Return of Love Rabbit (1892, 1909, 1890-1914)

1) A few weeks ago we noted the sweet story of James W. Pearce and Maggie Pearce, who found one another via an advertisement in the Raleigh NEWS AND OBSERVER, courted by mail, met up and got hitched in Greenville, NC. Sadly, the Rabbit did not have the whole story when the item went to press. A follow-up item appeared in the "Local Records" soon after, on November 10, 1909:

A few weeks ago The Record published the romantic marriage of Mr. J.W. Pearce, of Albright township, to a widow in Pitt county, the result of an advertisement in the News and Observer. We regret to learn that the romance is shattered and so are the hopes of wedded bliss, for the bride has left her groom and returned to her former home.

2) The following surely invites further exploration, but it's worth teasing now. "Love Rabbit" goes major-daily in the New York TIMES of December 4, 1892:

TRICKED HER AGED LOVER.

THE SHREWD GAME OF A NORTH CAROLINA GIRL SPOILED

RALEIGH, N.C Dec. 3. -- In Chatham County live Samson Edwards and Jennie Culberson. Samson is hale, hearty, and sixty-two years old, and handsome for a man of that many years. Jennie is twenty-five years old and is a remarably pretty girl.

As the world goes, the old man wanted a "darling," and the girl wanted a slave. They courted. Jennie, being without worldly goods, told Samson that if he would give her $275 she would marry him, and with the money she would buy a tract of land and take the deed in her name, and that this would suffice in place of dower in case she survived her aged lover. Samson gave her the money. She bought the land, and the deed was made to Jennie Culberson.

Old Madam Eve then appeared. It seems that a younger man had been going to see Jennie on the sly. The day for the wedding with Edwards was set. The preacher was engaged and the license procured. On the day before that set for the wedding Jennie end her younger lover journeyed to Pittsborough, the county seat, and there they were married. They returned and took up their abode on the land paid for with the money of Edwards.

The frame of mind of Samson when he heard of the marriage is better imagined than described in cold type. He sought his lawyer and brought suit to recover the land. The case was a noted one and the whole county was present In Pittsborough when It was tried. The Superior Court gave judgment against Jennie for the money, but refused to order the sale of the land to pay the debt and Jennle had no other property.

Edwards then appealed to the Supreme Court, and this tribunal has just decided tbat Jennie perpetrated a fraud on Samnson and violated her contract of marriage; that the transfer of the land to her was without consideration, and that the land must be sold to pay the debt of Edwards.

3) Finally, the Rabbit can but blush at the goings-on! Chatham RECORD, 1910 MAR 2:

A Real Romance

At February term, 1890, of the superior court of this county Dr. John Sanford Stone and Vallie Weathers, both of Cape Fear township, were convicted of fornication and adultery and he was sentenced to imprisonment in our county jail, but after serving a few months he was pardoned because of his bad health. Judgment was suspended on the woman. Sometime after this they both left this county, he deserting his wife and family, who heard nothing more of him until last month, when they heard that he had died recently in Georgia.

One of his sons went last month to Georgia, in consequence of information received, and there found that he and Vallie Weathers had been living for several years as Dr. and Mrs. John Sanford. At the death of Dr. Stone (or Sanford as he was there called) the woman, who was thought to be his wife, was allotted the usual year's allowance as his widow. His property in Georgia was estimated to be worth $1500, and now his family, whom he deserted, will take the proper legal steps to secure possession of it. His deserted wife is still iving, a most estimable lady, and her friends are glad to know that she will at last get something from his estate.

Our society has been going downhill, ever since 1800.

Love Rabbit (1906, 1907, 1909, 1913)

If there's one thing that rabbits know about, it's love. Thus the old saying, "[love] like rabbits." So what better place to start digging an archaeology of the heart than the county where bunnies once ruled? Back in those days, folks did some things differently, especially in the area of getting started on marriage earlier in life. But other things never change, and there's plenty of that old familiar heartache to go around. I selected the following RECORD excerpts mainly because the couples (for better or worse) somehow selected each other.

The Daughter of John W. Griffin and Charles Young ("Local Records", 1906 Dec 27)

On Christmas eve the fourteen-year old daughter of Mr. John W. Griffin, of this township, eloped with Mr. Charles Young, formerly of Durham but who has been running a saw-mill near here for several months. They drove to Sanford and thence went by train to Durham to be married.

Man Marries Son's Widow ("Local Records", 1907 July 11)

Did you ever hear of a man marrying the widow of his son? There is a man in this county who married his deceased son's widow, and is the stepfather of his own grandchildren. Such a marriage brings about a medley of mixed kinship. For instance, the children of such a marriage are the uncles and aunts of their half-brothers and sisters!

A Night in the Forest ("Local Records", 1909 July 21)

Mr. and Mrs. J.W. White, an aged couple who live near Rocky river, about 7 miles from here, were taking a ride in a buggy one evening last week when some part of the harness broke, and both got out of the buggy to fix it. While they were at work on the harness, the mule in some way got entirely loose from the buggy and dashed off into the woods. Mr. and Mrs. White followed, and after vainly trying for some little time to catch the mule they attempted to return out to the road to their buggy, but soon found they were lost, in the woods. It being then dark, they concluded it better to stop where they were and spend the night than to ramble about in the woods. Mrs. White when asked how she fared through the night, said being very tired she pillowed her head on her husband's bosom and had a very good night's rest, though the night was cool and Mr. White had no coat and she no shawl or wrap.

