The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-02-12
IRISH MAIDS AND.
j. s. SAILORS IN
WfDLOCK UNITE
Many Are The Romances War
Has Developed In The En-
erald Isle.
ARE CRAZY TO SEE U. S.

BASE AMERICAN FLOTILLA IN
BRITISH WATERS, Jan. q - CORES.
pondence - Every part OF The United
States has supplied a hero in love rO-
manccs that have eliminated in hap
by marriages between American blue
Jackets and blue-eyed Irish maidens
since the arrival OF the American des-
troyer forces in the south OF Ireland.
After the war. every part of the Unit
ed States from Maine TO California
and from the Great Lakes to Florida
will boast OF an Irish bride who was
wooed and won in her native land by
an American sailor
Ala of the brides are looking for
ward 10 that happy day when they will
see what their husbands SO proudly
proclaim as Gods country" Already
the American sailor has supplied his
Irish bride with all necessary docu-
t ments TO establish her identity as an
/ American and some have even had
/ their property in the United States
transferred to their wives as a pre-
caution in case they lose their lives
for their country.
) There is the marriage of a former
ranchman, Bert Adams, to Brigid
! O'Rourke whose family descends from
an Irish king of that name. Adams,
who is boiler maker on one of the
destroyers. halls from Hugo. Colora-
do. He is now arranging to have his
ranch in Colorado. decided to his wife
as precaution in the event of his
being tOrpedoed. His wife's relatives
live in Bruce, County Limerick. and
there is plenty OF anecdote connected
with the famlly's relation to the
I 0'ROurke's oil kingly fame. Il don't
know anything about ranching," Mrs.
Adams told The Associated Press cor
respondent. but | am preparing my
self for the fair land Bert has told me
so much about by studying a history
OF Colorado"
Then there is the case of Mary
Ridge, head waitress at the leading
hotel here, who lost her heart to Har
land G. Ritchie, a machinist's mate
first class, of Allston, Mass. She was
, one of the most popular girls in town
The dining room over which she pre-
sided is out of bounds to enlisted mel
hut Ritchfe contrived to see her wher
she was off duty. They knew each
other for four months before Mr.
y Ritchie led her to the altar of the vii
y lage church.
4 But the record for love at first sigh
a among the Americans belongs to l.:
n young seaman, Paul Valachovic by
name. who used to work in the ma
; chine shop of the General Electric
Company at Schenectady, y. Y. He fel
in love the first day he stepped ashore
here, from his destroyer. Ada Jones
II Cork girl, was the object of Cupid
: dart. After the war Valachovic is go
ing to take her back with him to tha
thriving city in New York.
A few OF the Americans first me
their wives on visits to England
Charles Harmon CObia of Charleston
S. c., fell in love on the beautiful Coz
nish riviera with Ada G birlewt ,aoidl
l dow of "a, whose home was in Ply
mouth. Another English bride is Nor
l Elizabeth Kit, who was married Il
Joseph W. liigh6eld of Des MoineS
la.
: But the majority of the American
married Irish girls who lived in th
vicinity of the American Naval bas
y, and whom they met at the dance hal
y or roller skating rink Thus Dori
Francis Phillips is now Mrs. Leo Vii
cent Flavell OF Hanover. Mass, an
B Mary Ellen Sullivan has become tn
wife of Thomas A. Balschi of Noun
Carmel, Pa After the war Mar
OKeefe. who became the wife of EC
ward c. Turner. expects to desert tn
trying climate OF southern Ireland, fo
that of sunny San Jose, Cal, which
&c her husbands home. William Spaul'
-. ing OF DeLand. Fla, has married +
:, ter Allen. while Oral +. Cox of Iol;
70 Kan. won the hand of Phyllis Ros
10 Rogers.
,. Among others of the American sal
~ ors who have taken 10 themselves
Il wife over here are BENJAMIN j. Moor
ut of Dallas, Texas; Ebert Il. Bickin
II. ham of Pensacola, Fla. Harry L. He
IS der OF Denver. Colo, and Michael
~ Della Roco OF Schnectady, n. Y. An