AMUSING DOUBLE WEDDING 1869

LEPPER, STUTTSMAN

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 2/15/2016 at 16:52:25

The Herald, Saturday, June, 5, 1869

AMUSING DOUBLE WEDDING
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A Bridegroom Gets a License to
Marry a Girl, and Marries
Her Sister
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A Wife Bought for $5.00
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An extraordinary exemplification of female fickleness occurred in our neighboring county of Jones, on Sunday last. A couple, the gentlemen being, Lepper, and the lady, Caroline Stuttsman, had loved each other long and well, and were engaged to be married on that day, at the fashionable hour of 12 P. M. Lepper had procured the license, invited his friends, and engaged the officer. But, alas! “There’s many a slip twist the up and the lip,” especially when “a lass” is in the question. Saturday Miss Caroline went from her country home to Anamosa to complete her wedding outfit; Mr. Lepper went there to meet her; but not finding her where he anticipated, after considerable inquiry he learned beyond a doubt that she had taken the train to Monticello. What did this mean? With breaking heart, and reason tottering on his throne, the victim of this cruel treachery waited, hoping against hope for the afternoon train. His consolation was- odd as it may seem – his affianced sister Betsy. She assured him that Caroline would be back to marry him, if she didn’t, sooner than to see him droop in bachelorly loneliness any longer, she would marry him herself! The afternoon train arrived – and so did Caroline. O, the joy of hope rekindled! O, the bliss of consummated love! Now they would be united in holy bonds, never more to part to death! Not much. For when he stepped aboard the afternoon train, on which, as he had wildly hoped, his Caroline came, and presented himself to escort her off, she got her back up, and held her head up, and turned her nose up, and refused to be escorted off. Nay, more; she declared that her railroad trip was not ended yet, and she was going where she pleased – while the conversation was going on the train started with Mr. Lepper on board. Mr. L. rode as far as Viola, where he got off, while the recusant bride went on, as far as Springville. Returning to Anamosa, Lepper looked up Miss Betsy Stuttsman, informed her that as his arrangement with Miss Carrie had miscarried, he would accept her offer; he proceeded to the county office again; procured the name “Caroline” scratched out his license, and the name “Betsy” scratched in, recalled the marrying man and were united in sacred wedlock before midnight.

Without following their fortunes further, let us turn our attention to Miss Carrie Stuttsman. Proceeding to Springville, she brought up with a young man whose name and lot she on sober second thought preferred, rather than become a Lepper. Rumor hath it that he offered her five dollars to “break” with Lepper and marry him. That is what we call getting a wife cheap; even if the woman herself should turn out utterly worthless, her wedding clothes must be worth more than that. If he is satisfied, both brides certainly ought to be; and Lepper had made the best bargain of all – for while Miss Carrie had no children, Miss Betsy had two. This, however, may be owing more to luck than shrewdness on Lepper’s part, for it is not certain whether he knew of it when he married her.