Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1874 — Married Above the Clouds. [ARTICLE]

Married Above the Clouds.

Nobody but the bride had any right to postpone the marriage ceremony which was to have been performed in the balloon last Saturday, but which could not be because the balloon burst. 3liss Walsh did consent to postpone it until yesterday afternoon, and thus she conferred an unspeakable favor on innumerable people, .and likewise gained for herself the enviable name of rhe first genu-, ine balloon bride. There have been hitherto weddings in balloons, but it always happened "that the balloon was “ captive”—that is, it was secured to the earth at a height of several hundred, or perhaps a thousand,feet by a rope. If there has been, before this time, a genuine free balloon wedding it has escaped such conspicuous record as to make it worthy of a place in nuptial history. 31 rs. Colton has, therefore, a perfect right to consider herself the pioneer super-nubilosh bride. In the presence of the vast crowd the brave bride mounted the steps and-en-tered the balloon with a smile of conscious security that showed her entire lack of fear and won a little wave of applause. u - '' ;

—— ; -'ir. Colton followed bis bride, but he d’.d not exhibit one-half the nonchalance 1 Arhicli she possessed. His expression was that of deep seriousness; he was by far the most, nervous-looking member of the party, as. lie might well‘be, for thy event to 1 take place in the air was enough of itself, to give him cause. Mr. Coup was quite equal to the occasion, and took -advantage of a call for a speech to say that he couldn’t speak, but that on Saturday xiext, when Mr. Barnum would go up, they could get a speecn from that gentleman. Miss Annie Yates made her first ascension, but she appeared as cool and daring as she does in her dangerous hurdle races. The minister tooK liis place in - the car with all the ardor of a boy about to take his first ride on horseback. Prof. Donaldson, like a sailor, scaled the ropes leading to the lookout, and assumed direction of the interesting party about to start on the interesting journey. The bride and Miss Yates, and indeed tire whole party, found many sympathizing hearts about them, and looted down upon many well-wishing eyes. Mr. Barnum went to the basket to shake hands and give them a good-by. He told the minister he hoped to meet him at the breakfast table. “We shall be down to supper,” was the confident reply. It required but a minute or two to get everything ready. Prof. Donaldson at the last m&ment found “lie" could take another person, tint! called to Mr. Thomas, the press agent. “ All right,” shouted Air. Donaldson. “ All right,” was tlie response. “Let her go,” added Donaldson. “ The two men holding the ropes that were passed through rings in stakes driven in the ground let go. Donaldson quickly emptied two bags of ballast, and the balloon rose steadily, gracefully and gently almost directly toward the sky. It was a most beautiful ascent. The balloon was perfectly inflated and tlie human ballast kept it steady. The rapid ascent prevented the light wind from carrying it far toward the west. The waving handkerchiefs of the Ip'idal party were answered by waving hats and handkerchiefs from the dense crowd below. A wave of hurrahs was sent up loud enough to have speeded the balloon if its force could have been concentrated. The course of the balloon tit first was southwest, Jbut after it had reached a ■ great height it, struck an opposite 0.11 rrent and made a beautiful curve in its course, tending over the city toward the northeast. It was not a strong current, however, and the progress of the balloon was slow and stately. Its height was at the extreme 6,500 feet. It lowered perceptibly by the time it passed over Alt. Auburn, and when it was east of the Reading road, in West AValnut Hills, it shot down rapidly until the people in that locality expected it to alight there. Air. Donaldson threw out ballast rapidly and kept tlie balloon up. When it was not far from the engine-liouse on AlcAlilhtn street tlie easterly wind again struck them and carried them gracefully over May and June streets, across the Reading road, over Oak street to a vacant lot at the corner of Bellevue avenue and Donahue street, a short, distance west of the Widows’ Home. As soon as the balloon started find took its southwest course Prof. Donaldson urged .the minister to begin at once, lest he might lose liis jurisdiction of the ceremony by being carried out of Ohio. He began at once. The ceremony was the shorter form used by tlie Swedenborgian Church. As the benediction was pronounced, Prof. Donaldson made ready a parachute with a ballast, to keep it upright, and with the word “ Amen” he cast it off, to indicate the close of the ceremony. This occurred after the balloon had veered to the northeast. The valley over which tlie balloon ascended was covered by a smoky mist, which almost obscured the sun. At the moment when the words. “ I pronounce you man and wife” were uttered, the balloon reached a point above the clouds, and became glorious in the clear sunlight. The crowds below could clearly distinguish the glistening sunlight on its western side. Nor was the bride without birds. In place of one or two White pigeons which are usually turned loose at a church wedding, a whole flock 6f birds sailed close under the balloon just after the ceremony was ended. That the balloon at this height was really above the clouds, though plainly visible to people on the earth, is attested by tlie fact that tlie shadow of the balloon coußl be distinctly seen by its occupants on the clouds. Alj. Jeffries gave to tlie bride a beautiful marriage certificate, bound in a dainty white book, certifying that on the 19th of October, 1874, he had married Aliss Mary E. AVelsli and Air. Thomas AI. Colton, one mile above Cincinnati, in the balloon P. T. Barnum. This would seem to be quite enough, but to satisfy all scruples, and especially to meet the views of the bride, who is of the Roman Catholic faith, the party drove to thte cathedral, where Father Quinn ratified the mid-hir wedding according to the rules of this churcli. — Cincinnati Gazette, Oct. 20. , A —: •» a When a speculative Horseman of the period wishes to inflate the value of some rapid steed that he lias for sale, he gets a newspaper correspondent to print some such exciting romance as the following: “ Among horsemen it has been knowff fifor a long while that a Methodist mimrj ter in Kentucky owned a colt of which marvelous things were told. The animal was black as a raven, and bore the name of ‘Blackwood.’ The value of thejiorse, in the estimation of tlie owner, may be seen by the pleasant little price that was put upon him. The horsemen on the street laughed that a plain Alethodist 1 parson, in the wilds of Kentucky, ! offered liis animal for $60,000! A New ; York banker heard so much of this colt that lie took a trip to Kentucky to look ! at him. He saw him move. He describes him as a marvel. His nostrils become red as fire; liis eves dilate, and he seems transformed- The s captivated New Yorker offered $30,000 for the colt. The owner received the proposal with dis ; dain. He did not even reply; ordered the horse back into the stable, find went into his house. Another visit was made and the horse changed owners, $50,000, it is said, being the price,” —Hew York graphic. . _ If it be true —and the natural philosophy of the idea seems plausible—that wagons draw most easily on any road when all four wheels are of uniform size jand the pole lies lower than the axle, then the primitive vehicles of remotest Eastern j days should have been nearly perfect in their principles of cpnstruction.

After throwing eight boys over the fffiice, out of a watermelon patch, £ Clay County woman charged them especially; ‘‘Now, see ’ere, IHjys, ye’ll keep this thing up till ye get me riled.”