The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-12
MARRIAGE LAWS IN CUBA.
AND THE DIsAGREEABLE IMPRESS
SION THEY MADE ON A SUFFERER.

AND THE DISAGREEABLE IMPRESS
SION THEY MADE ON A SUFFERER.
a Savannah Girl Who Recently Went
Through the Ordeal Writes an In
terestinR Descriptive Account of
Her TriaIS-The Bundles of Red
Tape That Go to the Tying of the
NuptiaI Knot in the Pearl of the
Antilles The Judge and His
Scribes and Their SoIemnly Funny
Actions-That Functionary Failed
TO Keep His Engagement With
Contracting Parties.
A Savannah young woman, who recent
ly went through the ordeal of marriage
in accordance with the rites and Gus
toms observed in the Pearl of the An
titles. has written an interesting account
OF some of the necessary preliminaries
TO one of her friends in this city.
To one accustomed TO the neatness ce-
lerity and dispatch with which these
things are, or may be- transacted in the
states, the Cuban customs seem TO con-
stitute rather distressing barrier. The
heroine of the present story sums up her
advice to those Americans, who chance
to be in Cuba when they are struck with
the desire to commit matrimony in a
word or two: Take a transport and go
back to the states" She describes the
marriage laws and customs thus humor-
ously:
The church service is not considered
legal here, and has to be prefaced by a
civil service This service is conducted by
a judge and three scribes. All the records
are kept in triplicate, and In different de-
post vaults, so the record of a marriage
in Cuba cannot be very well lost
First one has 10 secure from the Judge
of the district in which one last resides
a Ger ificate as to character, etc. To this
must be added a certificate of birth,
certificate of baptism and a sworn and
detail account of ones residence, where.
and how long continued in each place. A
certificate of the death If it has occurred
of either or both of your parents, your
age, sworn to- occupation and intentions
are also among the preliminaries. The Of
fetal notice of the approaching wedding
has to be published for fifteen days be-
forehand, and all papers filed with the
judge at least ten days before the princi-
pal event is to take place
After all this is done, the judge and
his scribes seat themselves very pompous-
ly and write 1t all in the three books be-
fore you, the judge debating TO the scrlbes.
and then you sign and swear TO the state
ments made in the three books OF course,
If you don't know any Spanish you are
apt to get muddled, but then the judge
will tell you that it really doesn't matter,
but just to sign anyway. No one will ever
care one way or the other.
After everything is signed, and all has
been translated to you, you are told to
stand up. This you do with as good grace
as you can muster, and then the judge
turns to the man and says: will yer TAX
di for good or bad, eh?' He is supposed to
answer Yes Then the judge turns to
the woman and says: You TAX he?' If
her answer Is in the affirmative, he asks
them both: You sure you want marry,
eh?' Then he instructs you as to what
your duties are. You are supposed to live
together in mutual love, respect and ODE
dience. (Note the last word, it refers TO
both). If the man should go away
TO a foreign country the woman and her
friends are 90 take steps either to send
her after him or to bring him back. The
woman is not supposed TO go away One
must be good-tempered and cheerful, and
in times of trouble smile and be happy.
Judge asks you If you will do "all dees,"
and then says; "Now, it done-you be
married Then he holds out his hand
for his fee. which is given him in
envelope. He opens the envelope. counts
the gold, smiles benignly, beckons TO his
scribes; they line up, and all shake hands
with the bride and then with the groom,
telling her to be "muchee good" and wish
ing him good luck"
Together, with the broken English, the
Dickens-like character of the man and the
incongruity of the whole thing. II was not
a single bit sacred to us.
In the present instance there were fur
Their complications even than these the
marriage laws themselves supplied. The
judge and his assistant had agreed to be
on hand at a certain time, but shortly be-
fore the hour named he came to announce
that he could not MI the engagement.
He made this announcement with an en-
gaging neivite that disarmed the anger
of the principal sufferers, and they made
an immediate change in their own plans.
The religious ceremony was celebrated
first, the civil function being deferred I'M
til a later hour in the evening. when the
convenience of the magistrate permitted
his attendance.