An Elopement to Walla Walla
Defying an irate father's objections, a young Athena couple tracks down a deputy auditor at midnight to secure their marriage license.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Because the father of the bride objected to his daughter's getting married, a couple of young people from Athena had to run away from that city last night and come to Walla Walla to have the ceremony performed. They were David Bonifer and Miss Allie Kirk, both well-known in the area. They had been lovers for several months, and when they announced their intention of marrying, Al Kirk, the bride's father, objected and said she should remain single. Last night they came to Walla Walla, and through the assistance of friends, they secured a license and were married at the Hotel State, with Judge J. J. Huffman officiating. They arrived around 10 p.m. and experienced much trouble, as they could not immediately find the official who issues the permits. They eventually located Deputy Auditor McKinney at his home and routed him out of bed. After much persuasion, the deputy furnished the groom with the necessary papers. The couple remains in Walla Walla until the irate father has an opportunity to become reconciled to the marriage.
“The genial deputy, after much persuasion, went to the office and furnished the groom with the necessary papers.”
Elopement narratives often mask the reality that marriage was a legal and economic contract frequently controlled by patriarchs. Today, while we view this as a romantic, if frantic, gesture, it highlights the historical friction between individual autonomy and family-dictated domestic life.
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