Early village newspapers were really literary magazines. Front
pages were filled with stories, poetry, advice, aphorisms, and what some took
for humor—“How to Make a Cannon…Take a long hole and pour brass or iron about
it.” What little news crept into front pages was from major cities, taken from
other papers. Inside pages had local news, which for marriages was often poetic,
gossip-filled, and sometimes scandalous (e.g., Samuel Tapscott and Susan Tingley,
14 Sep 2015 blog). The following marriage notices are from the Marshall Republican:
23 Apr 1909: In order to keep their friends from finding out
the great secret Mrs. Lucy Swope and James Obrist went to Effingham Wednesday
of last week and were married in that city returning home Thursday morning.
This is the bride’s third adventure on the sea of matrimony and the groom’s
first attempt at steering the matrimonial craft o’er life’s tempestuous sea.
27 Aug 1909: Monday morning the train on the Vandalia from
the west due at 7:04 brought Mr. Jeff Walters and Goldia Mae Jacobs of Vevay
Park Cumberland county to the County clerk’s office where they secured the
papers authorizing them to trot in double harness and hied themselves to Judge
Martin’s matrimonial parlors where they were soon made one. This was a runaway
match but as soon as the knot was tied they turned right around and ran back
again.
10 Sep 1909: Benton Willey, age 36 and Myrtle Gudgeon age 29,
both of Terre Haute were married by Esquire Benson Martin in his matrimonial
parlors at noon Wednesday. The groom was a former resident of this city and it
is his first marriage. The bride is a bashful young creature, but has managed
to survive the shock of two former marriages and seemed to enjoy the thought of
a third matrimonial alliance.
12 Nov 1909: Saturday Austin Sweet, an attorney of Terre
Haute met Miss Alma Shook of Yale, in this city. They secured a permit from
County Clerk J.W. Fredenberger to trot through life in double harness. They
then hunted up Elder John A. Sweet who tied the knot matrimonial for them. They
had attempted to keep the marriage a secret from their Terre Haute friends, but
on their arrival at their Terre Haute home Sunday they were greatly surprised
at the reception given them by a number of friends who met them at the station.
26 Nov 1909: Grover Hybarger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel
Hybarger of Paris, who formerly lived here and Miss Bertha Sidenstricker also
of Paris, were married secretly at New Castle, Ind., in July last. Mr. Hybarger
was working at the time for the American Express company at Indianapolis and
Miss Sidenstricker was visiting her brother there when they slipped away to New
Castle where they were married. They revealed the fact to her brother, James
Sidenstricker at Indianapolis but concealed it from their parents until
recently when Grover was transferred by the American Express company to Paris
when they divulged the secret and decided to set up house keeping.
20 May 20 1910: Sunday Abel Bennett, bachelor, and Mrs.
Minnie Bennett, both of Orange township, were married at the home of Richard
Keller of Orange township by Rev. T.C. Bailiff. The brides maiden name was Cox
and we understand was the widow of a brother of the man of her second choice.
21 Jan 1910: A romance culminated here Tuesday when Oscar
Mason of Mayfield, Kentucky, applied for a license to marry Miss Minnie
Robinson of Parker township. Seven years ago Dr. John F. Kirksey of Mayfield,
met and woed and won Miss Amanda Robinson, a sister of Mr. Mason’s bride and in
a visit to her sister at Mayfield, Miss Minnie became a victim of cupids darts
and capitulated to her southern wooer.
