Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-01-28

It is often almost impossible for an
American to secure the papers necessary
to make European marriage valid, es-
pecially in Germany. The lovers are fire.
quently obliged to wait until they can
repair to some less inquisitive land.
where priest or legal functionary will
consent to unite them without asking
| superfluous questions When the con-
tracting parties are themselves Euro
peans, the formalities are probably for
midable enough, for besides the actual
marriage papers there are settlement
papers and various preliminary docu-
ments to be drawn up. But if you are an
American Of course you are suspicious
character, and you will find it even
doubly difficult to marry the girl of
your choice. You must first prove your
right to live and breathe and have your
being, and your bride must prove her
right to live and breathe and have her
being, and your father, and your moth
er, and your BRIDES father and your
brides mother must also prove that they
were born in due time and have lived
irreproachably ever after, and in case
they no longer exercise the functions of
living, breathing and having their be-
ing it must be shown that they ceased
30 do so in sober and godlike manner.
All this and much more must be set
forth in quod erat demon strandum
fashion by means of documents before
you will be allowed to bend your neck
to the conjugal yoke.
The truth of these remarks was illus.
trated few weeks ago in Berlin, when
the happiness of two young Americans
hung for long time in the balance un-
til German authorities finally consented
to let them join hands and hearts. The
young man was an Psychologist and
found it necessary to be in Egypt at
certain time. He hoped to take his bride
with him, but almost up to the last mo-
ment he was uncertain whether he
should have bride to take. For months
he had been trying to bring about this
marriage, but the requirements of the
German law were enough to drive even
man accustomed to the complications
of the Tel-el eh- -Manah tablets to de-
spair. The bride had lived formerly on
the other side of the world, and as there
existed in the cautious German mind
the possibility that she might have gone
through the marriage ceremony on some
previous occasion it was necessary to
publish the banns weeks beforehand, not
only in the Berlin papers, but also in
the journals of her native American
town. Both parties were obliged to Sc
cure certificates of the birth and bap-
tism of themselves and their parents
and to furnish an epitome of the family
histories down to date. There is ru-
NOR that testimony was even demanded
as to the number of times certain rela-
tives had been vaccinatSd and the sue
cess of the operation. The young wom-
ans father had died when away from
home and it was rather difficult to sat
isfy German authorities as to the man
ner of his taking off. Finally all the
papers arrived, and tho couple repaired
one day with their friends and witnesses
to the Office of the legal functionary in
whose hands their happiness reposed.
The legal functionery, of course, had
witnesses on his side. Tho Germans
the presence Of witnesses. If you quar-
rel with the guard on a railway train,
he Immediately summons another guard,
not to settle the dispute. but to witness
it, They put their two solemn heads to-
gether, shake them at each other and at
you, make copious notes OF the facts
and finally take themselves off This
bridal couple and friends were silently
surveyed by the band Of Witnesses
Then the bride was placed in one chair
and the bridegroom in another at a re-
spectful distance The papers were pro.
duoed. The bride told all about herself,
aud the bridegroom told all about him
self, and the friends and witnesses told
all about both OF them. The mother OF
tho bride assured the assembled com
pany that this man was not insidiously
defrauding her OF her daughter, The
company began TO breathe more freely
The bridegroom heaYed q sigh OF relief
The tired bride moved in her chair
wearily. But the legal funotiOnary was
not going 30 lot them of so easily lie
shoe his head over the papers, pursed
up his lips and then turned ON tho
whole crowd and asked them fieIcely for
their passports. OF course no ono had
such a thing about him, 30 tho jaded
bridegroom had % rush Of Ia drosky
20 secure as many as were necessary
Meantime a German couple appeared
Tl.HiT papers. 0f course, were all right
TIA 6eTman bridegroom took possession
Of tL0 American bridegroonl's vacant
chair. and il.s American bride, who, Wy
This time, was almost ln tears, yielded
hor scat % tho German bride Wy tho
limo they bad been safely laDnoheq upon
tho sea " married liio ihe passports hAA
boon found, and the Americans again
look tho chairs anq weIe nnally maae
man aud wife, % tho satisfaction ~ iho
legal fupetiopaIy, tbemselges enq lhslT
| fIlends
That wasnt all, ~ eopFse. Ghey haq
| o. rash of, afieF ibe legal funeliopaigF
| ~ bad boon paid, ~ 90 honor ~ mo
Drdinagy eaHYentionaliilpsi array lneNi.
ly.s iB iesial F0lss and io nlnl 300
. vi.