The Washington times., 1922-08-14
NO CHANGE To
SPOON IN n. T.,
MOAN COUPLES

MUM GUUrLt1
Marriage Licenses Falling OF
in Number, and Girls Give
Reason Why. -
NEW YORK, Aug. 14.-Cupid. who
used to hang out round the Park
Row end of Brooklyn bridge here,
has moved up to Yonkers, where
lanes are narrow and park benches
are not continually harassed by
snoopy-minded police officers.
This, at least, Ia the explanation
the very gloomiest man in all Man
haitian gave today for the virtual
ciosed-for-the-summer condition Of
the luxurious little marriage chapel
In the Municipal building.
J. j. Mccormick. in charge of the
marriage license bureau. began the
summer with the intention of max.
ing II a record season for knotting
hearts and hearths in holy bonds OF
matrimony. And after two months
and nearly two weeks of waiting, fig.
uring time from June !, the disap-
pointed gentleman has only this to
say: -.
This office might as we'll be NOR.
tuary chapel instead Of a marriage
bureau. II II keeps up New York
viii lose out in population to Chicago
or Denver. or even Fort Worth.
Can't Solve Problem.
Il don't know what's the matt ef
with them. We've fixed up tn.
chapel till it's nice as any place to
get married In you'd want to see.
Look at that palm tree over by
the window. Look at those four
geranium pots. Where could you
find better rubber plants? They're
all standing round waiting, and r.o
one in this office can figure out why
they're going to waste" b.. =.
He hauled out the records sadly
ana counted names registered since
the first Of the year. There were
II: :7lb-and this in a city of six and
a half millionsl
In the old days, Mr.. Mccormick
said. he performed marriages at the
rate OF one every three minutes. He
TOOK pride In his work and brought
the system up to a high state Of ef.
ficiency.
At this years rate, ceremonies IN
the municipal chapel have been TAX.
ing place only once every eleven min.
utes. =. ~. y
Despite the bewildered melancholy
OF the marriage license bureau; how,
ever, young things who either are
In love or would like to be today
threw light on sfhe falling off OF
marital alliances
One Of them. who appeared to stag
ger under a load OF hopelessness, de,
clared that this great, gangling me
tropolis Of heights and depths and
far-flung outskirts Is a city Of spoon,
less possibility. -
Brick and mortar and bright, brigh,
lights don't encourage those mur,
murous declarations that come &C
easily where leaves rustic and the
steps OF the Methodist church in
vite from just outside the edge OF
town.
You no more than get pleasantly
placed In the shade of Central Park
than some officious minded cor
comes strolling up off the grass and
asks II you think you're home.
And home isn't a speck more Sc.
cluded II II runs true to the New
York idea of that sacred institution
Chances are it's one Of these four
rooms and bath mockers, with cell
ings contrived with such devilish
cunning that they are more effec
tive than any out and out sounding
board. And any way her family
table In the next room. where II car
| ~ frNx,, tina - ttv,.A
| Even Use Subway.
| Course there are those who use
the subway, but love shrieked
above the roar isn't all that II
might be. So what chance has q
young fellow and his girl these
days. and in this town. to bring ac
quaintance to the point where they
feel they Just must strike the
merry, merry old gong.
1T isn't like getting married war
hard" Mr.. Mccormick continued
"All we have to be sure of Is that
contracting parties are of age
Naturally when see a woman
coming along and giving her age
twenty-six when II probably is for
ty-six I don't call the turn. II heI
bridegroom car stand II we fee
that we can.
Sometimes think coulc
4 switch round the couples and max,
better combinations. But that ism,
my business"
He doesn't see that the addet
cost OF marriage should be tn,
drawback, since only n dollar ha,
been put to the original price, and
certainly two dollars is cheaper
than the charge you can be mar
ried for in church.
II has rained a lot the last two
months. which may have somethins
to do with Il. And finally Job,
haven't been overabundant or high
" remunerative. But when you n
right through the list Of possibl,
causes for the falling off In matri
moniai alliances you're forced bacl
TO the plsint Of the love-lorn youth
IT'S darned hard when you cam
find q place 90 kiss your girl IN {
city the sine Of New York.