Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 214, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1915 — Cupid Must Keep Regular Hours in Indianapolis [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Cupid Must Keep Regular Hours in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS. —Russell Jewett, bachelor and marriage license clerk for Marion county, has thrown down the gauntlet to D. Cupid. Jewett is the man who asks prospective brides and grooms whether they are white or

black, how their grandfathers wore their beards, what sort of knots grandmothers used to fasten their apron strings and numerous other questions almost as sensible that are required by laws of the commonwealth. If no legal hindrance exists and the applicants have the necessary |2.50 Jewett grants licenses —dozens, scores, reams of them dally—for seven days a week. That's what makes him sore—the seven-days-a-week shift. According to custom and prece-

dent, Jewett is entitled to a day and a half off each week. The clerk’s office is supposed to close each Saturday at noon and to remain closed till Monday. Marriage license seekers are supposed either to get their permits before Saturday noon or wait till Monday. But they don’t, and —ah, there’s the rub! They call on him at any time they are ready, office hours be hanged. If he’s in bed, what's the difference? Couples will wait till he dresses and comes downtown —early in the evening, in the middle of the night, or early in the morning—it doesn’t make any difference to persons bent on getting married. In fact, it’s a lark —for them. Now Jewett has come out flat-footed and balked. He asseverates and declares that hereafter her’ll refuse under any condition or circumstances to come to the office out of hours to issue a marriage license. And so, if there's a shooting in his neighborhood, it may be D. Cupid out for Jewett'B scalp, since his heart seems invulnerable.