Evening star., 1904-03-12
UN|TES MANY BRIDES
Rare Day for New York Mayor
to Miss a Ceremony.
HAS MARRIED SCORES
MCCLELLAN SURPRISES BY ELIMI-
MATING THE KISS.
How Former officials Have Utilized
rtunity-Amusing Incidents
-Alimony Bureau is Queer.

NEW YORK, March IL, 1901
few afternoons ago Mayor Mcclellan
united in marriage a black-eyed raven
haired, stunning-looking show girl and a
well-known stage manager of this town.
The ceremony was performed in the
mayors private office in the city hall. A
joyous party of theatrical people and sew
eral aldermen and municipal officials were
present as witnesses. When the shy young
mayor had pronounced the pair man and
wife the bride looked archly eXpectant.
She gaZed coyly at the mayor out of uplift
ed eyes. She was sufficiently engaging
figure, with her glorious physique arrayed
in snug-fitting tailor suit, a bunch or
about half bushel of violets at her waist.
and with her dazzling peaches -and-cream
skin and her perfect teeth showing through
the expectant smile with which she regard
ed the mayor.
Everybody else in the room, incud'n the
newly-made husband, looked expectantly at
the mayor, too. There was some austerty
mingled with the glances which the alder
men and city officials bestowed upon him.
Each of these seemed to be saying to him
| self, We'll, if l were only mayor for about
| one-eghth of minute, right nowr
However, 1t did not happen. The mayor
| permitted that matchlass opportunity to
get away from him. He didn't kiss the
bride.
Instead he struck an attitude of courte-
Gus dismissal, said, impartially addressing
both the bride and groom, Il wish you both
all happinesS'-and it was "all off, as the
chattering theatrical folk remarked to each
other, getting into their overcoats and
wraps.
AS the marriage party piled into string
OF automobiles, to be conveyed to West
chester road house, where the wedding din
ner was to be served, the bride looked
thoughtful and puzzled
Il wonder if it's all right?" she said to
her husband and to the other two in the
automobile.
Wonder If what's right?" INQUIRED the
husband, with some solictuda
Why our marriage" said the blushing
bride The way it was-er-sort of half
done, you know"
Half done?" said the husband. in SIR
prise why, what was wrong about itY'
Thought It Part of Ceremony.
"Oh, l don't say that 1t was anything
really wrong" said the bride. But 1 was
married both times before by mayors. you
know-Carter Harrison. in Chicago, and
Sir Rolla Wells. in st. Louis. And they
both-er-wen, you know-kissed me- just
as if it were part of the ceremony. Why
If remember correctly. Mr.. Harrison kiss
ed me before the ceremony was actually
over so as to make it seem, / suppose
more like part of the solemn rites so to
SPCSih' II uO'S seem so extraordinary to
be married by mayOr--and especially such
a young-looking mayor as Mr. Mcclellan
and not to be kissed
The husband and the others in the buzz
wagon told her not to let a little thing
like that throw a damper over the ioyous-
ness of the occasion. and reassured her by
telling her-for she had remarked that She
feared she must be becoming frightfully
ugly-that Mayor Mcclellan hadn't been
known to kiss bride since his installa-
ton.
'Georgie's not next to the most important
and cheerful privilege attached to his
job they told her comfortingly. Hes
not old enough to be able to perceive
good thing when he sees it. But he'll be
Older some old day
They were right as to Mayor McClelIan's
bashfulness, or what not iE this bride
kissing matter. Mr.. Mcclellan Is mot
there with the osculates." as the somewhat
slangful F'lorrie Sullivan. Big Tins" sec
ond lieutenant. recently remarked. Not
bride has the young kissed since he
took over his office. and he has married
scores of powerfully fetching brides, too
No mayor in the world marries finer
looking lot of women than the mayor of
New York, especially during recent years
He unltes in second or third marriage many
or the beautiful society Divorces, for ex-
ample. now that it has become virtually i'm
possible for a divorced person to be mar
ried by clergymen of any denomination IN
New York
Since the ministers became so strict In
desiring to remarry go straight to the city
hall to have the knot tied by the mayor
and ii is a rare day when Mayor McClal-
lan's inner office isn't invaded by two or
three swel-lOoking marriage parties But
Notwithstanding all this the young mayo
doesn't seem ''t' git wise t. dat kiss gag"
as Chuck Corners somewhat disgustedly
remarked in conversation on that topic re-
Gently. and good many beauteous brides
have come away from the city hall since
his incumbency with somewhat involved
notions as to his temperament, with espa-
cial reference to his galantry.
Hewitt Never Missed a Chance.
1t was not always thus at the New York
city hall. 1t is questionable if the mayors
chair here was held by a man who
neglected his kissing opportunities until
young Mr.. Mcclellan came along. In our
own time, even the somewhat testy and
difficult Mayor Abram S. Hewitt-who was
beyond middle age when he came to the
mayors seat the first time-never missed a
chance to hestow his official salute upon
the cheek of a blushing bride when the
bride appealed to him as an engaging sub
ject."
He was, however. Noteworthy discrimi-
IL