HELPING RUNAWAY COUPLES.

Western Star, Issue 1383, 24 August 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

HELPING RUNAWAY COUPLES.

A Union agent on the Baltimore and Ohio, who has run down the Shenandoch Valley, has been a great traveller and hashad regular runsonneT ly every Eastern route in which there was any big money for men of his stamp. The moßt profitable route he ever worked was between Richmond, Frederichsburgh, and Washington. It wasn't made in bis regular business, but by helping runaway couples, and he made a good thing out of it, as more runaway couples go over that route to Wash ngton than in any other way. His price for helping to marry a pair was 10 dollars, and of that amount 7 dollars was clear profit to him. This agent was very fly, and was known all along the road. Several days before a pair decided to runaway the prospective groom would tell him on a certain day he would go up on the agent's train and ask him to fix everything. On the appointed day the groom would give the agent his name and that of his bride. Upon reaching Washington the pair would wait at the depot for the Tiews agent. He would go right up to the Court house and the depot lived a preacher, who was in the deal. Tbe agent on his way up would stop at the minister's house, knock on the door, and tell the minister to be ready in half a hour. Within that time the agent and the couple would be at the parsonage, and in a few minutes the pair were one. The minister received 2 dols. for tbe job from the agent, who also paid for the license. The rest was clear profit. On one occasion this fellow took three couples to this minister. The minister would ca)l out the names of each couple, and they would step up in turn to be married. The new sagent cleared that day about 21 dols.—Baltimore American.