Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-10-08
ODD FEATURES AT WEDDINGS.

Men and women entirely different in
disposition and character frequently
unite in the holy bolds of matrmony-
sometimes much 10 their mutual re-
grct. In many of The travelling shows
the freaks who help tC draw money
from the public ntermarry, and il is
not an unusual thing to find the fat
man married to the skeleton woman
and the tattooed man to the bearded
lady.
Mrs. Hannah 3attersby, who one
time toured the country as a fat wom-
man, and it is stated as u curious fact
that no sooner Wee they married than
she began to lose flesh and he to gain
it. His weight Increased so rapidly
that he soon took to exhibiting him
self as q fat man. An exception to
this rule of contrast, however, was
Colonel Glover, the giant who stood
feet Z inches. He was welded to
Martha Peabody, the American giant
ess.
The Italian consular I"snt at Gin
cinnati performed the most peculiar
marriage ceremony en- record. The
groom was a well-to no resident of the
Ohio city and his b,ide lived in Italy.
The contracting parties were thousands
of miles apart when the wedding was
performed the marriage being by
proxy. The consul filled in a blank
certificate, which he forwarded to the
authorities in Italy, who in the pres
ence of the parish lliest, exhibited it
before the bride, who affixed her sigma
turo, accepting it IS her action. The
marriage was perfectly binding.
A very similar ceremony was per-
formed some time ago. The affair
took place by proxy, and Miss Maple
was married by Il clergyman in New
York to a man who 1T the time of the
marriage lay dying IN n Texas town.
The bridegroom was represented i'll
the ceremony by 'he brides cousin,
who made the necessary responses and
signatures as his proxy. The two low
ers had been engaged for long time,
and Miss Maple wished to bear the
name of her bcsrOvued even though
she could do so only as n 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 L0t often that por-
lions of the marriage service are omit
ted. In southern town, however, a
little while ago, after the party had left
the church, it was discovered that the
clergyman had forgotten the words,
wit tins ring | thee we'd" etc, thus
relieving the bridegroom of the most
serious part of the obligations, and
the fair bride WAS minus wedding
ring. Instead Of sitting down to
breakfast the party hurried back to the
church, and We're thus practically mar
ried twice in one day.
Cupid ran amuck some years ago
among the old folks OF Georgia town.
An old soldier, rs wears of age. led to
the altar an aged damsel who had seen
~ summers. There were three brides
maids, whose ages respectively were
60, IS and 20. They we're all spinsters
The best man, Who was IS, brought
the combined ages up to 423 years.
An unusual kind of marriage was
celebrated III New York recently This
was between ,ouple both deaf and
dumb, They held prayer books while
friend pointed out the different pas
sages in the service as they We're
spoken by the clergyman, and they
made the customary responses In the
deaf and dumb alphabet
An ingenious couple once conceived
the idea of being married by phono-
I graph. In the place VI ere the bride
/ groom resided he and the minister
4 went over the marriage service. and he
/ recited the proper responses into the
4 instrument. The photograph was sent
to the lady, she Willingly supplying
the requisite n will and Il do" in the
presence of her pastor who then pro-
nounced the pair united in matrimony.
4 No explanation is given OF how they
got over the difficulty OF the ring.