The Bozeman courier., 1927-01-14
CLERK MARRIED
$4,000 COUPLES
Berlin-Mackay and Salm-
Rogers Among Weddings
Performed by Official.


New York.. J. Mccormick, deputy
city clerk, who has in the opinion Of
confirmed Optimists conferred more
happiness on humanity than any other
man in the world, celebrated his fifty
seventh birthday by following his ac-
cuStOmed pursuit of uniting couples
in matrimOny in the city marriage
chapel. Mr.. Mccormick has married
more than $1,000 couples during the
five and a half years in which he has
presided over the marriage chapel.
When asked whether he regarded
his record creditable or otherwise he
replied firmly:
Il am not ashamed Of anything
have ever done"
Mr. Mccormick professed to an alb.
sOlute lack of bias on the subject of
brides
All Brides Look Alike.
"All brides look alike to me-" he
said. "I have seen so many Of them
that I no longer regard them with any
attention. They all look ike a mass
Of feathers"
Despite this apparent lack of rO-
mantle feeling, however, he sturdily
defended his belief that most mar
riages are brought about by true love.
II see little difference in the cOu-
pies that come before me-" he said.
"Whether they are rich or poor, young
or old, black or white, they seem to
be really anxious to get married, and
that's all there is about it. I don't
believe the young ones have any more
chance of being happy than the older
couples"
Mr. Mccormick begins marrying
people every morning promptly at ten
o'clock and continues his particular
kind of labor of love until four in the
afternoon, taking only brief time for
luncheon. If he were a "twO-hOur for
luncheon" man, it is estimated that
5,5OS couples would have been pre-
vented from marrying during the last
five and a half years.
He has reduced marrying to a fine
art and is regarded as the most eff
unite any couple in just a minute and
a half On his high record day he
married 112 couples. The flood tide
of matrimOny comes in June, he has
found, and Saturday morning is the
big time of any week.
The most talked-Of marriage which
Mr.. Mccormick could recall hayinl
performed was that of Irving Berlir
and Miss Ellin MaCkay.
"I did not know who they were,
he said. 81 did not know anything
about it. I was just going out II
lunch when one of the other fellows
in the office said: There's a coupled
like to be married right off. COulC
you do it before you go out? Sure.
] said, and in they came. AfterwarC
I found out it was quite an occasion.
Count Ludwig Salm HOOgstraetel
and Miss MilliCent Rogers also availet
themselves of Mr.. McCOrmicks kin,
offices when they contracted marriage
the difficulties of which have sine
been press agented around the world
The list of other notables at who's
marriage he has Officiated was to
long for him to give.
Contrast in Weddings.
Sometimes the wOuld-be bride an
bridegroom and their attendants ar
beautifully dressed, carrying bouquet
Of orchids or lilies of the valley a
large as their smiles. And sometime
they are so poor that the 81 neede
for the license and marriage fee
seems fortune.
In fact, there are occasions, sal
Mr. Mccormick. when a couple WI
didn't suspect that 81 is the cost {
matrimOny of the municipal brand, al
faced with the calamitOus discover
that they haven't enough funds b
tween them to carry on.
This happened with one weddir
party whose exchequer supplied ii
50 required for the license, but fe
80 cents short on the marriage fe
The aggregate fortune of bride, brid
groom, and two attendants was $3.50
Nothing dismayed, the bridegrOO
asked that the ceremony be postpone
a few minutes while he sought h
banker outside the municipal buildin
His bride and the best man and bride
maid waited In the anterOOm viii
Mr.. Mccormick proceeded with Il
wedding Of more richly lowered CO
pies
Presently the bridegroom return
triumphanR
1--WE got It," he announced, pI
senting the missing half dollar.
hooked the wedding ring"
The Better Way