The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-18

\ want to sit down and stay awhile. said
the elder. Where is your license.' The
elder took the license, glanced at il
moment. and then bid the couple join
| hands.
Excuse my coat said the elder. ITS
too warm in here Do you. John. take
this young woman for your wife,
Yes said the young farmer in
tone almost as loud as the one ne had
employed in saying whoa" to his horses
And do you. Annie, take this man for
your husband?"
| Yes said the young woman timidly.
Then. said the elder. by the author
ity of the laws OF Illinois pronounce you
man and wife,
| The young couple gave conclusive
squeeze of each others hands The elders
| grandchildren. boy of IA and girl OF 2
or 8. who stood wonderingly watching
the ceremony. thought ii the proper place
TO applaud. and manifested their approval
! b ypounding a toy drum with stove
poker.
Silence. children said the elder. Then
he looked over the silver spectacles that
bestraddled his nose. and said to the
young couple, who still stood before him
es though in doub. as TO whether the
Ceremony was concluded or not:
Il wish you joy and happiness in your
ney relationship. Be loving and true.
would wish that sunshine could always
shine upon you. but in the sky above
every one of us on this earth occasional
clouds will come. But remember always
that God is above the clouds. just so
sure as he is in the sunshine. May he
bless you and keep you forever
The elder bowed his head. and stood
with his hands clasped for a moment.
Then he looked up and smiled and said,
! That's all
He shook hands with the couple, and
said, Thank you" and the groom slip
Fed something into his hand. The newly
married pair went joyously down the
walk 10 their wagon the small boy and
his sister playing sort of rag time
wedding march on the drum and broken
] Jewsharp.
That's all the ceremony | use" said
| into his chair. Il think it's enough.
the elder. rehectively. as he settled back
What's the use of making them VOW 10
love, honor. and obey?" / might Just
as we'll ask the contracting parties if they
| will swear always TO breathe and 10 eat
food every day as long as they live as to
swear to love and honor. because it ought
to be just as natural for them 10 do one
as the other. a man might swear before
the minister at the wedding ceremony
| that he would love and cherish until he
was black in the face, but il he was the
| right kind of man he would do il anyhow
| or else he wouldn't be standing there
taking the woman as his wife. The idea
of asking man and a woman TO care
| for each other in sickness or in health,
| If l believed for a moment that that
young farmer wouldn't take care of that
| pretty little girl as tender as could be.
whether she is sick or well. / would have
thrown him out of the house
-.-e elder paused and wiped his spec
tacles reflectively. THE sanctity of a
marriage rests not in the vows that are
made at the altar, but in the heart. II
is not what a man or woman declares in
good, firm voice at the altar. but it's
\ the way they act towards each other
afterwards. II a man loves the woman
who stands beside him at the altar every
act of his will avow it all his life long
After seeing Elder Haughey and hear
ing him talk the visitor would not ask
why he was so popular at weddings. He
claims the distinction of having married
more people than and other man in ILL.,
nois. and he believes that there are few
men in the United tates who have mar
ried more people than he has.
All told he has united in marriage up
to the present time 2770 persons or 3S5
couples. and he says he is 20 years
young and in the best of health he sees
no reason why he should not round his
record TO the 1000 couple mark. Elder
Haushey has been preacher In the
Christian church for over half a century.
and while the majority of those whom
he has married have been members Of
the Christian denomination he has united
people of all sorts of religious belief Be-
sides the great number of weddings at
which he has of1ciated Elder Haughey
has conducted 1.5o2 funerals He has held
various charges in the Christian church
in Mason City and in the small towns
around about
Most of his ministerial work has been
or the circuit order. his pulpits being
largely in schoolhouses and in struggling
churches. rude affairs boards situated
in groves and out on the prairies Of ILL.,
nos. He hunts up communities that have
been overlooked by the churches. and
organizes religious bodies there
Elder Haughey also lays claim 10 some
distinction as a newspaper starter He
moved to Mason City from Lincoln. III.
in 1851 and started the Mason City Sharp
shooter. In 1861 he published the News
Until 1s9o. when he bought paper in the
little town OF Hopedale called the Re
view. In 1891 he decided that another
long felt want existed in Mason City
for paper and started the Banner. \
few years later the newspaper starting
fever seized him again ana ne started the
Record at San Jose. and then a paper Of
the same name at Weldon. Between rid
ing circuit. carrying on the various de-
tails OF a minister's wife. editing news
papers and jerking a Washington hand I
press. as he often did. especially in the /
'6es. Elder Haughey for many years ran /
& photograph gallery AT Mason city and |
cid all the work-posing the subject. TAX /
ing the picture. and developing the plates /
All this time Elder Haughey was mar /
rying people. marrying people. marrying \
people
He married them while sitting al his 4
desk in the newspaper ossce writing Cd !
toTiais on the preservation % the union. 4
re married people while standing at the 4
case setting I'd the editorial he had lust 4