The Portland daily press., 1899-05-13
Queer Ways in Which Some Propo.
sails Are Made.
Polly Owens Who Has
Had Fourteen Hus-
bands,
Aud a Musical Gypsy Who Has
Won Twenty-Five Wives.

Half round the world has Adam Pesh-
tn, the gypsy, travelled with his violin,
leaving behind him trail of twenty -one
wives, and who knows how many broken
hearts?
For women to listen to Peshta's music
was to love him. Under its magic spell
they endowed the slender, dark-skinned
man with all the graces Of a god.
He was q wanderer, Ike the Ministries
OF old. The high places had little attrac-
ticn for him. He was no trained musi-
clan. He plays as the birds sing-by In
stinct-because, 1t in his nature to draw
from q violin the most wonderful melo-
dies.
His fancy was aroused ms easily as the
tunes in his fiddle. He loved for day, a
week, or a month, marrying often, and
then going joyously on his way to anoth-
or place.
He has wife in Hungary. two in Tur-
key, two In Algiers, six in New York.
and others In Spain, France. and in diff
ferent parts of the United States-twen-
ty -one in all, each won by his music.
1t was only when he ran away with a
girl of IL, whom he says he loves best of
all, that Peshta knew what trouble was.
He and his violin will charm no more
hearts, for he must pass six years in the
Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia
why Is more than Pc hta can understand.
New York World.
CURIOUS PROPOSALS.
There is more method, perhaps, than
modesty In the recent proposal to the
world at lakge Of a Japanese lady, who
advertises: 81 am beautiful woman,
with cloud-i like hair. howery facs, will
low-like waist, and crescent eyebrows. i
have enough property to walk through
life hand in hand, gazing at the flowers
in the day. and at the moon at night. II
there is a gentleman who Ia clever,
lear ed, handsome, and of good taste, l
will join with him for life and share the
pleasure of being buried in the same
grave"
One of the most unconventional and
startling proposals on record was that OF
Lorenzo Dow, an eloquent and popular
Methodist minister. Mr.. Dow had
mourned his first wife for year, and
thought 1t was high time to replace her.
One day at the close of his sermon he
electrified his congregation by announce
ing: 81 am q candidate for matrimony,
and If any woman In this congregation
would care to take me, let her rise. y
After a modest interval two ladies rose
from their seats, one at the foot of the
pulpit and the other at the back OF the
church. The reverend gentleman inspect
ed them for moment and then said:
GAS the one nearest to Inc was the first
to rise, will make her my wife; and
now We will slug Hymn No. =" Such
an nudacious proposal deserved the happy
union which followed 1t, and Mr.. Dow
was not the less contented with his choice
because she was amply supplied with
this worlds goods
Only few weeks ago 1t was recorded
that famous performer on the trapeze
proposed to his wife when they were
swinging in midair from the same bar,
ouu AZ = ACOoAo ohAPWASSA uo -
named Hammer was so much struck by
the cou rage and beauty OF young gov
erness who ESCAPED in the same boat as
himself that before they were rescued he
had secured her promise to be his wife. -
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
MARRIED HIS COOK.
a M.nohastor ,,y,n n propouucad ani
cure, possessed a perfect treasure in .
cook, regarded by all his friends with
covetous eyes. One of these, who may be
called Jones, to whom the delights of the
table were the zenith of bliss, managed
by the bait of high wages to allure the
culinary artist from her situation, and
| to install her In his own kitchen.
| Driven to desperation at his loss, her
| old master sought an interview, and by
promising marriage induced her to return
| to her allegiance. In due course the we'd
| ding took place. and for q time all went
we'll. Then once again the treachsrous
Jones appeared upon the scene. and by
speoious vows, adroit flattery, and poll.
tic presents, induced his friends wife to
desert her husband and hor home. "A
few weeks ago, however, the lady, hav-
ing first assured herself that forgiveness
awaited her, returned to her duty. An.
swers.
IT WAS HIS WIFE.
Last autumn a Liverpool tradssman
named Burnett, who had recently taken
unto himself q wife. read in a local paper
some .gushing serses sigued "Niobe. :