Evening Star Newspaper, November 9, 1930, Page 99

Taxi Men E B e ?a $35,000, but the reformers aren't Their fair village, théy have pointed out with dignity, would be better off without such money, The legislative end of their proposal could be sccomplished by passing a bill in the Maryland Legislature sons” of Elkton to their heydey. OI'HIR towns the size of Elkton might average three weddings a month. Elkton the c->rations of to attention Advertising isn’t tal of Eikton, and 1a: THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, ‘D. C, NOVEMBER 9, 1930. pre— nter Elkton’s Marri 15 age Racket They Imported Their Own Minister to the Famed " Maryland Gretna Green and Paid Him Fees for Splicing Shanghaied Eloper., Complains Old Reliable Rev. Moon, So Now Townspeople Are Putting the Brakes on the Wedding /ill. Couples FEntering Elkton would find themselves hailed by polie strangers, who inquire bland- ly if they were looking for the marriage license office. » lunch” placard. When it isn’t in evidence on A Rev. Moon's prospective customers at his downtown office. This is the Fellon House, one of Elkton's IN older days “Old Reliable” used. to spend most of his time and perform most of his weddings at the office. That was in the days when most young swains brought their sweet- hearts to Elkton by train. The Felton House was conveniently located st across the acks from the railroad station and it was hard to get off the train without seeing Rev. Moon’s -sign. Times change, however, and now, thanks to good roads and cheap automobiles, the railroad brings Elkton few potential brides and grooms. They come by road now, and at all hours of “the day and night. Elkton is on the main highway from Baltimore to Philadelphia, just -half way between those two cities and a scant 20 miles from Wilmington, Delaware's single metropolis. And so roads have enlarged the territory from which the little Maryland village attracts its matrimonial “customers.” * A survey of the marriage license records in the Cecil County Court House at Elkton shows that, while Philadelphia, Camden, N. J.; Wil- mington, Baltimore and New York contribute most of the applicants, many come from as far as Boston, Pittsburgh, Richmiond and Wash- ington. The shift from railroads to autos, however, brought about the start of the “ring” to which the Rev.-Moon 1s now objecting so strenuously, The “ring” started out as a group of inde- pendent taxicab operators who made their headquarters at the railroad station. They did pretty well with the incoming couples. A five- minute walk would have taken the newcomers to any one of the seven ministers in town, but they didn’t know that. Besides, as the taxi drivers shrewdly estimated, a prospective bride- groom is not one to reason rationally and a taxi ride rather belongs in honeymoon plans, anyway. All in all, they did a pretty good business. . Then the railroad’s contributions dropped off and the taxi men found themselves losing a comfortable income. The called a meeting and organized for mutual benefit. Prior to that time about the only revenue the taxi men had(had was the regular fare they cha:ged for t.hhr transportation service. Many times, waiting on the porch of a minister’s home, one or another of them had watched the de- parting groom slip a $10 bill into the minister’s palm. Their own fees Were usually considerably less. From considering those two facts they reached & mew plan of action. If couples were ' | ¢ H The home of “OlZ [.eliable” Rev. Moon. His sign is shown at the left, indicating . to perp- ced couples that here they may have the knot tied. going to continue to come to Elkton by auto instead of train, they would find some means to “cut in” on the marriage business from a new angle. Thus it was that, within a short time, couples entering Elkton by almost any road would find themselves hailed by polite strangers who in- quired blandly if they were seeking the mar- riage license office, Usually the abashed couples, once they had recovered from the surprise of having their supposedly well masked secret thus quickly discovered, would gladly accept the stranger’s guidance. Sommtheyeveneonlenudwfldem his car. Hardly ever did they raise any objection to paying him the usual taxi rates when he led and they followed. The route led to the license clerk’s office, where the legal formalities were attended to. These, incidentally, . are less troublesome in Maryland than in any of its neighbor States. Hence Elkton’s popu- larity. Pennsylvania requires its brides to be 18, with consenting parents, or 21 if without Rev. Edward Minor makes no secret of the fact that he was invited to Elkton by the taxicab company. He sees no reason why he should not supply a need. St | P e O TR consent. Maryland fixes the respective ages at 16 and 18. New Jerscy's laws require a lapse of two days between issuance of license and per- formance of the marriage. Maryland's licenses are good as soon as they're issued. Delaware requires residents to wait 24 hours and non- residents 96 hours after getting their marriage licenses. Maryland makes no discrimination agains non-residents. 4 The transactions at the license clerk’s office. . consequently, usually proceed smoothly - and rapidly with each couple being prompted by their volunteer “guide.” BAOK on the courthouse steps again, clutch- ing the document which licenses any min- ister in the county of Cecil, State of Maryland. to pronounce them man and wife, the couplc invariably halt in indecision as to what to a next. And right at that stage of the game, charges “Old Reliable” Rev. Moon, is where farious tactics usually begin, In the of two pamphlets he gives his version of from then on. The words in his own choosing. “If you want your marriage service MER! , then allow those chaps on streets to lend their help to you, j to take charge of your being directed. will. do it and you will wind up pocketbook turned inside out and empty. are after EASY MONEY. Not much real to it, just to show you how to who has sold himself out to that he gets not over 3 per cent of their treasury, but the fellows 8 gf B 2 § ¢k EH 1 ¥ ol Belut %