Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-04
GEORGIA REVELS
IN GRETNA GREENS
Five-Day Marriage Law
Boosts Romance, but Prof
its Other States.
BY WILLARD FERGUSON.

ATLANTA, Ga, July 4.--t;rand-
mothers as well as flappers are Among
the romantic lovers who walk, motor
and even fly across the border to be
married in adjoining States, now that
Georgia has become community al
most entirely surrounded by Gretna
Greens.
The five-day marriage law. which
requires wedding license applications
in Georgia to be posted five days be-
fore the license is granted, has given
romance the greatest boost in the his.
tory of the South, which may be
modern and progressive and all that
but still has a laundering for moon
light and roses.
When loving couples go motoring
now. particularly in Savannah.
Augusta and other cities close to the
Carolina or Alabama line, there's no
telling 9hether they'll come back
married or single.
Mother Is Mortified.
A Savannah beauty returning home
With--not ina new bathing suit was
questioned by her mother. who has
HIlIl, IL SUlileWildl Olu-ldSlliOfeu, lucas.
To the mothers horror, the daughter
explained that the bathing suit was a
gift from a young man well known
to the family.
We'll. why not"' exclaimed the
girl Hes my husband and then
came the story of another romantic
marriage across the river in South
Carolina.
GeOrgia's five-day marriage law, en-
acted to prevent hasty weddings, has
pOpulariZed the idea of runaway mar
riages to such an extent that it has
become the thing now for Georgia
couples to cross into South Carolina
to be welded by "marryin' justices
and parsons" and for South Carolina
couples to come to Georgia to be
divorced, since South Carolina permits
no severance of the matrimonial
bonds. Alabama also gets her share
of the romantic runaways from
Georgia.
Double Wedding Staged.
Two couples, all students at Ogle.
thorpe University in Atlanta, recently
staged a double wedding in Admission,
Ala. and since the boys had spent all
their money on railroad fare and we'd
ding licenses, the girls were satisfied
with wedding rings from 10-cent
store.
Between sunup and shutdown of a
recent Sabbath Judge Herman Bailey
of Anderson, S. G., spent his day Of
rest in marrying six couples, all from
Georgia.
Some Of these runaways walk
across the border line into South
Carolina to be married Hundreds
motor and two have flown in air
planes. 1t is question whether the
majority are under 20 or over 40. One
Alabama justice reports that most Of
the couples he unites are widows or
WidoWers who want to get married
quick before their children find out
what's up. Another says two grand.
mothers from Georgia We're among
the blushing brides who have stood
before him, but married men half
their age.
Judge Bailey Comments.
Judge Bailey finds that the couples
who hurry to him to be married also
show practical traits. For one thing,
most of them want to know the pos
sibillty OF getting a divorce should
the occasion arise. When he explains
that no divorces are granted in South
Carolina they take comfort in the fact
that Georgia juries can snip the bonds
that South Carolina justices tie.
One bridegroom handed Judge
Bailey a five dollar bill with the re-
mark, II want three of that back, big
boy"
The speed with which marriage may
be accomplished, despite Georgia laws,
was illustrated recently in Savannah
Two young people were introduced
over the telephone, went riding to-
gether later in the day, stopped at
Hardeeville. s. c., and came home
husband and wife.
Copyright. 1927