Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-04-05 | Page 2 | Marriage Question Arouses Maryland's Only "Gretna Green"

j R. i!u 111 jiuan 1 n nwm 11 iijmnsac aMUjar -mmm j MARRIAGE QUESTION AROUSES MARYLAND'S ONLY "GRETNA GREEN" Elkton, Md., April 5. Thls town "is all wrought up over the question of marriage. For several years Tilkton has had a widespread reputation as a Gretna Grc6n, U Is closo to the Delaware and Ponnsylvanlastato lines. Mur-rlago Mur-rlago laws in Maryland are not us strict as In the two adjoining siuto. hence there havo been hundreds of lovelorn who have rushed to Eiklon to culminate their romances. Now some of the leading citiienq are aroused over tho town's repuia.-; lion as a Gretna Green. They say it gives tho placo st bad name and that the. large number of marriages maku the young folks of the town look with little respect on tho sacred Instlluuu.iv They are In favor of petitioning the legislature for more strict marrlagq laws. On the other hand there arc many who want Elkton to remain a Grot:ia Green, particularly the taxi driver. lOvery hurried marriage means ironi I III I II I I II I Hi II II I II I I I MM II 1 1 III 1 IPI II II I I 53 to $5 in taxi fare, a SI fee for Hie county. $5 or more for tho pa;-&on, and perhaps It booms the restaurant receipts of the local eating establishments. establish-ments. Rev. Mr. Jonca of the sGrace Motn-odist Motn-odist church used to be the popular marrying parson, but of late ho has lost trade. Rev. William R. Moon, a ! Baptist preacher who recently came here from Iowa, now gels tho business. busi-ness. Rev. Jones has been In favor of stricter marriage la wo, it is said. But tho taxi drivers control the rnarnlugc business; they pilot the lovelorn lo the parson, and it Is gossip that there Is a working agreement between the taxi-drivers and Parson Moon. . The whole question of marriago promises a lively session of the spring town meeting.