Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-01
IONA \ WOMAN WALKS FAR I'm
ORDER TO BECOME BRIDE AND
4 GAVE CAR FARE.
CEREMONY DELAYED BY A.
ABSENCE OF WITNESSES
Woman 81 As Has Difficulty in Con-
vineins Officials She Is Of Legal Age
Friend Finally Found and Muptiai
Knot Tied--eoone Woman Walks
Across Six States TO Keep Promise

Seattle, May Ito keep promise
to marry Mrs. Charlotte Palmer hiked
more than $500 miles across Nebraska
Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California
and then took sea voyage OF l,00O
miles. And when she arrived at her
destination, Seattle. her nuptials were
nearly prevented because she and her
prospective husband were unknown
here and no one could be found. for
awhile, who could truthfully swear
they were Of legal age.
Mrs. Palmer is As years old and her
fiance Is 81. But because Judge Smith
had ruled that hereafter no ''profes-
sional' witnesses could attest applica-
tons for marriage licenses the couple
were refused the necessary license
until they could find some one Mn the
city who knew them.
Friend Saves the Day.
And when the situa ton seemed
gioomiest they CHANGED to meet an old
friend. who was glad to swear that
both were of legal age. Judge Tall
man performed the marriage cere-
mony. The couple will live in Van
couver, B. c.
Frank J. Foy is the bridegroom. He
and Mrs. Palmer knew each other for
years in Boone. Iowa. A year ago they
decided to marry.
Mr.. Foy went west and made his
home in Vancouver, where ne secured
a good position. Mrs. Palmer was to
come TO Seattle to be married But
railroad fare from Iowa to the north
coast is somewhat expensive. And
there was another reason why Mrs.
Palmer should decide to do what she
did-walk to San Francisco
~. @ Long Walk Started.
She had two sons by her former
Observation-Disclosures Palmer. who is 20
years old, and Ross, who is n. An
accident impaired the younger boys
health. When the doctors had ex-
hausted their best efforts on him they
told his mother that life in the open
air might help him. This decided her.
She and her two sons paid their fare
to Omaha, and from there, on June 70,
1915, they started on their walk to
San Francisco. But Mrs Palmer de-
cided she would do even better than
save railroad fare to the coast. She
visited the heads OF several CONNER
ciaI organizations IN Omaha and pre-
vailed upon them to pay her IT she
and her sons would advertise them
along the route.
And when the trio started out on
their journey they were richer by 81
$50 in cash and stock in Omaha cor
sporations. In return for this they
painted the name Of the corporations
ON every big rock that they passed on
their route.
Unarned Over Rockies.
a When they left Omaha each carried
a rifle and a sixshooter. The journey
to Salt Lake City was made without
any unusual experiences. At their no.
tel in Salt Lake when they had re-
counted the experience Of the first lap
of their journey. the guests made them
a wager Of $3.50 that they dare not
make the trip to San Francisco with
out carrying their firearms. They
promptly accepted the wager and set
out across the desert with nothing but
their packs. containing food and bed
ding, and their water canteens.
1.-The coyotes got on our nerves. said
Mrs Palmer "They seemed to know
we were unarmed, and would follow us
for miles. In the morning when we
5 would break camp we would find they
had made a path in a circle about us
while we slept. Once. while we slept,
they sneaked up in the night and stole
some of our bacon. After that we al
ways slept with 1t under our heads.
THE most nerve racking experience