The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1902-02-07
KEMPER COUNTY INDIAN
WEDDING.
Meridian Daily Press.

z. b. TiDsley, of Kemper county
was in the city yesterday and gave
the Press an interesting account of a
Choctaw wedding which he witnessed
Wednesday night near his home
The contracting parties were both
full-hlOOd Choctaws. The bride was
daughter Of Jim Vaughan and
young and comely maiden. The
groom, who now has three living
wives, is dashing buck, several years
older than his blushing bride, and
known by the name OF Pink Bull.
"The wedding ceremony" said Mr..
Tinsley, began at 3'clock, when q
mighty feast was spread in the yard
adjoining the house OF the bride. The
guests and attendants of the bride
and groom sat and ate until dark,
when they finally arose from the table
to greet the groom. Neither the bride
nor the groom had appeared at the
banquet.
The groom's attendants then pro-
ceeded into field about quarter Of
u mile from the house, where they
met the groom, who had just come
from his home. The attendants and
the groom remained in the field for
about half an hour yelling and laugh.
ing at jokes perpetrated at the ex.
pense of Pink. Then they came on to
the house. Here two Of his attend
ants took hold OF him, one on each
arm, and sat him down in one Of the
two chairs that had been placed on
the lawn for Pink and his bride.
Two of the brides attendants then
conducted her from the house and
placed her in the chair next to thai
occupied by her prospective husband
and the happy pair sat looking dowr
at the ground apparently oblivious Of
all.
!. Those who had brought presents 70
the bridal couple then approached ant
placed them on the head Of the bride
and as they did so the brides two at
tendants, standing on either side o.
her, took them off 10 rotation ant
heaped up the gifts in two separate
piles. After this ceremony had beer
gone through with in a most stolt
and solemn and lugubrious faShior
the attendants retired and took theil
places at some distance fIom thu
the seats Of honor.
The father of the bride and tht
; other old men OF the tribe now ap
preached the groom and without
word or a look tn the bride congratu
lated the groom in manner that sug
gcsted condolence rather than ielici
tation; nor did he give demonstration
3 Of elatiOn. This was the completion
Of the ceremony.
Pink Bull and his new wife wen
into a room in the house and examiu
ed the presents. They took note
the donors and gazed at their ne'
treasures in the same patient, unfee
ing, indifferent way and locked ther
up in an old trunk, where they will b
bept until Mr.. and Mrs. Pink Bull bt
n gin housekeeping. After the present
I had been securely stored the grOoI
a left his spouse without word an
. went home. He will remain there #
three days before he returns to Mr.
Bull.
4 And that, said Mr.. Tinsley in col
. clusi0n, that is ChOctaw wedding
{: There are no vows, no license, no Leg
Il or ecclesiastical ceremony, and whe
u Pink tires Of the most recent Mr.
9 Bull lie will quit her, as lie has a
/, ready left the Two wives that he hi
'e led to the altar. And, said Mr.. Tin
'e ley, II Mrs. Bull takes a notion in
y her head she will leave old Pink wit
J. out Il word and yet her another man