The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-24
A Unique wedding.

All the old residents of Montague
county Texas, remember Uncle Henry
Harris, the preacher-ferryman of Red
river, during the latter part of the sos.
says the St. Louis Globe-Democrat There
nave been many greater men in this part
OF the state, and many more intellectual
ones, but there have been few who were
so universally loved or who were so
widely mourned for after 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 a single strap. which
could be removed in very few moments.
Calvin Dubbs, a half-breed Choctaw In
qldn, courted his daughter, May Harris.
Uncle henry was opposed to the 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 ferry, as the river was high, asked
TO be ferrled over. The old man and lobe
started to take him across, but no sooner
had they reached the middle of the river
than their passenger whipped out bowie
knife, and in a very few passes severed
them TO the trolley. The boat lmmedi-
ately swung around in the current and
remained stationary in mldriver
w hats that fOr2" cried Uncle Henry
IN alarm. Don't you know we can't get
across nOw2'
Don't know about you. kin make 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
captFeS on the boat watched him help
lesSly until he gained the shore they had
Just left. AS he did so May came out 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 a weddin'," yelled
Calvin from the bank Wen let you
attend as witness.
"Whar's yore Hcense?" shrieked the
father and whar's yore preachers"
Here the license yelled Dubbs, WaV-
ing a legal-looking document; can you
read it from there? And this man here's
the preacher"
The couple took their places, and the al
legged preacher began the ceremony. Uncle
Henry began pleading and eXpostulating,
but all in vain. Suddenly he grabbed the
winchester he always carried in the bot
tom of the boat, and drew a bead on
his prospective sOn-in-law.
stop that tom-foolishness, or IN
Shoot and be d-d!' yelled Calvin.
Go on parson" This latter remark was
addressed to the preacher on shore.
Whatever might be said against CalVin's
morals, nobody ever doubted his nerve.
Crack sounded the Winchester from
the boat, and with thud a bullet buried
itself in the horn of the bridegroom's sad
die. Calvin made quick motion toward
his own gun, but May caught his arm.
DON'T she cried. PA amt goin' to
hurt you. If 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 it was all over
the party rode away, with many tantal-
lZlng adteux to the captiVes on the boat.
This was an unusual wedding. 1t was
never customary, even in Texas, to have
a wedding ceremony on river bank while
me rather of the bride as a captive on a
boat in midstream, fired desultory shots
from his Winchester at the bridegroom.