Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-01
PEANUT BOX IS
CUPID'S AID IN
REUNITING PAIR
COUPLE DIVORCED II YEARS
AGO TO MARRY AGAIN
J. G. wIRsHlNe FINDS WIFE IN
ROMANTIC MANNER
Resident Of Anahem Sends Gard with
Wares, Former Spouse Receives
1t and They viii Wed
Today


in the annals of fiction, with a plot so
unbelievable that 1T would be discarded
by most writer's of modern love stories,
will be brought to a happy conclusion
today by the reunion and second mar
rjage of ]. G. Wirshing of Anaheim and
Miss Lilly Peterman of Denver, from
whom Wirshing was divorced seventeen
years ago and for whom he has been
searching for the past dozen years in
the hope of effecting reconciliation
should he find her.
A little souvenir box of California
peanuts sent through the mails from
/, Los Angeles accidentally fell into the
hands Of Miss Peterman in Denver.
Wirshing's name was on the box. The
little souvenir was the means Cupid
used to bring about the reunion.
Miss Peterman-she took her maiden
name after the DIVORCES expected to
arrive in Los Angeles early today. She
will he met at the station by Wirshing,
and together they will proceed to the
court house to obtain a license and
then to the home of some clergyman,
where the ceremony will be performed.
Seventeen years ago at Galena, ILL.,,
after a married life of five years Wir-
shing and his wife were separated,
relatives. Both of them regretted the
separation soon after, but 1t seemed
then too late.
Assumes Maiden Name
Mrs. Wirshing came to the coast,
where she assumed her maiden name,
and her former husband completely lost
trace of her. He soon found Galena
and his old associations unbearable, so
ahe, too, came west. He went to Colo
trado and became a miner. He worked
hs a miner at Cripple Creek and at
fTurkey Creek. From there he went to
kAnaheim, where he engaged in farm
work for while and then began to
)raise peanuts. Later he sold. peanuts
Aon the street and soon became we'll
Known character in the village ana was
fsnown co everyone as "Pei 1t john"
~ From a little peanut Daster on
Wheels his business devel id until he
Ikquired store to accommodate his
kltrons.
'fThen Peanut John" got hold of the
iouvenir which resulted in his finding
lis former wife after many years. 1t
was only a little box made of orange
wood and redwood which contained a
variety of giant peanuts that took the
prize at the jamestown exposition, and
some dwarf peanuts that were so small
that they have to be harvested by ma
chinery. These boxes he sent all over
the country. In a few of them he
placed his card as an advertisement.
Wife Gets Gard
Miss Lilly Peterman, as she was
known in Colorado was visiting friends
at Fort Collins, Colo. At an evening
gathering someone produced one of the
little boxes from California and ex-
hibited the big and little peanuts with
in. When Miss Peterman saw the name
an. he cb on a lfffln uraC bttf
said nothing.
The very next day she sent her pho
tograph to Wirshing and on the back
was written: "The lady who sends this
would be glad to correspond with the
man who sends out the California pea
nut souvenirs"
OF course Wirshing recognized the
photograph at once and lost no time in
replying. This was a very short while
ago, and the letters came and went
swiftly. Mistakes of early years were
explained away and the memory of
child that was gone paved the way to
a complete understanding. Yesterday
Peanut John" received the telegram
that settled everything. He was so
proud of II and happy over the pros
poets it held out to him that he
wanted to show it to everyone. 1t
read: Il will reach Los Angeles at s
o'clock tomorrow. Lilly"
Peanut John Happy
when a man hasn't anything to
look forward to except the big day when
he is going to Shuttle off thfs mortal
COLL" said Peanut john" when he
amt got anybody that cares much
whether he shows up for breakfast or
not, ! guess 1t sort of makes an old
codger feel pretty good to get a tele-
gram like that. 1 am SO years old, but
my wife is most twenty years younger
haven't had very easy time of it. l
tried to celebrate the Fourth of July
in 1881, he said in his droll way, "and
lost my hand because 1 was too
patriotic. But l am doing pretty well
now and I am going to see that the
little woman doesn't suffer any, even if
/ have only one hand.
But won't they be surprised out at
Anaheim? 1 guess every child in that
town knows me. / am going to take
my wife to a little celebration out there
tomorrow night and 1 guess we will
get warm reception. Another thing
! am going to do" he said with a
smile, Il am going to have my whiskers
cut off. don't think she likes whiskers,
CO hnr rnrfI hoy 70,