The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-18
GEO. MARTINS ROMANCE.
An Interesting Story About His APP
preaching Marriage.

It was announced in Topeka the
other day, says Frank Montgomery In
the Kansas City Journal, that Mr.,
George W. Martin and Mrs. Josephine
Blakely would be married before the
beginning of the new year. There is
not exactly a romance connected with
the matrimonial intentions of Mr.
Martin and Mrs. Blakely, but about
the affair there Is something so har-
monious and coy and homelike that 1t
really is distinguished from the ordi-
nary. In 1858 Mrs. Blakely came with
her parents to Junction City, where
George Martin had started his news
paper, called the Union. The two
formed a part Of the small society of
friends, indeed, but not in the lover
like way which leads on to marriage.
In time Miss Josephine married Mr..
William S. Blakely, a hustling young
business man of the place. and Mr..
Martin also chose a partner in his joys
and woes. Between 1861 and 1864 Mr..
B1akely and Mr.. Martin were partners
in the publication of the Union, and
the families became united in business
as they already were in friendship.
After the latter year, however, Mr..
Blakely engaged in mercantile pur-
suits, and, at the time of his death in
1885, he was the leading hardware
dealer Of central Kansas. hTe Blake
lys ha dsix children and the Martins
three. all grown to maturity, and all
of whom are now rejOiced at the COM
ing allanco between their parents. Inc
intimacy between the two families viii
be well understood from the fact that
Blakely named his first born George
W. Martin-the same now being a
prosperous business man in the state
of Oregon
There was a wonderful similarity
between the careers of Martin and
Blakely. Both served as postmaster,
mayor and member of the legislature.
Blakely exceeded Martin by getting to
the state senate for a term or two.
Both were newspaper men and both
good citizens, and, If we remember
Alright, they served side by side as
deacons in John A. Anderson's Presby-
terrain congregation.
Nearly two years ago Martin lost his
wife, and since then he has been an
uneasy and suffering vOyager upon the
sea of domestic life. Mrs. Blakely is
a handsome matron of 3d. or five years
younger than her promised husband.
For a year or more the mutual friends
In Junction City and elsewhere have
been getting their heads together and
wondering why these old friends didn't
associate their declining years under
the same roOftree. It is limited that the
children put in a word here and there,
and that influences worked generally
until the engagement came about in a
way "sorter material" The newspaper
men Of Kansas would give forty sub
scriptions to know how George popped
the question. It is dollars to dough-
nuts that som ewhere in the exercises
he laughed loud enough TO raise the
roof. A few months ago, when some
joker rallied him about hanging
around the Blakely mansion in Topeka
so much, he replied: There is one
secret society to which 1 belong that
has ritual longer than the book of
Moses. The only clause in it that I
can remember is that you must al
ways go to see the Widdersa But,
joking aside. the wide circle of ac-
quaintanees enjoyed by both these peo-
nile rvfII he ola he n ms 7.1-xy
It is surely a happy and appropriate
union.