The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-14
tIeArEINe ooURTsHIP.
Ny,doy, Horn Near wheeling, Gsls An
o,her IIusbA,ld IN Forty Minutes.

4. Xy,do.y, Horn Near wheeling, Gela An
other IIusbAlld ~ Forty Minutes.
sbelbyyille, Indiana, correspondent
=, The New York World, writes; Forty
minutes Is rot a long time Tor eourtshlp
and marriage, but when a woman Of
sIxty.aye concludes that she wants to
veal and when she has plenty of prop
srty TO bestow on haf husband, arrange
ments can be quickly made. II took
less than three-quarters of an hour for
Mrs Mary A. Shaw and William
Downnrd to become acquainted, to de-
eide that It would be well for them to
marry and have the knot tied,
sixty-hye years ago Mary A. Stone
was born near Wheeling, w, Va. When
No was two years old her parents went
n Indiana. The parents died shortly
after their arrival. The daughter was
odopted by family named Grimes,
WHO raised her to womanhood and wit
messed her marriage to James H. Shaw.
Nary and James refused 10 follow the
Grlmeses In their removal TO the farther
west. and by hard labor and economical
pursuits. In a few years were regarded
as the largest landowners and wealth.
lest people in their section.
When there was "deadening to
clear Mary was on hand TO assist In the
work; when breaking up" time arrlV-
Cd Mary could be seen In the field be-
mind her own team. turning over as
much sod as did her husband or any
NJ the nelghborlng farmers. When corn
pantlng time arrived, Mary would as
sist James IN seeing that three grains
we're dropped In every hill" and when
"laylng by" time came no one could
outdo her In throwing the rich, mellow
ground against the tender young stalks.
Thus James and Mary continued for
Years, but finally the grim reaper"
gathered In the husband.
For two or three seasons the widow
became Indifferent regarding her broad
acres. and allowed her farm TO run
down" as well as her bank account.
Finally, about the year 1880 she deter
mined to buckle on the armor once more
and look properly after her interests.
She was alone In the world, without ev-
on a child but she employed proper
help and went to work with renewed
yigor. The result was that she was
soon again the rival OF all her neigh
bors. Her cribs were groaning from the
weight OF grain, and her bank account
was large.
This accomplished. she began to sigh
FOR some one to take the place OF her
lost james, She informed the neigh
bors Of her intentions, and they pre-
vailed upon her to dispel the thought.
For while she needed their advice,
but she again arrived at the conclusion
that she needed husband who would
look after her interests. There was no
one In the vicinity OF Blue Ridge whom
she thought kindly OF, and on last
Thursday morning. after attending to
her household duties, she hltched up her
span Of blacks and alone drove TO this
city. She went directly to the office OF
her attorneys, Tindan & Tlndall, and
informed them that she had tired OF
single blessedness, and that before re-
turning home she wanted to become n
married woman.
The attorneys were dumbfounded,b but
knew that the woman meant Just what
she said A hasty consultation was
held, and It was decided TO send the of
flee boy for William Downward, a poor.
but honest Kentuckian, who was at the
time engaged in doing some gardening
for one OF the Tindalls,
Downward, when he entered the law
office, presented anything but hand
some appearance. but he was presented
% the widow with proper apologies. and
Informed that he would make her an
IDEAL husband. The woman asked for a
private Interview with Downward, which
was granted. and In twenty minutes
they returned and asked that q magis-
trate be sent for. This was done, and in
exactly forty minutes from the time the
widow arrived. Justice H. d. Andrews
had made the pair man and wife.
The new husband was then taken ous
in town, given a bath, shave. two
suits Of clothes, q gold watch and the
following day a deed to one hundred
and sixty acres Of fine land. To-day,
when the reporter called upon them at
their comfortable home ten miles east OF
ths, city. Mr.. and Mrs. Downward were
found sorting out their brood sows, as,
said the bride, II and William have
decided not to feed our stock hogs lon
ger" After the work the reporter was
taken into the house. which Is hand
some country home. The bride was
profuse In her compliments Of her hus-
band, whom, she said. It seemed Prov
idenCe had sent to bless her in her de-
ellnlng days.
Downlrd, who is not homely man,
nor a "greener" by long way, exhib-
fled the property with pride.
I'VE have seven hundred acres in this
body" said william, "and a tract of
two hundred and forty acres over be-
yond the creek.
q have been so busy" he continued.
Since our marriage, that have not
been able as yet to cross over and zee
the othar place, but Mary tells me that
It Is the finest ground we have"
D0wnard said he was born in Scott
county, Kentucky, in the year 1854. He
wAs disappointed In love when nine
teen years OF age. and left his home
md parents. He wandered over the
west and settled down In Shelbyville.
three years ago, and on several coca
sons had been dependent: but he
sail, Il will, never be again"