Evening journal., 1913-11-14
new CRETNA
IS DEFENDED
BY PARSONS
Away With EuSeniCS' Says
the Rev. H. 7. QuiGg Who
Makes Hearts Happy
MARRYING BUSINESS
GOOD FOR -ELKTON

pastor or the FIRST MothOulst EplscO-
pal Church. of Elkton, Marylands
new Gretna Green. was the speaker
The place was the parlor Of his home
on Main street, in the quaint little
town In that same parlor be has
married scores of persons since May
5, when the Delaware laws took Will
mington out of the "Grctna Green''
class
Up to the close Of business on Wed
inesday there had been eight hundred
and iifty-six marriage licenses issued
In Cecil county since May g. whereas
/ for the eleven years preceding, H.
censes averaged only eighteen a
month
Some poor, narrow-minded per-
sons, said Mr. Quigg. affect TO look
askance upon the large number of
marriages performed here since the
Delaware laws made IL more difficult
TO get married at Wilmington. but
let me tell you that there are no mar
lriages on Gods green footstool more
productive of happiness of morality
and of good for the race than those
which ] have performed right here in
this room.
DenOunces Eugenics.
Away with your eugenics and your
eugenicistsl Such "A law as you have
on the statute books of Pennsylvania
! to compel prospective brides and
bridegrooms to answer certain ques-
tions before they can obtain q license,
| is an abomination IL should be re-
pealed as soon as possible.
what could furnish better prom
Use for the future Of the contracting
parties and for the future of their
children than the love which ! sec
shining from their bright eyes as
say the words that unite them. II
there are any true marriages in this
world IL is those entered into by the
loving hearts who journey hither
from all parts of the country. They
do not come here because of paren-
tai objection 10 their marriage at
home. At least. most of them do not
OF all whom ] have married I do not
think that more than six or seven
couples we're elopers. They come
here to avoid ostentations display and
the heavy expense of elaborate we'd
dings. IL is an economic problem
with most of them. and they come
here to solve It,"
Mr. Quigg has the bulk of the
business" as the liverymen of Elk
ton characterize the marriages The
Rev. s. NJ. Perry, a retired Presby-
terian minister, who is nearing the
fourscore year mark, has married the
next largest number, while the Rev.
Dr. John McElmoyle, of the Presby-
terian Church. and the Rev William
Schouler. Of Trinity Protestant Epis-
copal Church. also have married
many. Rev p p. Arndt, Of the Cath
olic Church, has married only a few
only those who bring certificates
from their pastors requesting him to
do so.
Helps the Liverymen.
]. j. McAllister, formerly sheriff OF
Cecil county, who now conducts
livery stable and who owns the only
hotel in the town. expressed satisfac-
ton OF the towns transportation in
terests at the fame of Elkton as
Gretna Green. ut sure helps" he
said. "The couples come here and
when they get off at the station they
are all at sea. OF course. they apply
TO the men In charge OF the carriages
walking, but after meandering
around town without finding either
the court house or the clergymen's
residences they surrender and ask
to be driven there.
1--WE charge two dollars for an au-
tomohile and a dollar and half for
horse-drawn cab. II takes but five
minutes for the clergyman 10 get
through with them and then we hus-
tie them back to the station
TITS quick, easy money. I've car
ried as many as sixteen in a single
day, which means S32 In fact. I
didn't get my automobile until after
the rush started, and now il has al
most paid for itself On Sundays Il
is at the disposals Of myself and my
family for pleasure trips. So you
can see why we liverymen are glad
that Wilmington's business has been
transferred to Elkton"
Path TO Altar Is Smooth.
AS a Gretna Green, Elkton Is ideal
, From the railroad station the happy
couples are driven up ancient North
. street to the ancient Court House
There, Charles s. Peacock, deputy
clerk OF the Circuit Court, asks them
few questions, and hands them a
Z license. They, in turn, hand him q
Z dollar, Then the automobile speeds
Z into Main street and along the
: crooked highway, which in its turn:
z and twists is reminiscent OF German,
town Road, they pass beneath an arch
formed BY the mighty branches o
great trees, whose bulk encroache.
upon the sidewalks on either side.
Once the Elktonians living alon,
z this route were accustomed to peel
from behind window curtains al IN,
passing bridal parties. Now IN,
sight has become too common fo
that.
Though the path to the altar haI
been smoothed by the Maryland laws
not few couples have left the tow
disappointed Both Mr.. Quigg an
z DR.. McElmoyle have felt called upol
to refuse to marry few persons
Z whose records they believed justife
their refusals.
Z Only q Few Disappointed.
These we're cases where one Of tn
pair had been the guilty party In
divorce suit. Or. McElmoyle also ha
refused 10 marry few persons who's
divorce DEGREES we're not a year old
This was In accordance with tn
Presbyterian regulations.
These few disappointments. how
ever. are like drops OF water in tn
ocean. compared with the number o
couples who have been sent ava
happy. II is so easy 10 get Marie,
there All that is necessary. is thu
application for the license be no