The herald., 1897-05-04
HOW MANY FOOLISH GIRLS
ARE SACRIFICED TO SATISFY
A SOCIAL REQUIREMENT
An Industry That Promises to Grow
at San Pedro-A Late Judge
on Sea-Marriages

notable by reason OF the NUMBER OF mar
riages. The licenses issued from the
county clerks office during the six days
of last week, while not phenomenally
great in number have been decidedly
above the average.
Friday is known In the marriage IL
cense office as Fish day." for the reason
that rigid Catholics and even many
Episcopalians will not select that day
upon which to procure license, or be
married. A still larger number Of peo-
pie, however. are tainted with the old
superstition regarding the i'll luck that
attends any venture begun on Friday.
and for that reason refuse to take any
chances by obtaining a marriage license
on that day. But last week even the
Friday record was broken and several
licenses were issued from the county
clerks office.
1t is somewhat difficult to account for
this sudden boom in the marriage mar
ket. True, it is said that Sin the spring
time young mans fancy lightly turns
to thoughts of love-" but to accept that
as the sole explanation of the situation
would be to view through a poetical
| 6AoA4OA SOAAStAlA6 that AOWed~QdyS -
eminently practical-loosely so, indeed.
Only last Monday the amendment to the
marriage law of the state, making it
illegal for any divorced person to re-
marry within twelve months from the
date of divorce, went into effect. 1t might
be thought that the enforcement of this
new provision would have reduced the
number of licenses issued below the
that If the licenses that were refused
had not been barred by the new law
then the marriages of last week would
have been considerably more numerous
than they were.
YOUTHFUL MARRIAGES
But there were two things noticeable
in the business done. First, the number
Of girls under 20 years of age who were
about to be married, and of these not
few under legal age and obtained Ii
cense with the written consent of the
parents; and, secondly, the anxiety of
the recent divorcee when refused a IL
cense to learn of some method by which
he or she might get around the law.
REFUSED TO PAY MARRIAGE FEES
Indeed, the sanctity surrounding the
marriage tie is not regarded very keenly
II the actions of many of the bride
grooms be taken as criterion Of value
Justice Young is called upon to unite
many doting CD couples. and the law
fixes his remuneration at SO for each
marriage at which he presides. 1t is the
commonest thing for the young fellow,
who it might be supposed would be too
erraptured to quibble over money mat
ters, to protest against paying anything
at all and make an earnest attempt to
beat down the legal charge for making
him. as the world regards it, the happiest
OF men. Last Thursday such con-
tentious individual maintained that he
had paid 50 for license and he thought
that enough The justice being obdur-
ate this Benedict swore that all the
money he had was 81, and with this re-
bated fee Justice Young had to be per-
force content.
But while the marriage bond of young
people is altogether too lightly assumed
the amendment to the marriage law, ii
present indications mean anything
bcdes trouble. Trouble, not perhaps in
a legal way, but in further sapping OF
the moral sense of the community Di-
vorced persons who desire to wed again
within the prohibited term of twelve
months, have three courses of action
oren to them and each Of these has
been discussed during the very first
week of the enforcement of the new law
% 70 pay the railroad fare to the Ari.
zona border and be legally married in
the territory; (2) to go to San Pedro and
proceed in boat outside the three-mili
limit and be married by the master ol
the boat; (3) or live together as husband
ard wife until the legal time has elapsed
and then be married
ROMANTIC MODE OF MARRIAGE
1t is not probable for reasons unneces-
sary to enumerate that the first plan
will be adopted by many couples; a
precedent for the second has already
been established and threatens to be-
come popular, and the third plan Is not
without its advocates.
Some years ago the marriage at sea
: was quite the fashion a San Francisco
for young eloping couples or for thos;
older ones who desired to be thoughi
romantic. But for some time these sea
marriages have not been popular, and
with some reason, while here there
is a strong possibility that they will be-
quite the vogue. On Monday last-tht
day the new law became. operative
Ernest C. Travant, young fellow of q
years, and Florence I. Cooper, a very
pretty girl of 10 summers, made applica'
ton in the county clerks office for 9
marriage license. Travant has figured
ir. the divorce court within the year, ane
so the license was refused.
On Tuesday they appeared in the re
corder's office, with faces wreathed IL
smiles at the idea that they had accom-
, piished what the law forbade. and file'
} document, of which the following Is {
; copy:
AT SEA, April 27, 1897
On board yawl Leone of San Pedro
Alex Smith Master In latitude 80 de
grees, 3S minutes, 33 five-tenth seconds
north, longitude 11S degrees, 16 minutes, !
: nineteenth seconds, or in time hours
SO minutes. four-hundredths seconds. =.
This is to certify. that l. Alex Smitl
made Ernest Trebant, aged twenty-hv
: years, and Florence l. Cooper age nine
teen years, both of Los Angeles, man an
wifewife, this night at $50 p. m.
ERNEST TRABANT.
FLORENCE /. COOPER.
( Witnesses, Robert Bell, mate. Alex
: Smith, master.
: After being refused marriage licens
$ on Monday this young couple set thei
= wits to work, and also had the benefi
: of the wisdom Of their friends, and Il