THE MOUNTAIN EAGLE
JASPER, ALABAMA SEPTEMBER 14, 1898
"IT WAS MOST ELEGANT"
Is what all who attended say of the celebration of Mr. and Mrs.
Sander's Golden Wedding.
The most notable event in Jasper society for many years, perhaps
in the history of the town, was the Golden Wedding last Saturday of
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sanders.
Though the hours were from Three until Ten, some of the guests
in the fashion of "ye olden time", did outrun the clock in their
eagerness to be present.
Loving hands had transformed the home with appropriate
decorations, yellow of course, being the predominant tone. One wall
of the Parlor was completely covered with three patch work quilts,
the handwork of the bride. A table was draped with a fringed white
counterpane which she had woven, and on the hearth in front of banks
of pine boughs were three immense gourds which served as really
artistic vases fro great yellow flowers.
Through portieres made by Mrs. Sanders herself, the guests
passed into the dining room where substantial and delicious
refreshments were served.
The table was a symphony in white and gold, the chief ornaments
being three beautiful and elaborate paper bushes such as the brides
Mother was noted for using in her wedding decorations more than half
a century ago. The carving was done on a table owned by the family
more than seventy-five years and preserved by the bride's sister,
Mrs. E. C. Musgrove. This room, as well as the rest of the house,
was lighted by candles in antique candelabras of silver and brass.
The souvenir cards in white and gold were as follows:
Golden Wedding
1849 September 10 1889
Nancy Cain
to
Samuel Sanders
"You to a love that your true Faith doth merit".
Quite a novelty was the bride's cake prepared by Miss Pernie
Musgrove. It was of course, pure white daintily trimmed with arbor
vitoe around the sides, while from the top there peeped more than a
dozen ends of golden ribbon.
After the bride had cut the cake, there was much merriment over
the pulling of these ribbons, to the hidden ends of which were
attached symbols indicating the wedding that would be attained by
the fortune seeker, whether paper, cotton, wooden, leather, tin,
crystal, silver, ruby, golden, or diamond, or whether a lack-a-day,
lone spinsterdom awaited, or sad widowhood, or crusty batchelorhood.
During the cutting of the cake Miss Francilla Huley gave the
"Irish Woman's very Amusing Recipe for cake". Rev. J. I. Williams
recited "Grin and Endure It", read "Noah's Wife," and as an encore,
told a funny story about "Bill".
Prof. Ira Robins described two phases of courtship as he had
experienced it in his youth, and Miss Bessie Huley read Sydney
Lanier's beautiful "Golden Wedding" written for his grandparents,
but just as appropriate to these. "Two hearts that wrought with
smiles through tears. This Rainbow span of fifty years".
Another enjoyable feature of the occasion was the spirited Fa
Sol La singing by the young men and maidens of fifty years ago; and
throughout the afternoon and evening sweet music on the mandolin and
guitar was furnished by Misses Gay Long, Mary and Francilla Huley.
The belle of the occasion was Mrs. Barton, who, with her hair in
a beaded net and wearing a handsome silk dress, white clocked
stockings and low slippers of her girlhood, looked as if she had
stepped out of an old time fashion plate. She was the admiration of
all the "boys" from 1848 to 1898 and the envy of all the "girls" of
the same period.
Early in the afternoon, Mrs. J. B. Hughes took the picture of
the bride and groom and also of the entire company assembled on the
lawn.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanders received a number of appropriate presents
in gold and it's semblance, sand many are the loving wishes that
follow them as they journey hand in hand from their Golden Wedding
to the Golden Shore.
