The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-12
EUROPEAN MAYORS
CHAMPION MAKERS
Pot American Judge. Hold the
Record as Breakers of the
Matrimonial Bond.
ONE MARVEL OF SPEED
N. Duchemire Marries Fifty-one cou-
Piles in Four Hours and a Half, an
Average of 5 Minutes and 10
Seconds Per Couple.

Chicago Tribune: In a small town of
Plougastel-Daoulas, near Brest, ac-
cording to tradition, it is customary for
all marriages that are to be celebrated
just before Lent to be grouped togeth-
er at the same ceremony, which is fol-
lowed by a large public banquet at
which n dish is placed before every
four persons and at which table nap
kins are tabooed. The result of this
grouping together of the weddings of
the neighborhood entails an arduous
day upon the officiating clergy and
the local mayor.
a year or w age. for instance, the
bishop Of Quimper had thirty-six
couples to bless one after another, and
subsequently the mayor had to read
the articles of the civic code upon a like
the civil ceremony, however, the mayors
OF France perform prodigies of speed,
and it is doubtful If this one was occu-
pied many minutes over seven hours
In performing the duties that the law
enactS.
Finds Sal Ample Time.
IN the course of the merry month of
May, 1902. the mayor of Rouen set n
RECORD by marrying twenty-four
couples, one after the other, at an aver
age rate of eve minutes per couple.
Hardly was ink dry on the marriage
register. however, When the mayor of
Amiens Knocked thirty-five seconds Off
his municipal brothers. figures; that
Is to say. he married two dozen
couples in two hours and thirty-four
minutes.
When Miss Alice Sinclair of Cinc!n-
natl, o.. was mildly chaffed because,
when acting In the capacity of brides
maid, the sign of spinsterhood, the
thimble. was found in her portion of
me wedding cake. she promptly proved
that there was no truth in the supersti-
ton by marrying within three hours OF
acting as bridesmaid the man to whom
She was engaged.
This was a fairly rapid marriage, but
It's progress was tortoise like when
compared to the rapidity with which
M. Duchemin, deputy may OF Hayre.
last February, performed the civil rites
In the case of ffty-one couples who re-
quested his services on the 21st of the
month. Allowing an average of five
minutes and nineteen seconds for each
couple. this athletic deputy mayor
yoked he fty-one couples securely to-
gether In the course of foM hours and
a half. What the ancient couples whose
ages totaled 1872 years thought of the
proceedings did not transpire, but in all
probability they left the municipality
building in a dazed condition.
Courtship Lasts Twenty-Nin Minutes.
Some few months ago a Miss Fanny
Wood, a young woman Of 81
met her future husband in New Jersey
at 10 o'clock; at 1910 he proposed, at
1915 ut will be noted that she gave
the subject great considerations he was
accepted. n at 1929 the wedding cere-
mony was performed by a local clergy
man.
A bridegroom discovered on arriving
at teae parish church at Great Chester
ford, Essex. that he had left the mar
riage license behind. Recourse was
graph, with the result that at 1857, or
with three minutes to perform it in,
the ceremony vas begun, and before
the churc clock struck three all the
essential portion Of the service had
been duly gone through.
Judging from some recent efforts Of
the New York supreme court, the old
fashioned saying that begins with
marry In haste" will have to be ended
in the future by the words, divorce
per express" Four years ago, when
Mrs. Rose Silversteen fled her petition
for divorce, completed her testimony,
and was granted a decree in eleven
minutes. inclusive of all the proceed
ings. the world marveled.
Divorce Records Are American.
Since that date, however, the eleven
minutes record has been left far be-
hind. Judge Nash of New York some
little time ago created a record by dis
posing Of twenty-three undefended
cases in 230 minutes; Inc in the course
of last summer Judge Slower of KAN
sas City. Mo-, further lowered the rec
ord by divorcing fourteen couples in
ninety minutes.
The mayors of France will have to
look to their %laurels. for, although they
are undoubtedly the champion
makers" the occupants of the Amer
scgn bench appear to be equaling their
Iame In their capacity of ''breakers'
OF the matrimonial bond.
The voc... a.. >A,:r.