The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-08
ng by Hand of Marriage

beautiful and thrifty senoritas. who
nave insisted on being made independ-
ent at the time of the marriage. There
Is one story told of a girl whose suitor
was rich miner. whom she had long
held at a distance. Said she one dav
as he entered the house. Senior, be-
hold this long staircase. At the upper
end OF 1t Is my parlor. When you
can walk up that staircase. placing a
you viii receive my hand, but not
sooner
! am told the miner sent in the
bricks.
Marriage Not Easy.
After the courtship has progressed,
the engagement been announced and
the wedding day fixed, there are still
lot OF difficulties to be overcome be-
fore one can get married in Mexico.
II man is from the United States he
must have three ceremonies two in
Spanish and one more in either Eng
fish or Spanish He r.,ust give public
notice of his intention to marry by
having 1t posted up on the official bull
letin boards for twenty days and his
marriage must take place before the
civil authorities and also before the
priest. The three ceremonies consist
Of a contract of marriage. the civil
marriage and the church service The
contract and civil marriage must be
performed before a Judge and four
witnesses. including the American con-
sui The ceremony OF civil marriage
is in Spanish and the contract gives
the names. ages. ancestral families,
business and residence of both parties
The civil marriage has to take place
before the church marriage and for
the latter the priest Is expected to
publish the bapns for five Sundays. All
this costs money. Said an American
to me yesterday:
1T takes several weeks to get mar,
ried here. You have to go TO "A half
dozen different officials and every one
bleeds you az much as he thinks YOU
VIII stand. You have to tell all about
your own family. your fathers family
and your grandfather's family. and you
must give the same information as to
your bride. You have also to fee the
church, and. as rule IL costs a pretty
penny"
Weddings by Wholesale.
These regulations are very onerous
TO the lower classes. and as result
many couples live together unmarried.
and that Notwithstanding the children
OF those who have not undergone civil
marriage arc legally illegitmate The
Indians as Il rule are satisfied with a
church marriage. and they would get
married IL they had the money TO pay
the fee. This is by no means always
so. and on some of the large haciendas,
such as the Terrazas estates and others
the owners have priests come at GER
tain times OF the year and marry their
peasants by wholesale without any
charge for the service.
The Indians are usually true to their
wives. although they sometimes think
they have the right to change wives or
TO trade old lamps for new as the spirit
moves. l have heard of instances where
men have come before the justice OF
the peace and asked to have such
trades leSalized and OF one case where.
after three months had elapsed. one of
the parties returned. saying that he
wanted his old wife back. but that the
other man had refused to give her up.
saying tina: he preferred his part OF
the bargain. In another case where
"A wife wanted to go away with an
other man, the Justice said TO the hus-
band:
Why don't you let her go There are
plenty more wives TO be had"
Divorces Not Common,
This condition. however. does not pre-
vail outside the lower classes Among
the others divorces are far less common
than with US. The woman usually
sticks to her husband. and he knows
that 1t would be almost impossible TO
get divorce. II ne so desired. The
Mexican women make good wives. and
large families are common The laws
relating to the property of husband
and wife are different from ours. and
those as to the wife very much
fairer She has the right to the abso-
lutte control of all the property she had
before marriage, and also TO one-half
OF the property accumulated after the
marriage. Such property cannot be
transferred except where her signature
Is added to that OF her husband.
Copyright. 1913. by Frank G. Corpen-
ter.)