The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-23
BURROUGHS MARRIAGE Plant.
Beautifully Situated for Making Runaway
Couples One and at Homo.
From a. Hartford courant.

From ne Hartford CourdHt.
The Rev. A. 81. BurrouRhs, perhaps better
known as "Parson Burroughs" OF the city Of
Bristol. Tenn. probably bears the distinction
Of marrying the most runaway couples during
the last nine years OF any licensed clergyman
in this country. Parson Burroughs Is an or
dAined Baptist minister OF the State Of Vir-
ginia. In August. 1888. he decided to give up
regular preaching and moved to Bristol. Tenn.
where he leased the Nickles House and estab-
lished himself in the hotel business. The hotel
building is a two-story and very dilapidated
He soon discovered that his location and his
6rst four months Of his hotel life he had been
Of 4 Being runawyaye couples. and In the case
Of either one nr both OF the contracting parties
t @sg 81 T sSsip f iesi1@ %arrieS in o tSs stste w Rh eas
States Of Virginia or West yirginia. BE made
laws In the State Of Tennessee permitted the
marriage OF any woman Of II years Of age or
without the consent OF their parents or guard:
iAns. while In the States OF Virginia and West
m wigstnb5s lie ebta i0ede for q b6 5hs P Parsies Or fce eS ~ Sesa
The hotel Kept by Parson Burroughs was
WHAT Is Known IS 8 The 1TTinn S SfitSp'' + has q pops
ticalIy- in the centre BY It's. Main street. The
ne centre q i TSl R, stTsgs. ~ The :, Union deD9t
and the Nickles House. where Parson. Bur:
ropEhS prss!ass. is on the TenWnsSssse side and
parson got these conditions all figured out he
decided that keeping, q hotel. preaching on
away couples II mot wholly consistent. would
be q, source Of profit. besides making q lot OF
people, very grateful to him. 4 little judicioqs
During . recent interview, Parson Bur
rapidly until he reached his maximum num-
Der for a single year. as follows: In the Last
ESGr in %9 Hssh. S. 8 4 Z 9sso J. IT, RfrriH TEls last da 1 5sSs
was during the boom which, at that time was
SPREADING all over the South and which soon
year runaway marriages have not been quite
so, plenty. and the parson has not kept his
large number Of, $50. an average Of over 80 a
year. M9EEriq E1, =liSeP nIsst in 4 Te J ar are Is,
sppolnted. The deputy IN the city Of Bristol
Is John R. snow. and one OF the recent licenses
made an. clipping couple happy read as follows:
state OF Tennessee. county Of sullivan;
Of the Peace Of s9ullIyan-dreeting:'' You or
either Of you are hereby authorized 70 solem-
agreeable to the direction Of thu, e, q Assem-.
O' Parso oHV Ba r. EbSI iel q himself thai he
has never married q couple where the bride
y Tss SRffba Bride dt S sns % Snlg s4I 10 q III man E 81 ge u;
old, With one couple which the parson mgr
Of ali ages and social and financial conditions.
In nearly every case there was some. circum-
to get married in almost any other State but
Tennessee. While most OF the couples who
ff9ln rSin 10 6 See w eafETRR Ire II Rs lis %sr record fS shows l5 fSe
email quota; NoFth YarollPs, Kentucky Ohio,
DqHf e s%id that ssf he ai W. yas LETT fs The matter matt sS 81 the
s sSlt e tS Sas f Eis fees Ra q rune rune s al fRS w WAY from fns ae a
"thanE-yoq-sir' to $40. But the mere fee Is
DSt sae h Ssl S.t teiG IN II iT Sis h sas RaT %o eSsy br Thi
chambers. and 1t ie not uncommon for the
newly married, e9lple to decide to stay all
course. gets q liberal fee for their entertain
ment, He remembered one occasion when
S SSth GrIds oo SaS%oefHf S ~S siso 0GSS sspS on 1y h nSSiS
signed FOR framing. for which: when properly
oents 70 81. This matter 81 a ceTtihcSte he
claims. is o very popular feature OF his bust
the best possible evidence OF their new rela-
t a9athy T nSsept Rss fSs 9Srsfvs sns%Ssi'e' 70 'h'ir
Parson burroughs. as the time for the arr.
val Of the trains approaches. puts on his most
Lers over TO the passenger station, couple
bent on getting married should alght from
look to detect their errand. He, has q quiet
way OF. slipping up 70 them and letting them
after. Then. taking them In a carriage, II they
are rich enough TO pay for II. and on foot II they
are rot. he esSorts them 70 the deputy County
to the Nlekles House. whore the knot 10 firmly
tied In the shortest possible time. 1t IL said In
Bristol that so expert has the parson become
tina he never makes o mistake. He never ap.
proaches the wrong PARTY or allows the right
party to escape him. TX