The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-18
QUEER WEDDINGS.
DECISIONS WHEN oODITY WAS AN
IMPRESSIVE FEATURE.


Freaks Who Have Been Joined In We'd
IeeI-sIany Cases Of Marriage by Proxy.
welded by Phonograph - symboiical
Marriages Of India
The conventional idea Of wedding
ices not agree with the tastes of some
peonle. and OCCASIONALLY very eccentric
and sometimes romantic marriage cero-
,noujes are solemnized. Men and wom-
en- entirely opposite in disposition and
character frequently unite in the holy
bonds of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. mucn
10 their mutual regret This peculiar
fact. il would seem, also applies TO oddl-
ties OF human nature. in many OF the
travelling shows the freaks who help TO
draw money from the public intermar-
~. and il is not an unusual thing 10
ind the fat man welded TO the skeleton
woman and the tattOoed man 10 the
bearded lady.
Mrs. Hannah Battersby, who one
time toured the country as fat won-
an. was married to a Pennsylvania
man. and 1t Is stated as a curious fact
that no sooner were they married than
she began 10 lose flesh and he TO gain
ii. BIS weight increased so rapidly that
he soon took TO exhibiting himsef as
fat man An exception TO this rule OF
contrast, however. was Colonel Glover,
the giant who stood 6 feet inches de
was welded TO Martha Peabody, the
American giantess. Several years ago,
when they appeared in public together,
they used TO receive as much as 500
week
The Italian consular agent at Clncin-
nati performed the most peculiar mar
riage ceremony On record. The groom
was well 10 90 resident Of the Ohio
CITY, and his bride lived in Italy. The
contracting parties were thousands CT
miles apart when the wedding was per
formed, the marriage being by proxy.
The consul filed in a blank certificate,
which he forwarded TO authorities II
Italy. who in the presence Of the parish
priest exhibited it before the bride, who
affixed her signature, accepting II as her
action. The marriage was perfectly
binding
a va-- similar ceremony was PER
formed some time ago The affair took
place by rroxy, and Miss Maple was
married hv clergyman in New York
TO IAN who at the time Of the mar
mace lay dy-ng IN = Texas town The
br rderrc0n was represented ii the cere-
--..-- 80 ti-, s,--,7as- ac,,-5r. xr-Ir ,onIa
the necessary responses and signatures
as his proxy. The two lovers had been
engaged FOR long time, and Miss
MaDle wished 20 bear the name Of her
betrothod even though she could do SO
only as widow.
The all important ring Is sometimes
forgotten, and in more than one case
the door key Of the church has had to
DO duty, but it is not often that portions
OF the marriage service are omitted IL
a southern town. however, little while
ago, after the party had left the church,
Ii was discovered that the clergyman
had forgotten the words, with tins
ring ! thee wed" etc, thus relieving
the briCeg groom Of the most serious part
OF his obligations. and the fair bride
was minus a welding ring. Instead Of
sitting down to the breakfast the party
hurried back to the church and II ere thus
practically married twice in one day.
Cupid ran amuck some years ago
among the old folk Of Georgia town.
An old soldier. IS years Of age, led to
the altar an aged damsel who had seen
- summers. There were three brides
maids, whose ages respectively were 90,
6S and 20. They were all spinsters.
The best man, who was 20, brought tho
combined ages up to z23 years.
An unusual kind of marriage was
celebrated in New York recently. This
was between a couple both deaf and
dumb They held prayer books while
friend pointed out the different passages
in the service as they were spoken by
the clergyman, and they made the Gus
tomary responses in the deaf and dumb
alphabet.
An ingenious couple once conceived
the idea of being married by phono-
graph. In the place where the bride
groom resided be and the minister went
over the marriage service, and he recited
the proper responses into the instrument
The phonograph was sent to the lady,
she willingly supplying the requisite,
Il VIII, " and Il co" in the presence Of
her pastor, who then pronounced the
pair united IN matrimony. No explana-
ton is given Of how they got over the
difficulty of the ring.
a well known anthroPOloglst, in de-
scribing various marriage customs, re-
fers 10 4 strange sort Of symbolical mar
riage which Is supposed TO have orici-
mated in India Ii Is a marriage with
tTees. plants, animals and inanimate
objects. II any one proposes to enter
upon a union which is not in accordance
with traditional ideas, it is believed
that i'll luck which is sure TO follow
may be averted by a marriage Of this
kind, the evil consequences being borne
by the object chosen. In various regions
"A girl must not marry before her eldest
sister, but the difficulty is overcome by
the eldest daughter marrying the branch
If a tree. Then the wedding Of the
younger daughter may safely be cole-
brated. Buffalo Express.