Amador ledger., 1906-05-11
MADE NO EXCEPTION.
A San Francisco Groom Obliged to
Throw Brick" While His Bride
Looked On.

From the San Francisco Chronicle. }
Cupid was busy during the strenu-
GUS days of the earthquake and fire as
in more uneventful times. One of
the weddings planned for the night of
the fateful 18th was that of George
W. Emerson, chief accountant of the
Union Gas Company, and Miss jose
phine Holman. daughter of Joseph HI.
Hoffman, who lived before the fire at
1247 Bush street. They had been
lovers for months, and being Califor-
mans, 1t did not seem an unusual
thing for them to have their marriage
take place on the night of thursday,
the day after the earthquake shook
up San Francisco and fire followed.
The sky was then red with fire glow
of burning houses and it was light
enough out of doors to read coarse
print.
The groom after learning on the
Wednesday of the earthquake that his
betrothed and her family had escaped
injury, left to aid his sister in Oak
land. He promised to return that
afternoon, but it was midnight before
he finally arrived. The bride elect,
meanwhile, was tormented by agoniz-
ing tears for his safety.
With the other men of the house
hn -
over the portable household goods OH
the sidewalk and watched the approach
of, the fire. The breakfast table was
set over night, and Thursday morning
the last breakfast in tile old home
ushered in the wedding day. The
meal was scarcely finished when the
tiremen ordered them to vacate the
premises. Retreating across Van Ness
avenue, they saw and heard her home
dynamited in the vain effort to stay
the on-rushing flames. On this fire
frontier they secured a cart, which
carried their effects to the home of
Rev. George G. Adams of the First
Congregational church at 271O Devisa-
dero street.
Here the wedding ceremony was
performed as it nothing had happened.
With drawn blinds to hide the light
of two Pickering candles, the two
were made one. The bride was
attended by her sister, Miss May
Hoffman, and Harry Symonds was best
man. twenty-five guests were pre-
sent.
Early Friday morning the couple
set out to walk down to the ferry in
order to take a boat 10 Sausalito,
where they expected to spend their
honeymoon. They had gone only a
few blocks, the groom dragging
trunk with one hand and carrying
heavy suit case with the other, when
they were held up by party of reg
ulars. The lieutenant in charge,
looking at the trunk which the groom
was hauling along, said: "You look
husky; let the girl sit on the trunk
and you get busy with the bricks.'
As he spoke he pointed to pile of
bricks which a half dozen forlorn
looking men we're throwing from the
sidewalk on Market street into lot.
but you wouldn't make George
work." walled the bride, "on his
honeymoon. We were only married
last night, and we must get to Mill
Valley in time for lunch. -
The young lieutenant looked SYM
pathetic, but said, curtly: Cant
help it, madam. My orders are to
put every able bodied man on the
rock pile, and your hubby certainly
isn't an invalid. So he's got to
work.
For five hours the poor bride sat on
her trunk in the blazing sun, her eyes
filed with dust, watching George
pitch brick and handle tangled iron
and other refuse of the fire. Then
the two moved again toward the ferry,
but second squad Communicated
Emerson, and he worked two hours
more as a stevedore. Then he ~es-
capped, and the honeymoon is now
being enjoyed in Mill Valley.
AS an aftermath OF this wedding
Miss May Hoffman, the bridesmaid,
was married yesterday at Berkeley
to Will Adams, son of Rev. DR..
Adams. There we're many flowers
sent by friends, and the groom, in
stead of doing stevedore work IN the
dust and heat of San Francisco ruins,
enjoyed an auto ride with his bride
in Berkeley.
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