Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-26

son.
Press Comment |
| AN EARLY KANSAS MARRIAGE.
Council Bluffs Nonpareil: A record
OF an unique early day marriage cer-
emony was found a few days ago in
Council Grove. Kansas, among some
old documents in the probate judge s
office at the court house. In the '6O'G
Squire" Arlington, Of the first set
tiers in the county, widely known and
we'll liked, was elected as justice OF
the peace. He had very little book
learning" and not much knowledge OF
the law, but he was a rough ana
ready orator of parts, and when
couple appeared at his Office to be
married, he was equal to the emer-
gency, although he never before had
married a couple and had no form OF
procedure to go by. Quite crowd
came with the bride and groom, and
one of them took down the ceremony
as the judge said it.
After all the preliminaries had been
arranged, Squire Arlington lined the
bride and groom, Amos Peabody and
Amanda Thomas, and their witnesses
up before him, and said:
Fellow citiZens:-This here man
and this here woman has appeared
before this court to be hltched In the
legal bonds of wedlock. II any galoot
in the mob knows of anything that
might block the game II took to
thigher court, let him toot his bAzoo
or else keep his jaw to himself now
| and forevermore. All In favor OF the
proceeding as authorized by law say
IT, contrary No. Nobody said No.
and the motion is carried unanimously
and the court rules there is nothing
to prevent the trying Of the case
Nov Ito the couple) grip your
fins. (The couple joined hands.) Amos
Peabody, do you solemnly swear that
you'll freeze to Mandy forever and
provide for her and treat her square
and white according to the rules and
regulations set down to govern such
cases in the laws Of the United
Statss, so help you God?"
Eyes, sir, I do" Amos said.
"That fixes your end Of the bar
gain. Mandy Thomas, do you solemn
ly swear that you'll hang to Amos tor
all coming time; that you'll nurse him
in sickness and be square with him
In wellness; that you'll always be to
him good, true, honest up and up
wife, under the penalties prescribed
for such offenses"
81 swear I WILL" the bride replied.
Then by the power vested In me
as justice Of the peace in and for
toto ~ l.
John Arlington, pronounce you, Amos
Peabody, husband, and you, Mandy
Thomas, wife, and legalize you to re-
main such now and forevermore, ana
stand committed until the fees and
costs in the cases are paid in full,
and God have mercy on your souls.
WILL CARLETON DEAD
Cedar Rapids Republican: Willy
Carleton died the other day. He had
reached the age of 81 years. He was
at one time one of the best known
| American writer's, but in recent years
little or nothing had been heard from
him and many had ceased to know
that such a man still existed, or that
he had ever existed. Carleton was
Detroit editor who wrote a volume OF
poems on homely subjects which at,
! tracted immediate and nation wide at,
| tention. His Farm Ballads were
printed in 1875 He afterwards added
i"City Ballads" and other ballads, but
none attained the popularity OF his
earlier volume. lover the Hill to the
Poor House." Betsy and / Are Out,
"The Editor Sat in His Sanctum," "Out
Of the Old House, Nancy" "The House
Where We We're We'd" and Gone
! With a Handsomer Man" were the
! titles Of some of his farm ballads that
made him most popular. They we're at
that time read by every one who read
anything at all and the pieces" were
! recited in all the schools OF the
country.
| All these poems described phases OF
American life with which that genera
! ton was familiar. They dealt with
the more or less sad and athletic
things in the lives Of the pioneers and
the early Americans. But dealing
with a particular age and lacking In
the larger elements OF poetry they
naturally drifted out of the ken OF
succeeding generations. But now that
/, he is dead. who wrote them, there
may be a revival of some of those old
poems.
THE BOY AND THE FARM
. Chicago Inter Ocean: President Taft
talked to a delegation of Ohio boys
who had participated in corn grow
ing contest. They were farm boys and
he recommended to them that they
stay upon the farm and try to utilize