The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-08-01
WEDDINGS ARE
SERIOUS EVENTS
Nevertheless Many Conf
cal Things Transpire
at Altar.
GROOM INTERPRETER
Double Ceremony, One for
Guests and One to Satisfy
the Laws Letter.
ny pAI-LINE LAYMAN.


NOTF--This is tho second OF
n series OF articles giving
"reminiscences Of Tulsa past ts
IN the way OF tying the martial
knot.
Marrying in the early days OF
Tulsa was very different from the
elaborate wedding ceremonials now
frequently celebrated. according to
Bcv. Ralph J. lamb, who was
Tulsa's first pastor. succeeding
foreign missionary sent out In
the Indian territory by the Presby-
terian church.
Indians, cowboys and country folk
figure In Mr.. Llmbs marriage
"reminiscences, as for long period
of time he was not only the only
preacher In Tulsa, but the only one
within n radius of about 60 miles.
He preached In n achoolhouse locat-
ed where the Tulsa high school now
stands two Sundays each month and
at Red Fork the other two sundays.
Upon one occasion Mr.. Lamb was
called TO Brndy'H store, the first
store building In Tulsa and located
near the present site OF tho Brady
hotel, to marry a couple who had
come In from tho country. The bride
In country iinery ohewed gum
throughout the entire ceremony
while the groom, In high topped
booth and costume to correspond,
chewed tobacco. When MIR. Lamb
inquired OF tho bride N she would
take this man" she replied. 81
reckon" and tho answer OF tho
groom to a similar question was,
That's what | come for"
Mr.. Lamb was once cniled upon
to unite ,wo fullblood Indians. Ar
rangements for the performing of
the ceremony were made In broken
English by the young Indian and
upon the day set company OF full
blood red men In gorgeous array
filed solemnly into Mr. Lambs house
and silently took either sitting or
standing post ions. when Mr.. Lamb
asked as to the whereabouts of the
tribal interpreter, the groom an
swored. "Ho gone into the coun-
try" Docs anyone with you speak
English?" was Mr. Lambs next
query. The answer was grunt OF
negation, which ia the brido?" Mr..
Lamb next inquired The groom
pointed towards the youngest wom-
an In the party, sitting lnconspicu-
ously among the others. That's
him." he designated ther. To Mr..
IAmb'4 question, Does sne speak
English?" he again grunted no. 10
the bridegroom had to act us inter
prefer for his own wedding, repeat
ing each question to the bride as II
wassgiven by Mr.. Lamb. when she
In turn repeated in her own Ian
guage.
For a long time no marriage IL
censes were required or, In fact,
were issued In Indian territory. A
couple merely went to II minister.
were married, and were given a cer-
tificate OF marriage by the preacher.
Because OF this fact marriage
could take place In great haste,
which caused a sad denouement for
the groom-to-be In the following In
oident told by Mr.. Lamb:
"While holding revival In the
eohoolhouse n cowboy from the 9TH
er side OF the river rode up before
the evening service. called me out,
and asked me to marry n couple at
Red Fork. All right. after preach
ing / made answer. iiut when we
arrived at Red Fork we learned
that the bride had eloped with IA
former beau and that the groom and
and pursued the runaways, only to
catch them at Chosha "a few min
utes after they had been married, 80
arrived just in time to witness a
brideless wedding dance In which,
j must confess, the groom Joined
with as much Zest as anybody else" g"
Wedding fees We're unknown, Mr..
Lamb declared. 81 scarcely ever re-
oeived money though | have boen
given as payment sack OF potatoes,
Il chicken, or n load OF wood. Just
AZ an illustration, a cowboy once
rode over from Sapulpa to get me
to perform his marriage. | rode
hack to Sapulpa with him and united
him and his bride. who then rode
Oft without single thank you. As
bandits and bad roads equally made
night travelling dangerous. l slept
on my blankets beneath the stars
that night and at daybreak started
back to Red Fork"
This was not the only district In
Indian territory where wedding fees
were either not forthcoming at all OF
OF n strange nature, Mr., Lamb said
reciting in proof the experience OF
David Allen, "a foreign missionary,
located at Fort Gibson, A young
lawyer said to Mr., Allen; you
preachers must get wealthy from
wedding fees. I win give You $40 fOl
half OF your next wedding fee" Mr.
Alien deInurred but finally yielded
when importuned by the lawyer. Iii.
next marriage service was for young
couple from the Arkansas river bot
toms, After the ceremony the groom
said. "ParsOn, I haven't anything tC
pay you but | Brought you this" Hs
picked up sack, opened It and out
came "A young puppy Later the
young lawyer met Mr. Allen ON. IN,
street and insisted upon his half o