Evening star., 1909-04-11
CUP|D'S EXPRESS DUE.
Mrs. GiII'S Matrimonial Train
to Arrive Monday.
COMING FROM RICHMOND
SWANS and Lassies Bent on Wed
dings Will Seize Opportunity.
ORPHAN BOYS BENEFIT BY IT
Revenues Go to Asylum-286
Couples Helped to Double Up
by Promoter.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
! RICHMOND, Va, April 1O.-Mrs. James
r. Gill, matron of the Male Orphan Asy-
lum, will Monday run her fifteenth an
nual excursion to Washington. With
Mrs. Gill will go the usual coterie CT love-
lorn SWANS and lasses, bent upon matri-
mony in the National capital
l. So many couples has Mrs. Gill brought
| together during the years of her excur-
sion ventures that her train, originally
known as the annual Easter excursion,
has now come to be regarded in common
parlance as the matrimonial train,' or
| ''Cupid's express.
Worried with the manifold cares of the
| institution over which she presides and
| for the benefit of which these excursions
are annually run. Mrs. Gill says she was
called upon the telephone sixty-seven
times during the evening following the
first announcement that her Easter train
would run this year as usual. During the
past week she has been besieged with
telephone calls, letters and personal WIS.,
it's from girls and men desiring intorma-
| ton.
Brings Big Love Cargo.
| Everybody must have read the paper
containing that notice." said Mrs. Gill.
They have been after me all week-most
Of them girls. They want full details of
the trip. where the preachers will get
aboard, and If a marriage license will be
| issued with every railroad ticket.
Now, I'm running these excursions in
order to take better care of my orphan
boys. Bul as it appears to be the proper
thing socially to get married on these
| trips, they have become well established
in the cause of right"
Mrs. Gill says she has been, to her posi-
tive knowledge, instrumental in the mar
| riage of 2o6 couples. OF course, tnere
were many other couples who were mar
ried by OBSCURE ministers without max
ing any official report of the event.
The marriages are nearly all the result
of runaways Mrs. Gill says that girls
from all over the sta,e wait for her ex-
curslOns In order to make the trip to
Washington, where marriage licenses are
not hard to obtain when the guardian
parent Is not present.
Two hundred and eighty-six couples"
says Mrs. Gill. Come along and bring
girl this trip and make II 2S7. Divorces?
Upon my word! The idea!
why, young man, there has not even
been cross word. not a single quarrel.
not even threat on the part of one of
the brides to go home 20 mother. Inere
IS certainly charm about 1t.
Il am thinking of having a reunion,
with all the husbands, wives and accu-
mulated babies present, as living ex-
ample to all girls VINO persist in remain
ing single l would like 10 have a group
picture taken.
Easy for Lovelorn.
Think of the simplicity of the thing"
she continued. THE men don't have to
nYrphaSp frnck
either. The girls don't need trousseaus
There are no carriage bills to pay, no
link buttons to be bought by the groom
to give to his groomsmen, and no flowers.
1.-THE only thing they miss are the
presents. And that's a small loss when
you remember that none of these special
brides ever has harsh word thrown at
her.
There Is where the value of such
union comes in. Call 1t matrimonial
train or What-nOt, so that you are careful
In explaining that these are all blissful
matches"
Being a careful student of hymeno-
mania, Mrs. Gill's experience has taught
her the value of running her excursions
on the day after Easter and Lent. 1t is
then that the best results are to be OBJ
tanned from both girls and men.
1t is just at that time of the year that
the young mans fancy lightly turns in
the right direction, and the girls wearied
with their Lenten duties, are willing to
lend ther ears to the combined voices of
the spring and of the men. The season is
prOpitious, and Mrs. Gill never fails to
corral the couples.
There were eleven marriages as the re-
suit of her nrst excursion fifteen years
ago. 1t was then th..t Mrs. Gill conceived
the happy idea of combining a matrmo-
nial bureau with the other attractions OF
nual Easter festival. She has worked
with that end steadily in view.
She is the. contdant and has inside
knowledge OF the love afr.irs of more
girls than any other woman in Virginia
When parental objections are too siren
uous she does not hesitate to lend the
would-be groom the benefit Of her advice
in other similar incidents as to the best
manner of spiriting his sweetheart away.
Tells Girls What to Do.
She Is always willing to lace in a girls
mind the seed OF the excuse which she
later makes as a plea to accompany the
excursionists without arousing undue sus-
picion. She is even willing to hide a l..tle
grl upon train untilft starts.
For Mrs. Gill believes in marriages. And
excursion has taught her to believe in it
more firmly than before.
Mrs. Gill tells of the rrst runaway bride
who came under her observation. Sne
was q little girl, scarcely claiming six
teen summers to her credit. She was
much confused and much. frightened.
The train was late in starting. and she
expected an irate fathes 10 come and take
possession of her every minute. She and
her young man sat in a seat and trembled
together until Mrs. Gils, taking pity upon
the frightened little maid. peremptorily
dismissed the young man and took the
girl to her mOtherly bosom.
In Washington there was more trouble
There was trouble in procuring a license
and then in finding preacher. When the
minister was at last coralled. 1t was dis
covered that the license had been made
out wrong. When this error had been
corrected the minister had disappeared.
gency. Before the train started on its
return trip to Richmond she had started
ten other couples on their highrOad to hap
piness.
There is no trouble about ministers in
these latter years. They are always on
hand when the train arrives. And batch
of licenses are usually made out in adj
vance by the license clerks against the
plethora Of brides which Is sure to swoop
down upon them.
The ministers are usually at the train
ayocation in their hands. Any couple
with a lovesick look is sure to get one.
The ministers are willing to sit up late
and to go to any necessary Inconvenience.
There is always fee in it, and usually
several, II the minister in question hap
pens to be energetic on his job.
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