Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-28
CUPID'S ODD AIDS.

I LykkLUfI ana "a utILC LUEI IVI
or worse or the divorce courts are yarious
but a balloon il a novelty. Packing boxes
are strange aides-da-eamn for Cupid and
the Humane Society for the Protection Of
Animals is another.
But these three agencies have accom-
plished three marriages in different parts
Of the country, and their value as matri-
monial auxiliaries is thereby established.
Miss Mamie Zercross, of Dorchester coun
~, Nd, is the young woman who consigned
ner hopes to the winds, and they brought
Ger back a husband, and all will agree that
the youhg woman got him in a strange way.
One Fourth OF july Miss Zereross secured a
small fsh-slaped balloon as her contribu.
ton to tie patriotic demonstrations. There
was a ni0len reason for the FISH" shape
wD'ch her FRIEND, did not understand until
tb,y saw wat sic rad caught"
10 tie tlsl-s-apga balloon she tied rer
paotog apa and a letter. Naen the toy
was logsea It Vas ear Zee far across country
aud los 10 FieF. A-s |efefoss watched II
60 out OF sls-t ara ten lcigot Ger expert.
ment. She was reha4ed oi II ta-ee cay
,ater, however, on tne receipt Of a letter
from Ocean Cry, Al, many macs distant
from her nome.
lac letter vas from Ralph Massick, $
gram dealer III Ocean 'ity. lie said ttat he
mad found the hsH-sa1Ped BANGOR and had
read the letter. Would ne be permitted tO
write TO the young woman wnose photo
graph he had found attached to the stringf
Miss Zercross thought it over for as many
as three seconds and decided be might
After some interchange of letters, Mir. Mes
sick got himself up in his prettiest style
and sat for his photograph, which he sent
to the young woman OF the balloon.
The work of the fsh-shaped toy was com
pleted the minute Miss Zercross undid the
wrapping around the picture. She was his
Immediately. Then the young woman and
the young man decided that they ought to
have a look at each other, and Mr.. Messick
departed for Cambridge, the home OF Miss
Zercross. she met him at the station and
drove him to her home. The home is said
to be a handsome one, and Miss Zercross is
said to be a handsome young woman.
Three DAYS were consumed in eourtsbip.
inst to give the affair a little formalitv. and
then thev drove To the minister. They are
now in the Catskils on their honevmoon.
The motto which viii he hung nm alongside
the traditional God Bless Our Home" will
be:
Its an Ill Wind That Blows Nobody
Good"
Probably if it had not been for packing
boxes William f. Cochran would not be
married to Miss Nina Lorraine Gill, of
Baltimore, and there is every evidence that
such is the case. When William Cochran
was graduated from college his father, the
late William f. Cochran, the Yonkers On.
" millionaire, turned him out in the
world to make his own livelihood. 1t was
parental kindness, and not unkindness, that
dictated this step. Mr.. Cochran, Sr., had an
idea that Mr.. Cochran, Jr., would amount
to something if this course were pursued
and might not otherwise.
With no business training young Cochran
realized that it was impossible for him to
secure a clerical position and hope to
amount to anything. He used his brains, as
his father wished him to do, and discovered
| an opening. He found that merchants were
wasting their packing boxes. He secured a
small shop in a noisy street in Baltimore,
and a horse and cart. He drove from one
establishment to another, buying the pack
ing boxes which were l~ittering up the prem
ises of merchants and manufacturers.
He drove hard bargains with them, and
most of them were amused at the enter
prise Of the young business man. AS the
boxes were an ~incumbrance to their places
they parted with them at prices which en-
abled Cochran to carry out the scheme with
profit.
He carted the boxes to his shop and
planed, sandpapered and mended them until
they were turned out new boxes again.
| Then they were resold. The venture proved
profitable. 1t grew and a company was
formed. The company went into other I'M
| dertakings. still retaining the packing box
| industry from which it started.
All this time the son had said nothing to
| his father concerning his business undertake
ings. and did not realize that his father
was aware of his success.
It was while Cochran was building up the
foundation of his business success carting
packing boxes to his shop that he met Miss
( GIN. A daughter of one of Baltimore's best
social families. Miss Gill is described as a
college girl who likes to do things and likes
men who can do them. She was attracted
70 Mr. Cochran because he, the son of a
multimillionaire, had started in life for
L;n,sa1f o,d nod made n comnetence nv de-