Maggie Waters and James W. Pearce ("Chathamite's Romantic Marriage", 1909 September 29)

Special to News and Observer.

Greenville, N.C., Sept. 21. -- A romance that started from an advertisement in the News and Observer last March, concluded in a marriage here this afternoon. The parties to this romance were Mr. James W. Pearce, of Chatham county, and Mrs. Maggie Waters of Pinetown, Beaufort county. Mrs. Waters advertised in the News and Observer for a position as governess and Mr. Pearce answered the advertisement. From this a correspondence arose between, followed later by an exchange of photographs, a courtship by mail and finally a proposition to meet at a given point. The place of meeting agreed upon was Greenville, and both Mr. Pearce and Mrs. Waters reached here yesterday. They then met each other for the first time, and found no occasion for disappointment on the part of either. They decided to get married here and the ceremony was performed at Hotel Mason this afternoon by Rev. J.H. Shore, pastor of the Methodist church. Mr. and Mrs. Pearce, with the latter's little daughter, left on the 6:20 train for Raleigh, and from there will go on to the home of the bridgegroom near Siler City.

[Our congratulations are extended to the happy couple and we wish them much happiness. ED. RECORD.]

Josie Hammock and Benny Pegram ("Local Records", 1913)

June 11: On last Monday, about 7 o'clock p.m., Mr. Benny Pegram and Miss Josie Hammock left here in a carriage for Durham, where they were to be married, so it is said. Both are employed in the hosiery mill here, which seems to be a favorite place to promote marriages.

June 18: The couple that ran away from here on Monday of last week returned on last Saturday with a marriage certificate showing that they had been married at Richmond, Virginia. They first tried to get a marriage license at Durham, but could not succeed because of the youth of the bride, she being only fifteen years old. They went then to Raleigh, but could not get a license there, and therefore to Richmond. They are residing at the residence of Mr. S.G. Gunter.

Mamie Bounds and Henderson Cole, Jr. ("Secret Marriage Announced", 1913 June 25)

On the night of the first of last November there was a marriage at this place that was kept a secret until last week, when it was made public by the parties thereto. The couple were Mr. Henderson Cole, Jr., and Miss Mamie Bounds, both of Wilmington, and the announcement of their marriage was made last week in the Wilmington papers.

On the night of November 1st they arrived here on the train from Moncure and applied to Mr. John W. Johnson, our register of deeds, for a marriage license. He was at first doubtful about issuing the license, fearing that the lady was not eighteen years old, but she and the expectant groom insisted so earnestly that she was nineteen years old that he decided to take the risk and issue the license. They went to the residence of Squire Robert M. Burns, who with impressive manner soon married them, the witnesses being Sheriff Lane, Mrs. R.M. Burns and Miss Myrtle Siler.

The happy couple requested that their marriage be kept a secret until they were ready to announce it, and so well kept was their secret that nobody here knew anything about it. The groom was a student at Elon College and the bridge a stenographer in the office of the Southern Express Company at Wilmington, and they did not wish their marriage made until he graduated and she was afraid of losing her position if her marriage was known. They met by appointment here because, as they said, this place was so retired and quiet they thought that their marriage could better be kept a secret here than elsewhere.

The Gilbert-Gill Affair ("Local Records", 1913)

July 9: A few days ago a warrant was issued by N.J. Wilson, a justice of the peace of New Hope township, for the arrest of J.E. Gill, a Wake County man, for eloping with the wife of W.W. Gilbert, formerly of Wake county but recently employed by Kelly Bros., saw-mill operators in New Hope township. Gill is a married man and is said to be well connected and possession some property.

July 16: Mention was made in these columns last week of a warrant having been issued in New Hope township recently for a man named J.E. Gill for abducting the wife of one W.W. Gilbert. After Gill's arrest in Wake county the woman came back to her husband who thereupon refused to prosecute Gill and asked that the warrant be dismissed, which was done for lack of evidence.

Betty Henderson and Ernest Petty ("Local Records", 1913 August 6)

- On last Sunday morning Ernest Petty, the 16-year-old son of Stephen Petty, of Hadley township, and Miss Betty Henderson, the 15-year-old daughter of Mr. Hiram Henderson, were married, both parties having the written consent of their parents when they obtained license from Register of Deeds Johnson on Saturday. The same day the couple were married the father of the young woman was drowned, as mentioned elsewhere in this issue.

- On last Sunday afternoon, Mr. Hiram Henderson, of Hadley township, started from his house on foot to a neighbor's and nothing later being heard of him, a searching party was organized to look for him. His tracks were seen as far as Dark's ford on Dry Creek which was greatly swollen all day by the heavy rains on Sunday morning. Monday morning his dead body was found on a fish-trap about half a mile below the ford which he is supposed to have entered not known how deep it was.

Ernest and Betty enjoyed 45 years together. Hiram and his wife, Bettie, lie not too far away.