New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-24

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groom told him to go ahead in his undress uni
form. and. witnesses were necessary. the
clergyman called two members Of his family
who also made their appearance in their night
clothes. They stood on each side Of the couple
while the latter were made man and wife and
the register had Just been signed when there
was a loud peal at the doorben. The minister
fastened to meet the newcomers. and discovered
that it was policeman and the father Of tbe
newly made bride The bridegroom departed by
way Of a rear window in the parsonage. but the
bride braved the matter out. and it ended with
the police finding the bridegroom and RESTORING
him to the embraces of his bride the father-in
law making the best of a bad bargain and set
Ting all bills while the party remained i'm tae
city.
When minister receives an Invitation to ac-
cept a Windsor pastOrate he is often promised
stipulated salary and marriage license fees
AS the fees mean much to the minister he soon
gets in the way Of hustling for business. and
some ere said to be ready at all times to post
pOne prayer meeting or funeral il a couple ar
rives in the city with the intention Of getting
married And they also try many devices TO
wheedle a large fee from the bridegroom. Some
have small, framed signs in their studies. with
the words, Marriage fees from 50 up which
remind the visitor Of the advertisement Of a
summer hotel. Others point to a card bearing
the scriptural words. The Lord loveth cheer
full giver." while still others trust to their
native wit and 20 the surroundings to separate
the bridegroom from his coin The ministers
have become adept at sizing up the prosperous
and the improvident bridegroom. and the for
mer receives all that is coming in the way OF
Jolly" while the latter gets no more than the
law allows, and is ushered out on the street as
soon as the ceremony is performed. It is. in
a n AMI
some ministers handle their customers much
hotelkeeper does his transient trade. He
never expects to receive another call from thu
same persons. and he is not over modest about
making a demand for all the money the bride
groom is willing TO give him.
But the fees are not all small by any means.
There are many business men Of Detroit and
other cities who belong TO social organizations.
and II they should have fashionable wedding
II would cost more than they could afford. so
they make a quiet visit TO Windsor and have
the ceremony performed with dispatch. ard it
is from these bridegrooms that the clergyuen
receive rich fees.
Among the large number OF marriages are a
goodly number Of Opponents. and that all the
world loves lover IS amply exemplfed all over
Windsor. The policeman. clergyman. newsbOy.
marriage license issuer and hotelkeeper. all vie
with one another in extending the glad hand 10
the young man and woman who have braved ths
wrath OF parents and relatives to set married.
and they are often concealed about Windsor
while the irate relatives are searching high ami
low, and making all kinds OF threats When
they are found. a reconciliation is generally ef-
fected through the good offices Of the clergyman
or others. and they depart for their homes with
Of high opinion OF the friendliness of the cana
dian people.
Windsor is also Gretna Green for widoTers
and widows. and there are hundreds Of those
who are for the second or third time entering the
bonds Of matrimOny. There are few love scenes
In this class Of marriages. and. as usual thing.
they go through the routine demanded by ths
Canadian law IN a business way. and. within an
hour after their arrival. they are again crossing
the Detroit River on their way home.
But the bashfuI swain from the rural district
and his bIushing bride are the ones hailed with
delight by all the residents OF Windsor. to whom
a marriage means money. From the time cOu-
pie Of this description lands at the wharf on the
Canadian side until after the ceremony IS per-
formed they are well taken care Of Their frs;
stop IS at the marriage license office. and every
move they make costs money. II the bridegroom
Is well supplied with funds he stands the pace
II not he Is generally found breaking away nom
his found friends and taking back street
with his bride 20 the ferry.
Of the license office. that should not be per
formed. but there is no law to prevent them He
said he referred to young people who had been
acquainted only for few weeks before coming
to Windsor to get married The bridegroom
usually has neither money nor a situation. and
still he enters the married state with happy
smile and a devil-may-Care air which, 70 say
the least astonish the staid old issuer OF
licenses But these marriages. sooner or later
come to light in the divorce courts IN some OF tbs
States and In the city OF Detroit alone. about
half OF the divorces applied for are by parties
who came to Windsor and secured a secret mar
riage.
Chief Wills OF tbs windsor Police Department
is an official who is often appealed 20 by per
sons interested in these secret marriages OF
Windsor. Scarcely a week passes without the
chief receiving a communication from anxious
relatives asking him to ascertain II certain
couple were married in the Canadian city on sucn
a date. again. he IS personally interviewed oy
an anxious mother irate father who mas
chased his girl or boy to Windsor in the hope CT
preventing a marriage. The chief IS powerless
to act II the young people have complied VIVA
the law. and he does the next best thing He
brings the parents and young people together
and in a ma jority OF instances he has the satis-
faction Of seeing them become recOnciled
Many OF the couples who cross the border TO
get married have desire for getting their Qict-
ures taken by a Canadian photographer before
going home, and, in consequence. the pictHrs
man In Windsor comes In for his share OF the
golden harvest which is brought TO the Canadian
Gretna Green by the residents OF the United
States
HUGE PENNSYLVANIA BASS.