The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-14
MARRIED TO A HOBO.
STRANGE ALLIANCE or MRS. BERG, A
RICH MINNESOTA WIDOW.

For Two Years. Now Controls n Farm
and Bank Account.
A short time ago Alfred Maxwell |
was penniless, seedy looking tramp,
without prospects, without friend and
without pillow to lay his head OH.
Today he is well dressed, handsome |
man, with a good home, a prosperous |
business and, best of all, a loving wife. |
This sudden and remarkable transfer |
nation was brought about by the mar
riage of Maxwell to Mrs. Catherine
Berg, one of the richest women in Crow |
Wing county, MINI.
Mrs. Berg was pretty, buxom widow
of 30 and is we'll known throughout
that section as the owner of the Berg
dairy farm. Four years ago her husband
died, and the farm of 40 acres, with its
we'll kept buildings, its cows, horses and
chickens, passed into her ownership.
With the assistance of hired man and
hired girl Mrs. Berg conducted the
| farm with great success, and it is said
that she has snug deposit with ST.
| Paul bank Her good looks, amiable
| disposition and abundance of worldly
| goods attracted the attention of nearly
every matrimonially inclined man
within a radius of many miles, but
their attentions, though graciously re-
ceived, were always checked at the most
interesting stage
After awhile it began to be generally
remarked that Mrs. Berg never would
marry again. The only sutton remaining
was st. Paul commission man who
had met the woman many times in a
business way. He, encouraged by the
widows lively manner, became more
attentive day by day. On a recent even
ing he called at her home as usual, but
great surprise was in store for him.
He was met at the door by Mrs. Berg's
hired girl, who, instead of inviting him
to walk into the parlor, as she had in
variably done on previous occasions,
held the door partly ajar as If in doubt
as to whether the gentleman should be
admitted.
lis Mrs. Berg at homer" politely
asked the commission man
"She is, SIR" sharply answered the
domestic; "that is, Mrs. Maxwell is
home, but she 8 with her husband. She's
married to hobo, sir. ;"
The wonder stricken caller was ush-
cred into the sitting room, and there he
saw,the woman he loved sitting at Ia
BILE with the seediest individual he had
ever seen and smiling sweetly upon him.
"This is my husband, said the bride
as she arose. 'We were married this
, afternoon, you see. Our courtship was
not very long, but think got the kind
of man wanted at last, and wanted
the thing done up at once for fear he'd
get away"
Mrs. Berg first saw her second hus-
!, band on the evening before their mar
= rage. An hour or two after milking
time she and her hired girl were sitting
. at the kitchen table when there was I
!, loud knock OH the door. 1t was tramp
and he wanted something to eat. by
!, the order of Mrs. Berg he was brough
into the kitchen, and while devourins
:, the cold lunch was subjected to a cate
= chism of questions concerning his pas
= life. At the conclusion of the repast tn
q tramp requested permission to sleep II
. the barn that night, and, greatly to hi
= surprise, received permission to sleep II
9 the house with the hired man. Sitting
= at the kitchen table for several hours
: the tramp amused the three other occu
pants with stories and songs and toll
4 of his own experiences as a knight Q
. the ties without attempting to concea
- the fact that he was nothing but pen
=, niless tramp and had been for severa
:, years. Mrs. Berg suddenly asked him:
care you married."
He replied that he had been marie
years ago, but had lost his wife and ba
h by, and since then had never consldere
=, himself worthy of n second wife. Sh
,s asked him if he would marry If he &c
= chance, and he replied that he woul
o. if he thought he could get a woma
40 able to make man OF him.
\ Would you like to marry me!' al
- ruptly asked the buxom widow.
40 He took the question as joke, b'
30 quickly replied that he would mari
"A her tomorrow morning if he could rai'
- money enough to pay the minister. 81
he the pretty widow was not joking. 81
=, wanted a husband whom she though
she could get along with. and so II
formed the astonished tramp. Encou
aged by her remarks, he made form
II. proposal. She accepted without hesit
Nv tion. The ceremony was performed
n the nearest minister the next day, al
a the following morning Alfred Maxwell
the ex. tramp, clearly shaved and nea
ex " attired, assumed control OF the TAR
,e- and the bank account.-New fol
to Times.