Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-08-05
MARRIED TO A HOBO.
STRANGE ALLIANCE OF MRS. BERG, A
RICH MINNESOTA WIDOW.

RICH MINNESOTA WIDOW.
A Ragged Tramp Asked For Food and
Shelter and Got 1t and Wife-vagrant
FOR Two Years. Now Controls 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 ON.
Today he is a we'll dressed, handsome
man, with good home. prosperous
business and, best of all, loving wife.
This sudden and remarkable transfor-
nation was brought about by the mar
riage of Maxwell to Mrs Catherine
Berg, one of the richest women in Grow
Wing county, Mimi.
Mrs. Berg was pretty, buxom widow
of S5 and is well 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
well kept buildings it's COWS, horses and
chickens, passed into her ownership.
With the assistance of a hired man and
a 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 matrimoniaIly 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 suitor remaining
was a ST. Paul commission man who
had met the woman many times in
business way. He, encouraged by the
widows lively manner, became more
attentive day by day. On 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
Is Mrs. Berg at homer" politely
asked the commission man
"She is, sir /" sharply answered the
domestic; that is, Mrs. Maxwell is
home, but she's 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 a la
BILE with the seediest individual he had
ever seen and smiling sweetly upon him.
''This is my husband, said the bride
as she arose. 'sWe were married this
afternoon, you see. Our courtship was
not very long, but think 1 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 a
loud knock on the door 1t was tramp.
and he wanted something to eat. By
the order of Mrs. Berg he was brought
into the kitchen, and while devouring
the cold lunch was subjected to a cate
! chism of questions concerning his past
life. At the conclusion of the repast the
tramp requested permission to sleep in
the barn that night, and, greatly to his
surprise, Eaceiyed permission to sleep in
the house with the hired man. Sitting
at the kitchen table for several hours,
the tramp amused the three other ooeu-
| pants with stories and songs and told
of his own experiences as a knight Of
the ties without attempting to conceal
the fact that he was nothing but pen
niless tramp and had been for several
years. Mrs. Berg suddenly asked him:
care you married."
He replied that he had been married
years ago, but had lost his wife and ba-
by, and since then had never considered
himself worthy of a second wife. She
asked him if he would marry if he got
a chance, and he replied that he would
if he thought he could get woman
j able to make man of him.
"Would you like to marry me?" ab-
ruptly asked the buxom widow.
He took the question as joke, but
quickly replied that he would marry
her tomorrow morning if he could raise
money enough to pay the minister. But
the pretty widow was not joking. She
wanted a husband whom she thought
she could get along with, and SO in
formed the astonished tramp Encour-
aged by her remarks, he made formal
proposal She accepted without hesita-
tion. The ceremony was performed by
the nearest minister the next day, and
the following morning Alfred Maxwell,
the ex- tramp, cleanly shaved and neat
ly attired, assumed control of the farm
and the bank account. New York
Times.