Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
MOCK MARR|AGECRAzE
New York Seems to Be Its
FaVorite Haunt.
SOME SPECIAL CASES
SOME OF THE VICTIMS MAKE
BEST OF IT
Others From Necessity Have to Seek
the Divorce Courts at
SOME SPECIAL CASES

: tsCal Correspondence OF The Evening star
NEW YORK. May 16. 1902
New York city and its cnvirons still main
taius it's clutch on the championship for
the Indulgence of It's young persons in that
inlbeCile species of fun which consists In
the contraction Of mock marriages at par
ties. picnics and other little social blow
outs. About forty young couples were In
advertentIy but sOlidly riveted together for
life at a picnic over on Long Island last
summer. The ubiquitous idiot who, had he
not been attending the picnic, would prob
ably have been joyously rocking boat
containing a couple of screaming young
women in the stern sheets. riding his baby
on a seat in front of his bicycle or yelling
fire in theater, was of course the IN
dividual who made the suggestion that a
few mock marriages would liven up things.
The idiots mental vacuity, however, was
not sufficient reason why the forty young
couples should fall to his proposition
They did nevertheless, with great enthusl-
asm. and a young fellow who was attending
the picnic from a neighboring village.
known to be a lawyer, and therefore, famll-
lar with the civil contraction of marriages.
was chosen to tie the picnic knots. The
forty ceremonies were gone through with
with great blitheneSS and 1Oviallty, rings
being employed and everything done &C
cording to the regular canonS.
The young lawyer who officiated at the
mock marriages, as they were, OF course,
thought to be, was such a fool that he had
quite forgotten. before entering upon his
funny task that he had taken the oath as
Justice OF the peace of his little Long Island
village only two days before. He became
suddenly pale with the recollection. Wnen,
of course il was too late, and mentioned
the matter to some of the mock married;
They were enraged. He had to run and
h. baA kODW how Inc Victims
couldn't be convinced that he wasn't aware
all the time that he was tying perfectly
legal matrimonial knots They were all
legal. as matter of fact, ana the picnic
broke up in an uproar. and few days
later some thirty-two applications for dl-
vorce were entered in a bunch in Brook-
Iyn court. Seven or eight of the young
couplaS thus inVoluntarily mated, decided
10 stand pat Three of these are already
divorced from each other, and man VINO
has watched the development says that
none of the other couples manages 10 get
on very well in double harness.
Another Case in Point.
A still more virulent outbreak of the
mock marriage foolishness occurred at
largely attended Jewish lawn fete up IN
Westminster county a week or so ago. Inc
young folks who attended this outdoor
party all belonged 10 wealthy and proml-
reut Hebrew families and there were plenty
~ Young IdII4tu ptpHlS tAhiNA4S N4iN
semblage. The idiot who suggests mock
marriages upon such occasions happened
10 he present. and his suggestion was re-
Caived with acclaim, as Such Suggestions
usually are. particularly by the young Wo-
men. \ mock marriage is a thing. seem.
inEiy that appeals TO the imaginatons or
most young women as something plquan..
Some 100 young couples, many or them al
ready married, We're bound together Tor
life lIuon the lawn after the regular ritual
OF the Jewish faith, rings being used upon
this occasion. too. The lawn marriages
went off with great eclat. When, however.
a Young rabbi made his appearance AFTER
all If these al fresco marriages had been
made and pronounced them all absolutely
regular and legal and unbreakable. except
by process IF law and synagogue combined,
there were more different kinds OF mascu-
lire wrath and feminine Mysteries on that
lawn than can be well described. Inc
vrdthiest and most hysterlcaI were those
men and women who. being already mar
RED were plainly guilty of technical Dig
ann Few of the couples decided to make
The most of the unfortunate situation ana
abide by the mock marriages as II tney
lad been contra cted in earnest, Dut the
great majority of the young folks thus
foolfshly mismated have taken steps al
ready 10 effect a legal severance of the
bonds. while those who committed straight
bicauy on the lawn without knowing it
are applying TO the courts TO be renewed
II the odiUm of felony.
II anything like this had happened in
Sduash's Corners. Iowa, the funnyists of
the New York papers would go right on
exuding funnyisms about it for weeks. One
car never repeat with too much emphasis
that New Workers of deliberately cultivated
hIase exteriors fall to more simplicities
and sillinesseS than all of the alleged jays.
rGistics bucolics yokels, 'Rubes and
.'Zekcs" for whom Nanhattanites profess
such contempt, put together.
Two Pairs Who Were Satisfied.
4