The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-12-12
CUPID RUNS
RIOT IN BALTIMORE,

BALTIMORE, Dec. 7.-Dan Cupid
has broken all records here, more than
one hundred couples having taken the
initial steps upon the matrimonial path
today. Just 1O3 marriage licenses were
issued by the clerk Of the court of COM
mon pleas, 81 having been issued the
day previous and 80 the day before that,
each breaking all previous records for
the corresponding days of past years,
and the last breaking the record for any
single day in the history Of the court
The scene in the office of the court
OF common pleas was one Of ANNA ton.
When Mr.: George Wise, the clerk in
charge of the issuance of licenses, operi-
ed the record book for business at 10
o'clock in the morning, some twenty APP
plicants for certificates were already
lined up awaiting their turn From
that time until the doors were closed
at o'clock the stream of applicants
was constant.
The record of licenses issued this year
promises to surpasss by several hun
dred all previous years.
The idea which generally. prevails
that June, the month of roses and fair
days, is the time when the young men
and the young women are want to ap-
pear before the parson and agree to
henceforth go down lifes pathway
hand in hand until separated by death
or the divorce court is proved by I'M.
romantic statistics to be fallacious
November, the cold, dreary days of
which seem to have little to turn the
young mans mind to matrimony, has
for years and years in these plantations
held the record for the number of mar
riages entered into.
The clerk who issues the marriage
licenses could not explain why Novem-
Der is the favorite month. He did not
know whether the desire to become eli
gfble to join the family circle at the
Thanksgiving dinner. caused the young
people to hasten to get married before
that day +and'5was, therefore, RESPONSE
BILE or not. It was suggested that the
prospects of spending another winter
in his clearinghouse caused the young
man to think of the comforts and adj
vantages arising from the possession of
f1reside which he could call his own,
and that with these pleasant prospects
before his eyes he was more. prone to
turn what might have been a mere
summer acquaintanceship into some
thing more serious and stable. What
ever the cause, which may properly be
left to the philosophers and scientists
to discuss, the fact remains that 1t is
in November that. the wedding bells
ring out most frequently It is also a
fact that it is in November that the
most divorces are granted. Here, again,
ivy f1> $,1sls
who delights to dabble in statistics and
their foundations to attempt to recon-
cile the two facts.
In the marriage license business Mon
day Is by far the busiest day in the
week. It is not SUPPOSED that this
arises from the fact that most proposals
are made Sunday evening and that the
licenses are procured the very next
day, but it is more likely that. the
young people, and the old ones too, for
that matter, who are engaged, see each
other Sunday evenings, and at that
time decide just when they will be mar
ried Then, naturally, the next day, be-
fore the young man at least can forget
it, the couple visit the court house, pay
their dollar and get the necessary docu-
ment.
ALI Of the couples who apply for H.
censes are not blushing young girls and
diffident youths. Many of them have
had previous experiences in matrimony
and can almost anticipate the questions
which they are required to answer.
Many of them have been married at
least once before and some twice, or
even three times. Every now and then
a bride-to-be applies for her own Ii
cense, and she almost invariably signs
her name to the record book in a stead
Ter hand than the average prospective
groom.