The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-17
.BENNIE GOLDBERGf,
BOOTBLAck, WEDs
Enterprising Native of Kishe-
nev. Well Known In ST.
Paul, Takes a Wife

"Bennie the Bootblack, was married
yesterday, married in a hail." To be
married in hall, as everyone knows
on the West Side, is a distinct social
| triumph.
But Bennie was not onIN married In
a hall, big hall, Federation hall, to-
wit. but the ceremony was unusually
elaborate. The ceremony indeed was
performed by two rabbis, an orchestra
of four members, which played every
note of Mendelssohn's march; Bennie
and his very pretty bride sat like king
! and queen at the head of the hall to
receive the congratulations of multi
tude; there was a grand march in
which Bennie and Mrs. Bennie led the
| multitude around and around the hall;
big dinner with wine was served in
an adjoining apartment Everybody
danced until midnight, when Bennie
and his wife were driven away in
coupe with black horses and gold
plated harness. An unconfirmed rumor
had spread that Mr.. and Mrs. Gold
berge would visit the worlds fair be-
fore going East"
Inasmuch as Everybody knows Ben
ME-" it's quite superfious to explain
that a dozen years ago, when he was
ten years old, he agreed with his par
ents' desire to leave the Jewish quarter
of Kishenev, Bessarabia. Southwestern
Russia, the same Kishenev where mem
bers of his race were so savagely mas
sacred last year. Once in st. Paul
Bennie secured a bootblack's kit and
went out to polish up the shoes Of
every man in town.
Bound to Polish Their Shoes
either because they were never seen in
public places, or because they wouldn't
stand still Whether they cared to
have their shoes polished was unim-
portant. Whether they selected Ben to
do the polishing was even less import
ant. 1t mattered little whether they
were willing to pay for their pedal eff
fulgence or whether they paid at all.
Bennie polished up their shoes.
Standing by the bar of a saloon, seat
ed in hotel reading room or standing
on street corner, man would feel
the abrupt tickle of much excited shoe
brish- -brish. 81 don't want my shoes
backed" he would probably protest to
the black eyed boy combined with the
tickling.
When there Were dull moments In
trade-when all accessible men had
been polished up Bennie would sell
newspapers.
When Bennie had made enough
money to buy a house he bought it and
moved in with his mother and father,
an industrious furrier. When Bennie
had again acquired more money than
boy should have he bought another
house.
A week ago Bennie, being then twen-
ty-two years old, with real estate, a
bank account, business, a happy dis
position but lonely heart, invitations
were distributed aiming his numerous
friends.
"Mrs. Itchkovitch,' the invitation an
nounced, requested your presence at
the marriage of her daughter Rose to
Benjamin Goldberge, Sunday. Oct. 16,
at 4:30 p. m. Ceremony and reception
at Federation hail.. Brides residence,
1881 Eaton avenue"
At -four thirty" yesterday, however,
the bride and groom had not arrived at
Federation hall. They were having
their pictures taken somewhere, it was
said. Even the orchestra had not ap-
peared.
Not until after o'clock did the
bridesmaids and the best men march
out into the center of the hall to uphold
each one pole supporting the dark
fringed canopy or 'hoopa," beneath
which the vows were to be spoken.