Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-08
ParsOn surrOuDh. and His hotel.

Parson Burroughs and HIS hotel.
Bristol. Tenn, Oct. S-Rsy Alfred
Harrison Burroughs, the Marrying
ParsOn" OF Bristol. recently celebrated
lis S0th birthday b. uniting his 4,5O0th
&C uple. lie believes he holds the
worlds record for the number of mar
rages performed by a single individ-
ual Parson Burroughs resigned from
the Baptist ministry % years ago in
order 10 devote himself exclusively TO
this unique industry. He hopes TO
round out his career by marrying
5000 couples.
The action OF the Ministerial asso-
citation of Bristol-more than 20
churches-in pledging its members to
refuse hereafter TO marry clipping cou-
pies on Tennessee soil contrary to
thc laws OF the state from which
either or both OF the contracting par
ties come, and memorialiZing the leg
isiature 10 put a stop to the hundreds
OF "hasty and indecent" marriages
performed annually at the Bristol
mecca by statutory enactment, will
have the effect, if the ministers ara
successful in their efforts, of depriv-
ing Parson Burroughs of a unique
livelihood and Kidding the world of
another of it's famous places.
Parson Burroughs is watching with
interest the efforts or the ministers to
deprive him Of his vocation. He says
that when the matter gets into the
Legislature he will fight for the 70
teution OF the existing laws, and will
plead that young people be allowed to
follow the dictates Of their own hearts
In the matter OF choosing their life
mates rather than be forced in many
instances to contract uncongenial
marriages at home. He believes that
mere youth has little to do with the
matter when love is in the heart.
Parson Burroughs is proprietor of
what is probably the most famous
hotel in the world. 1t was designed
and erected expressly for the conven-
fence Of clipping couples. Every room
IN the far-famed hostelry is a bridal
chamber IL is situated squarely
upon the dividing line between Vir-
location of the house, one-half Of
which lies in one state and the other
half in a neighboring state, is at once
apparent for the execution Of the pur-
pose for which IL was built. Scarcely
a day passes that Parson Burroughs
IS not called upon to entertain num-
Der Of clipping couples.
Parson Burroughs has performed
marriage ceremonies under every
conceivable circumstances-in a rae
Ing carriage through the streets at
night. with an irate mother in ss'r
pursuit with the couple standing in
the middle OF a moving street car,
the tracks OF which lie in different
states He has been the friend OF
lcvelorn lads and lasses long enough
to marry the children OF the couples
who first came TO him.
SPRAYING across the boundary line
OF the two states, and within a stones
throw OF two other states, the city OF
Bristol has long been the goal OF
those young people who are forced
, to flee I'm order to achieve their de-
sires. The invisible line dividing tss
two states has for more than half a
century been a breeder OF unique sit
nations The troublesome boundary
line divides the electric railway into
halves for the entire distance along
one OF the main thoroughfares.
Parson Burroughs business is made
possible by the stringent marital laws
% Virginia and West Virginia. Fully
. per cent OF the couples he has mar
ried have been clippers. The laws OF
Virginia and West Virginia require
that applicants for marriage licenses
shall be Il years OF age unless they
both have the written consent of par
ents OF guardian Matrimony fol
revenue only as interpreted by Par
son Burroughs, has proven lucrative