The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
EASY TO MARRY In JERSEY
ORDER OF FIRST AID TO
ELOPERS rs ACTIVE. =,

wedding Parties n Justices and
Clergynen Competing for Their
Trade-How License Law Is Eyaded.
II you are sure that you have pro-
posed to the right girl and abe gamei,'
agrees with you that 1t would be lots Of
fun TO get married on tho sly. board a
ferryboat for Jersey. just you two, and,
trust TO luck.
On the trip across the Hudson River.
you may recall as you hold hands in the
shadow on the upper deck that you onoe
cad that the New Jersey Legislature
enacted a law requiring non-residents to
take out a county clerks license to be
married within the State. but don't let
that worry you. You will soo learn that
it is just as easy to get around that law
as it is to drink liquor on Sunday in New
Jersey where all saloon keepers are for
hidden by the celebrated Bishops excise
act to work their beer pumps on the
Sabbath day.
If you happen to take a Pennsylvania
Railroad ferryboat you will land at the
foot Of Exchange place. Jersey City.
Walk slowly west on either side Of the
street until you meet a policeman or a
oabEnan. It's dollars 10 doughnuts that
when you and she smile in unison and
you politely ask. Can you direct US to
the nearest -" the policeman or cab
man will cut you short and say, Why.
certainly. Justice of the Peace So and Sos
Office Is just up the street. Come
During the short walk you guide will
hem and haw and ultimately blurt out:
Say! II neither Of you folks lives In New
Jersey it will be necessary for n Of you
to give a residence in this State, otherwise
you'll have to get a license Then he will
spin OF a long list of addresses OF hotels.
private houses and vacant lots. any
OF which will satisfy an accommodating
Justice. Just make a o Of the address
most to your liking, and it is sure to go
down on the records without any en-
barrassing questioning.
In case you are too bashful to inquire
near the ferry for a marrying person.
keep going straight ahead until you reach
the City Hall. These instructions apply
to any hour Of the day or night.
It's a safe guess that as soon as you enter
the front door of the building some men,
Der of the unincorporated Order Of First
| Aid to Elopers will be On hand to greet
YOU and steer you straight to the altar.
not only because he is willing to oblige
but because he is anxious to receive half
the amount Of ready cash which lou
| umidly hand up as a wedding fee. Among
the steerers 1t Is considered the right and
eminently proper thing for the Justice to
do to divide the wedding fee with the man
who brought him the lob.
During business hours at the City Hall
there are at least five justices of the peac
and two %clergymen. all Office holders. who
| will be delighted to stop their work long
enough to tie the knot, receive a fee and
| give you their blessing. They include
Richard j. Vreeland, clerk Of the Board
| OF Finance; William J. Burke, the Mayors
messenger; Frank p. Leblanc. a clerk in
the street and water board Office; James
j. Hagen. health inspector; Thomas J.
Steele, sanitary officer; the Rev. 2 r.
Charles A. Van Keuren. and the Rev. AT.
| Miller, head mailman, the colored pastor
| Of a Newark church.
Every porter. clerk. elevator man and
professional marriage scout in the City
Hall has his favorite and it depends alto
otherwise, OF the person who catches
you first as TO what justice will say. the
momentous words.
Not long ago the chief wedding scout
on the first floor of the municipal building
was an ardent admirer Of City Collector
Robert Davis. boss OF the Democrane
| machine, and when he landed a pair OF
sw eethearts he generally steered them to
a faithful organization man. There was
a kick among the Wittpenn justices on
the second hoor of the City Hall and Gus
todian Frank Hague, who is a Wittpenn
man, removed the scout out OF tempta-
tons way. The former scout now works
a mop on the second floor and his sue
cessor takes his catches to the Mayors
office. Mayor Wittpenn ducks duty az
a knot tier as a rule-he lis still a bachelor
and Burke, the Mayors messenger, gen.
orally acts as his substitute in performing
civil maria ge ceremonies.
Mistakes are made in the City Hall by
wedding scouts overanNious to LAND a
couple bent on matrimony. A few days
ago a dignified man and a well dressed
woman entered arm in arm and smiled
at each other for a moment as they started
to get their bearings. A steerer Tor a
Justice approached them with a grin.
dotted his hat and said:
If you want to get married | can fl
it up for you in a minute
Much obliged to you, young man.
replied the stranger. but II IT rs Just
like to be directed to the Office Of the
Shade Tree Commission" Then turn
ing to his companion with a smile ne
said, Sarah. he thinks We are clippers.
Won't the children be tickled?'
Married couples who call to pay ta5
bills or water rents are often hattered
by the attention they receive from nice
young men who are apparently .actuated
by purely unselfish motives in inQuiring
if they can be of any service to them
If the callers declare their business tmme-
diately the steerers quickly direct them
to their desired destination. Then the
scouts will duck around the corner into
a corridor and say 'Nothin' dom or
"Stung again. to a fellow member Of
the order waiting for a chance to butt
into the game and act as second witness
o the hoped for ceremony.
Sometimes couples who ask Tor . Ger.
tain Justice of the peace to whom they
nave been referred are told that he Is out
Just now although he may be within
call, and they are escorted to another
Justice. This generally causes angry feel
ings when it is found out.
Some OF the cabmen wedding guides
around the ferries who are always on the
lookout for honest wedding graft have
ministers as well as justices OF the peace
on their lists. When a couple is rounded
up the steerer usually asks, Judge or
dominica" and the bride to be settles b
question.
Then the pair get into the rig and the
driver takes them by a circuitous route
to a Justice whose Office is within walking
distance Of the ferry or to b home Ola
,larDyu,or N vnn ara ma rflClllar about