The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-23

EDWARD GRIFFIN
ness Of taking clipping and other couples
to one or tho other of tho men of the cloth
whom he has driven into submission.
The situation may he said to DO without
parallel. 1t is not every city that has from
10000 to 1900 inhabitants and a lone
hackmnn. 1t is not every city of no mat
tor what population so favorably situated
by nature and tho connivanco of tho legis-
laturo of tho state in the matter of mar
riago licenses as Kenosha. Six miles south
from tho city limits no man can secure the
performance of tho marriage ceremony I'M
less he presents to tho magistrate or min
lister license duly issued according to tho
laws of Illinois. In Kenosha he docs not
need anything but the presence and OK
pressed assent of tho bride elect and some
officer qualified by law to mako them one
Hence 1t is that many couples unable to
evndo tho mandates of tho law on tho ILL
nois side of tho limo find it easy to assume
conjugal bonds on the other.
Edward Griffin has tho monopoly of
tho hack business In Kenosha for he has
tho depot privilege. No other man hns tho
right to bnck up to tho platform, seize tho
incoming travellers and take them whero
thoy want to go. Here is where he over
held the clergy in the game recently won
by him.
Griffin owns number of carriages, and
his charge for carrying runaway couples
to the parsonages is usually 81. Tho bust
ness Is u rushing ono, and Griffin observed
the ministers We're making n good deal of
money out of the fares he brought them.
Ho determined to have share of their
fees.
So ho let 1t be known among the mar
rying officers of Kenosha that visiting
cOnOlRS in Spprrh of tba <~f
trate or minister would be taken to that
man or men who would agree to compen-
safe the hackman who delivered tho load
and made 1t possible to earn goodly fee
thereby. Griffin pointed out to tho officers
that the law of Wisconsin, in emitting the
necessity for n license, had not failed to
stipulate tho amount of the fec which
could BIO collected by law. This is only
S1.5O. Now, no also shrewdly called to
mind tho fact that it is poor kind of
man who does not have So for such lob.
He therefore gave the marrying fraternity
to understand that he would be satisfied
with percentage of tho fees in all cases
where he carried tho couples to tho house
or Office
For q time this was all right. The
preachers consented, and tho hickman saw
that they got all tho business The ma
jority of those who visited tho city pre-
ferred tho services of minister anyway.
and he had no difficulty in steering tho
business as he saw fit. This was a good
thing for oil concerned. 1t increased
Griflin's receipts and made those of the
preacher more certain. Now, ON tho ba-
sis of 600 couples year and So couple it
will DO seen that the five or six ministers
and the hickman were dividing some
$4,000 between them
Rllt nlnS for thu fyran6 ,F ro15t nh.
men of the cloth assembled and conferred
They concluded as tho result of this con-
ference that Griffin was getting too much
or their proper perquisites. In fact, the
clorgymen struck. They told tho hack
man they would no longer divide with
him. Thoy would retain all the money
which came to them rs mon having tho
legal right to make man and woman man
and wife.
Here is whcro they made a mistake.
Kenosha has two magistrates At this
time Pennyfcather j. r., and Schacfcr.
j. p, were hungry for fees which come of
tying marriage knots. Griffin as the mo-
nopolist of tho industry was catered to by
these wise men of tho law. Tho ministers
were on u strike. The squires were men
of affairs and were willing to take half a
loaf in place of none Then there was q
diversion In favor of the squires The
clergy stuck 1t out for awhile. They tried
to arouse public sentiment against Griffin
and the magistrates, but without avail.
Tho public refused to take sides, and the
hickman magistrate alliance continued to
do thriving matrimonial business.
Then the ministers capitulated, but
the wicked jehu had them at his mercy
and refused to go back OH tho magistrate
who helped him out in his contest with
the clergy. Now no divides the business
between the sqnires and tho ministers, and
the latter must perforco DO content with
considerably diminished revenue from
runaway marriages.
How far is 1T from here to Brush
burg?" asked tourist of an old fellow
who was hoeing weeds in q field of
slckly corn down south. - as it far?"