Curious Wedding Customs

Many curious customs are in vogue among the f oreign population of Northern Michigan, especially in social matters. When a Frenen couple get married a carriage or a sleigh ride is inevitable, according to the season of the year. The couples are not packed together in one wagon or sleigh, but each fellow and hls girl have an individual rig. the bride and bridegroom taking the lead and the others following like a funeral procession; but there is nothing funerealabout It, especially the paca set. After the procession has been riding for hours a dance ends the festivities. The Polanders have a curious ding custom that is very ingenious as a money getter, and takes the place of wedding presents. After the wedding feast follows a dance that sometimes lasts twelve to fourteen hours, and even longer. The chief honor is to dance with the bride, and this is decided in a curious manner. The mother of the brida takes her place in one corner with a píate in her lap, which she takes very good care sliall be built after the plan of an eating house coffee cup. The gallunt who wants to dance with the bride, and all are in honor bound to do so at least once, must pull out a pieca of silver and endeavor to chip or break the plate by throwing their money upan it, and only those who succeed in chipping or breaking the plate are allowed the coveted honor. Let those who think it easy to break an ironstona pjate try it. Few succeed in doing it fur less than flfty cents, and it is not ari unusual thing for the bride's money to amount up to $75 or $100, even where the crowd is apparently as poor as a ctiurch mouse, and it may go even higher when the bride is pretty and popular. All the money goes to the bride, and in a backwoods country $50 to $75 will start a happy couple nicely in housekeeping.