Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-05-24
WEDDINGS IN EARLY DAYS
Festivities Kept Up Sometimes for
Weeks on Occasions Of BacI<Woods
Ceremonies Long Ago.

ceremonies Long ago.
For long time after this country
was settled folk married mighty
young and at first chance. There was
no sort of distinction of rank or title,
and yet precious little money or
worldly gear A family backwoods
palace cost only little neighborly
help and labor to get it ready for the
sure-to-come, healthy, happy brood. In
those olden, golden days in the south
and west a wedding set the whole
country circuit for miles around wild
with talk, excitement and expectation
for frolic.
On wedding day everybody came to-
gether at the bridegroom's daddy's
house so that all could go in one
bunch to the brides house before din
ner midday. Upon all this jolly lot
could not be seen a thing that had
ever been inside store. The gen
tlemen dressed in moccasins, leather
breeches or leggins, coonskin caps and
homespun linsey or buckskin hunting
shirts. Every whip, stitch and fibre
genuine, simon-pure homespun and
homemade. Ladies, as peerless as
fearless, dressed in linsey petticoats,
and under all long linsey or linen
bed gown, moccasins, yarn or fax
stockings, handkerchiefs, and gaunt-
leted buckskin gloves-if any. If there
were any rings, buckles or other
jewelry, they were relics from grand
parents back beyond the Blue Ridge,
on the shores of the sea.
The march, Indian-file, through the
woods to the brides house was often
stopped by misehief-makers tying
grape-vines across the road. Or sud
denly false Indian ambush was laid
and a dozen rifles covered the we'd
ding company with smoke. The horses
would rear and jump and cavort, and
the girls, riding bareback, would
shriek-of course, girl-like. And their
sweethearts would get mighty brave
and chivalrous and grab them around
the waist to keep them from falling
even if most of these same girls could
break and ride two-year-old horse OF
steer }
About a half-mile afore the wild
wedding troop got to the brides house
came big times. Two young buddies
who wanted to show off before their
admiring sweethearts would single out
to race to the brides front door for
i Sweet Black Betty" which was hand
ed to the first fellow there. No sort
Of fox chase, English or Yankee, in
point of danger and adventure, could
hold a candle to the run of these mad
Yonkers. One grand, hellish Indian
yell, and away they would go, and the
| more logs and holes and brush the
better Racing returning, all bets
were settled and the bridegroom and
his best man took first swig from
"Black Betty" Then so on to each
pair in succession. Then came the
marriage ceremony; then the feast OF
beef, pork, fowls, venison, bear meat,
roasted and boiled potatoes and cab
bage and corn pones.
After dinner the fiddle was tuned
and the dancing started and generally
lasted all night until broad daylight.
The figures were three and four-hand.
ed reels square sets and jigs. If any
tried to stall or sneak away late in
the night they were grabbed and
paraded on the floor while the fiddler
was ordered to play Hang Out Till
Morning" Wedding carrying-ons last.
ed from two days to two weeks, and
some guests stayed while others came
and went. Some travelled for days,
coming and going great distances.
In the course of festivity, If any one
wanted to do toasts he would boiler,
seWhere is Black Betty? want to
kiss her sweet lips" Betty" soon
reached him; then holding her up in
his right hand he would say, Here's
health to the groom, not forgetting
myself. and here's to the bride, thump-
ing luck and big children" This was
the soul of the toast, for big children,
especially sons, were of great i'm
portance. as they were few in number
and engaged in wars the end of which
no one could foresee. Every big son
was therefore a big soldier. And
such were the simple and hardy men
from which some Of the best and
meanest folk in the world have
sprung.
Little as the simple, innocent back
woodsmen imagined, their marriage
ceremonies were only carrying out
some of the old, ancient, princely
marriages of ancient Europe, particu-
larly of Germany, Britain and Spain.