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Quickie - marriage Capital Has More Than Its Share RLATON, M4. (AP) -- Gone; are Elkton's neonlighied nup- tial specialists and the hordes om cay Grivers wailing at we station to direct nervous cou- ples to the nearest preacher, But Kikion, once the quickie- marriage capital of the eastern seaboard, still has more than its share of couples taking bows, In 1938, the record year, this town recorded more ¢ 16,000 marriages. Even iast year, some 6,400 couples were wed here, In Baltimore, 20 times the size of Wikton, only 120 more marriage licences are issued each month, Part of Eikton's popularity with marriage-bound couples stems from its past reputation, but less stringent marriage laws also contribute, Maryland does not require a blood test and couples need wait only 46 hours between applying and re- ceiving their licence, Elkton is also accessible to other states, nestling in the far northeast corner of Maryland near the Pennsylvania and Del- aware borders and only 120 miles from New York, While Elkton was in its hey- day, a couple could be joined for life 20 minutes after alighting from the train. The going price for the hitch- ing process was around §17, This included the licence. fee, the minister's fee and a tip to the cab driver, One or two "marrying par- sons' took care of most of the traffic in the 1920's. Then com- petition became more keen and during the '30a and war years, Eikton's main street was lined with signs and neon lights pro- claiming the availability of reachers, Billboards on roads ading into town svertised marriage information bureaus. BIG BUSINESS Marriage solicitors paid the city $100 a year for licenses to roam the streets looking for out-of-town couples. Taxi dri- vers would receive gratuities for directing couples to the minis- ters' doors, In 1023, after the death of one of the more popu- lar marrying parsons, the Hik- ton Cab Co. advertised for a re- placememt, guaranteeing a 96,000 annual salary, Occasionally a couple would wander into town and reach the marriage licence bureau unaid- ed, The clerk had only to satisfy herself that neither had been married before and both were eid enough, The cierks could also be counted upon to recom- mend ministers, Maryland Jaw, until just last year, required that all marriage ceremonies be performed by clergy. However, the law was unspecific about the ministerial qualifications, LOOPHOLE FOUND After 1038, the state legisla- ture, noting that almost 90 per cent of the marriages were be tween out-of-town couples, pass- ed a law stipulating a couple had to wait 48 hours from the time they applied for a licence until they received it, The legislation momentarily slowed the market, but then gomeone discovered a loophole in the law. The 48-hour waiting period could be waived by court order on sufficient cause such as the man's leaving for the arm- ed services and pregnancy, A new profession sprang up FIGHT DISEASE The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that although cystic fibrosis kills more Cana- dian youngsters than polio did before the vaccines, usands gan be saved if treatment is atarted early enough. RECEIVE LAVISHLY | The practice of holding lavish wedding receptions haan't changed since Roman times; Bmperor Augustus passed a law te limit their cost, TOSS GARTERS The modern practice of throwing a bridal bouquet, and icting imminent marriage the maiden catching it, is derived from an earlier custom that of the certifying physician who scribbled his name (to @ cer- tifieatian af mreenaney And the cabbies added two more stops to their marriage tour --- the doctor's office and the judge's It ig recorded that one doctor egied 76 pregnancy certifi- cates in one l4-month period, Not all those who bore certifi- cates hore children, More than one doctor served prison sen- tences for signing false cer- tificates The legislature plugged the loophole in 1941, specifying that fa awdawe te nssnlifes foe Hen ernt ee Whee or cEtetEereg st9r STE FF em ver, at least one of the couple had to be a resident of Mary- Eventaally other laws were passed outlawing soliciting and THE OSHAWA TUS, Tussdoy, bone 21, 1966 TA Franklin's 64 SIMCOE ST. NORTH