vain.
Suddenly he grabbed the Winchester
he always carried in the bottom Of his
boat, and drew bead on his pro>pec-
tive son-in-law.
'Stop that tom tooli>hncss. or I'll
shoot
shoot" yelled Calvin. "Go on
parson - This latter remark was adj
dressed To the preacher on shore
Whatever might be said against Cal
wins morals, nobody ever doubted hi
nerve.
Crack" sounded the Winchester
from the boat. and with the thud the
bullet buried itself in the horn OF the
bridgegrooms saddle Calvin made u
quick motion toward his own gun, hut
May caught his arm.
Don't" she cried. PA amt goin
tohurt you. Ii he'd wanted To he'd bor-
ed you the first crack.
The ceremony was briei one. but
every few moments Uncle Henry would
blaze away, just close enough 10 the
bridegroom to he unpleasant When
it was all. over the party rode away.
with many tantaizing adieux 10 the
captives on the boat This was an
unusual wedding. Ii was never Gus
tomary, even in Texas. To have II
wedding ceremony on river bank
while the father ot the bride. as cap
tive on Il boat IN miIstream, fired de-
sultory shots from his Winchester at
the bride groom -.G. LouiS Giobe-
Dcunc,,f