The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-26
Old Marriage Records
 of Jefferson C0unfy
First Was Issued to William Mutt and Elizabeth Spears in 88 When Alabama Was Territory and Jefferson Was Includ
 ed in Blount County-Some Interesting Figures

Though the individual man compared with the vast component mechanism of Gods creation is vastly insignificant and of but a few fleeting days, he cannot lose himself in the mad maelstrom of human action.
 When his body and his soul disappear from the earth to return to their mys- terious source or proceed to their un- known goal the crawling worm of self bigotry leaves some trace behind him that is never obllterated though the world stand for million years. Some of his individuality, it is true may be lost and his name finally forgotten, but some spark of his influence will remain to affect in some way the social, political or mental state of the race. This spark may be swallowed up and assimilated with the whole element of human power that controls the traditional action of men, but if is there and somewhere the Individuality of the man however insignif- cant he may be is recorded.
 No man lives entirely to himself and his death is not the end of him. Among the innumerable millions of souls that have lived and moved on the earth John Smith is an individual part of that whole and will always be, though he is dead and forgotten in a generation. With all his suited importance and human power he Is still an insignificant worm in the pres ence of the awful fact of creation and can change not one law of the universe or hold the tides that throb on the ocean 
 Nothing impresses one more with the lasting life of the individual than an ex- animation of old court records, and especi- ally those that deal directly with the life and actions of the person.
 I spent several hours yesterday turning over and examining the Drowned pages of some of the old record books in the office of the probate judge of Jefferson county.
 The book that interested me most per haps was an old plain blank book, on the fly leaf of which was inscribed the following:
 MARRIAGE LICENSES
 from ISIS
 The first record in the book is an order of the Judge of the county court and the commissioner of revenue and roads," authorizing the appointment of James Thompson to transcribe all records and papers of the 'Blount county orphans court that had not already been re- corded.
 This order appears on page Al of the book and Is followed by the transcription of the first marriage licenses issued in the county in their consecutive order.
 The first part of the book is taken up with the record of licenses that had been issued prior to the order, which was made September 1, 1927, and went back to about 1923.
 The transcription following the order covers the marriage licenses issued from 1918 up to 1923.
 In 1918 Jefferson county was included In Blount county and was known as Blount county. Alabama was then a territory of the United States, not having been ad- mitted as a state until the following year.
 The first license issued in Blount, or Jefferson county, was for the marriage of William Mutt to Miss hiizabeth Spears. The first record of this fact appears as follows:
 T hereby give my consent in person in the office of the clerk of Blount county for my son, William Mutt, who is under 2l years of ageA to take out of said office marriage license to marry Elizabeth Spears of said county, Alabama territory, this 2Oth day og May, 1918.
 'WILLIAM MUTT"
 During the remainder of ISIS nineteen other marriage licenses were issued in the county to the following couples:
 Henry Cleck to Elizabeth urks; l.. w c. Anderson to Wilmouth Shelton Henry Gotcher to Ply Widman; Robert Craw- loIu to Sleanor Brandon Samuel H.