Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1903 — Courted By Telephone. [ARTICLE]

Courted By Telephone.

There was what seemed to be a hastily arranged wedding, at YV heatfield Thursday evening Oct. Ist, The groom was Mr. James Fleming a young, man living southwest of town, and a son of the late Ephriam Fleming. The bride was Miss Bessie Swartzell, lately of Rensselaer, but who was working for Mrs. E. T. Biggs, in Wheatfield. The young lady was called up by telephone in the afternoon, presumably by Mr. Fleming. After a long talk over the wires, she announced to Mrs. Biggs her intention to leave , x Being a good and capable girl, Mrs

Biggs was disposed to remonstrate with her, and persuade her to stay, but without any apparent success. About six o’clock up drove young Mr. Fleming, accompained by Miss SwartzoH’s uncle, Firman Rutherford, of Rensselaer, and ako provided with a marriage license, and Squire Swisher, of Wheatfield, to upe it. The wedding was promptly pulled <.ff at Mr. Biggs’ house and that was the end of Mrs. Biggs’ hired girl. It was a pretty hasty affair, but not so hasty but that young Billy MoNiel of Whealfield, heard what was going on and had a belling party at the house before the Squire bad hardly pocketed hie wedding fee. The same evening the young couple and their faithful unole started on their long drive back to Rensselaer. The newly married couple are both quite young, and the bride is said not yet to be 15 years old. v »