The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-01-01
] UNIQUE .]' PROPOSALS.
BONE RATHER CURIOUS METHODS
s.,5aoF POPPING THE QUESTION.

Il Il 2 > y
Vegetables Pressed Into Service.
l a8 Co Miss Annie Oakley, the champion
rifle l shot, was practicing in a London
' shooting gallery one day, firing at the
regulation cardboard target, when q
stranger 'ta happened along and, picking
up aSspare rifle, fired 100 shots thereat.
the whole spelling out the following
message: will you marry me?''
Ihe lady was naturally somewhat
surprised; but, not to be outdone, she
promptly replied after similar fashion
with her own match rifle, Certainly
not - *z ff.@&
This is probably unique as an offer
of marriage, but it is fact that
young matron living in south London
suburb has in her possession sat this
present moment several rifle written
love letters. '''' - r.
The lady in question was formerly
an attendant at a shooting gallery in
certain popular place of amusement
(soon, alas, to be closed ,forever) which
is down Westminster way" and her
sweetheart that was and husband that
is used to drop in of an evening to
practice. He became so expert after
awhile that he could place the shots
where he liked to within fraction of
an inch, and he frequently used his
skill when no inconvenient onlookers
We're around in the manner Indicated.
Needless to say that as soon as he had
finished the little perforated squares
OF cartridge paper were carefully re-
moved and preserved by her for whom
alone the messages so curiously writ
ten thereon were intended.
The most farfamed feature of the
beautiful Yosemite valley. in Califor-
MIA, is the Bridal Veil fall It descends
from the plateau, nearly 5000 feet
above, in single ribbon of silvery
water limned luminously against the
dark vertical face of the precipice.
Perhaps it was it's romantic name
which suggested to Charles Evelyn, a
young and wealthy San Franciscan, to
utilize the falling streamlet in an alto
gether novel fashion. Anyhow he spent
several thousand dollars in construct
ing at the summit Of the cliff, just
where the water gathers itself together
for it's final terrific leap into the abyss
below. sort of vertically sliding
sluice door which worked so smoothly
and so perfectly that it could be low
cred and raised several times in the
course of single minute.
| Then when his preparations were
complete he brought to the valley from
| her far eastern home the young lady to
| whom he was engaged. and by alter
| nately raising and lowering the sluice
gates above for longer or shorter inter-
vals, as the case might be, he caused
tho cascade to tell her in spurts and
jets. corresponding to the dots and
dashes Of the Morse alphabet, of the
love he bore her. Whether the lady ex-
actly approved Of this blazoning abroad
of what should have been a message
sacred to her eyes alone is not record
ed, but she has, at all events, the su-
preme satisfaction Of rejecting that
she is the only woman in the world to
whom love letter has been indited by
a harnessed waterfall.
Love letters spelled out in fireworks
are Of course common. One such writ
ten aloft in particolored globes of fame
and addressed by Magyar noble to
his affianced bride at Herrmannstadt
is said to have cost fSO0.
In Sussex garden a lovelorn but
h0 sinful in IN, II
cress marriage proposal to the daugh-
ter Of his next door neighbor, and the
fair one, not to be outdone, answered,
"Yes," in radishes. They were mar
ried without delay, and both the pro-
posal and the answer were served and
eaten at the wedding breakfast.
After all, however, it is doubtful
whether the modern lover has, on the
whole, progressed very far in the mat
ter of inventing novelties, either in
marriage proposals or love letters.
Nearly 1900 years ago a proposal for
the hand of an Egyptian princess was
inscribed deliberately on block of
day by any one curious in such mat
tiers in the British museum. Machares,
an old time king of Colchis, wooed his
wife by sending her presents of young
and beautiful child slaves, each of
whom had some tender and loving
message tattooed on the skin Of the
back. while. coming down to more
recent times. it is recorded of the
Prince de Cont that he sent to a GER
tain great lady proposal indited on
a golden plaque. exquisitely engraved,
the letters of the words of the epistle
being formed of diamonds. rubies and
emeralds set in the metal.
: The lady's answer was, however. in
the negative, whereupon the prince re-
quested that she would at least do
him the honor of accepting ring con-
tanning miniature Of himself. To
this she assented, but stipulated that
the ring should be destitute of jewels.
The tiny portrait was accordingly set
in simple rim Of gold, but to cover
the painting large diamond, cut
very thin, served as a glass. The lady
promptly returned the jewel. where
upon the prince had it ground to pow