The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-21
MARRIAGE CELEBRATED UNDER
UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
AN OBLIClNC DEPUTY CLERK
Latter Day Saints Made One in Total
Disregard of the conven.
tionalites.


dinary and amidst surroundings not
usual on an occasion of that kind
was the marriage OF Milford w. Well
ing and Alyce Lyman solemnized in
this city Wednesday evening. In
stead Of standing under a bower OF
roses in a parlor daintily decorated
for the event or surrounded by the
sacred trappings OF a house OF wor-
ship, with eager friends waiting to
ibestow their congratulations and
good wishes, the two stood in the
musty Office OF the clerk of the dis
trict court and made response to the
questions put to them by the man who
Oficiated in the ceremony that was to
make them man and wife. Another
thing quite unusual was the fact that
the man who by virtue OF his sacre-
dotal authority pronounced them one
was the father of the bride. Neither
his dress nor his manner proclaimed
him to lie one of the cloth, but for
all that he proceeded with the cere-
mOny in solemn, impressive manner
and at it's conclusion bestowed a dOu-
bic blessing upon the two beings
whose happiness he had completed
| the, blessings of the church whose
| ordained minister he was, and the
blessing of the parent who had en-
trusted to another part of himself.
Latter Day Saints.
| All the parties to the event were
| members Oh the Church of Jesus Christ
Of Latter Day Saints, generally known
as "Mormons." They came from Cow
| ley, a small town in Big Horn county,
| Wyomin, and were on their way to
| Forsyth, this state, where the men
expected to find employment on the
irrigating canal now constructing near
| there. For a long time the young
people had been engaged, but for one
reason or another their marriage had
been deferred. At last when the faith
er and the young man who had won
the affections of his daughter were
prepared to leave their home, Milford
and Alyce could not bear the Thought
of separation, even for short time,
I I'D concluded to get married. Know
| ing that they would have to pass
through Billings, a county seat they
decided to have the event take place
here
/ Their arrival occurred after the
clerk of whom it was necessary to
! secure license had closed his office
for the day. Search was made and
! at last Mr. Dunno, the deputy, was
found. When told what was wanted,
recollect.ons of the day when he was
bent on similar errand revived and
he obligingly announced himself pre-
pared to issue the required permit.
| To the Office the four went and in
due time the license was ready 1t
was then that the father of the girl,
Charles r. Lyman, announced that he
\ WtLS u IuliuSCGI vi 'lHS SO0pCl eAu
asked permission to perform the mar
riage then and there. Here a hitch
occurred Under the law two witnes
/ es to marriage are necessary. d.
fortunately they were not present,
but Mr.. Dunno volunteered his friend
~ Offices and again his obliging ways
| ertr ~ % iy,
| Men as Witnesses.
Asking them to wait few minutes
until his return, he started in quest
of witnesses. With a considerate re-
gard for the feelings of the bride
to be, he attempted to find a lady who
would act ais one witness, but in this
was unsuccessful and finally decided
| to make the best of matters and APP
pealed to Joseph Sims and L. II.
Fenske, both married men of long
ago, but still not without some of the
sentiment of youth They readily con-
sented to witness the ceremony and
accompanied Mr.. Dunn. to the office.
/ All was now in readiness for the mar
riage to take place After asking
whether among other things the office
possessed a regular form OF legal mar
j riage, Mr. Lyman, when told that there
! was no set form provided by law, said