The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-02
IN A HURRY TO BE WE'D.
CITY HAL bridegroom Wanted to Get 10
Brighton for the First Raoa.

The state OF matrimony has an open cato
in the basement of the City Hall Every
week day from 10 to 4 pilgrims 10
gayly through. No passports are required
The guards are not stern. Indeed, they
wear beguiling smiles.
To enter the welded state by this route
you follow tho basement corridor until Won
come to the signboard bearing in golden
letters the inscription Marriage Room
Except for the appropriate color Of the
whitewashed walls there il nothing To-
indicate that this might be marriage
room. II subtly suggests wine cellar
or even a place for underground conspira-
cies. But there are smiles and laughter
here.
On Mondays. Wednesdays and Thursdays
the days which are most popular with
Hail. all the chairs are occupied in the
morning hours by e4pectant couples
wedding guests and witnesses. On Friday
| there are fewest. It apparently takes
unusual courage to be married on Friday
| Tuesday is also avoided by Italians. Thurs
| day seems to be regarded az the best day
| of all for marrying.
pective bridegrooms, taking the names for
| the certificates. An Alderman enters and
seats himself az the desk on the raised
platform. 1t may be any Alderman who
happens to be in the building and feels liz"
relieving the waiting lovers Of their s,Is.
pense, but it is usually Alderman Har-
burger, the marrying Alderman VIII
within year and a half has fast ened tn"
letters upon nearly three thousand couples
He mods TO q clerk who glances at a Ger.
| tificate with q name filed in and calls on.
in peremptory tone, as If summoning "a
prisoner TO the bar of justice. William
Barker" William and his bride-about-to.
al, I,.~.r
Alderman's scrrItinizing eyes.
ANY witnesses? Well bring them up
The witnesses hasten to the platform
If none has been brought along an atten-
dant steps quickly into the breach and give
the bride away--there is apt to be an extra
fee in this.
The Alderman turns a penetrating eye
upon the lover and asks him il he ears
enough to support a wife. Twelve dol
lars a week? All right" The ceremony
goes on.
1t stops right here, however, if the young
man who wants to be a husband admits
that his weekly income Is less than ten
dollars.
what, only seven week? Don't yo
think it would be hard shedding for two
on that? Better wait awhile. Go and tel
the boss you'd ike to get married and
want raise. If he gives it to you, come
back and I'll fix you up
After the preliminary questioning The
Alderman rises and repeats the ceremony
rapidly, ending with the command:
| Take hands. John, kiss your wife"
| John kisses her and makes room fol
another couple. Fond husbands and happy
wives leave the marriage room to face ths
world hand in hand at the rate OF about
twenty-five pairs day This is the average
but the number varies under the influence
| of numerous conditions. 1t is, in fact,
sort Of barometer of the times For ex
ample, strike Of magnitude thins tn,
daily crowd in the marriage room.
| The process Of switching lives onto new
tracks Is swift at the City Hall, but some
couples would have 10 swifter.
4Say, marry us up as quick as you can,
exclaimed young man excitedly the Other
day. We've Just decided to go to the
races for weddin' trip. see somethin
good in the first race, but to make II we've
got to catch the lis train to Brighton
| ought to win out to-day don't you think
so? After this it's all of between me anc
the ponies. It's me for hard labor I'vt
got good job now, but the boss let me on
! to-day to double up with Annie here. We're
goin TO have the time of our lives, amt we
Annie? Call of our names as quick as vol
| can, will vou?'
| In five minutes they were man and wife