Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-09-16

u II =
(FoR THE OoUNTRY.)
lsss- Is published regularly on TUESDAYS
THURSDAYS and SATURDAYS, at S. pe1
annum-payable in advance.
TIE DIVORCE CAMPAIGN Tho fall divorce
campaign has now fairly opened in Indiana.
and fifty six cases for divorce are registered on
the docket of the Court of Common Pleas oil
Marion county for consideration during the
term which opened on Monday. Habtual
drunkenness, abandonment and cruelty are the
principal causes alleged by woman complain
ants, while the men complain chiefly ofcruety,
abandonment and adultery. VIM H. Brown
wishes to seperato from his wife, Sarah j.
Brown. because in the year 1864 she was gull
ty of cruel treatment OF him by putting cowitch
in his bed Thirty-seven of the applications
for divorce arc filed by women, and only nine
teen by men. August Ferber's wife gets drunk
and stays out at night. George G. Willard
gets drunk and marries other women. Thorn
as McNair abandons his Rachel an goes and
serves term at State prison. Robert Moor
house, complains that his dear Hattie tails ito
provide plaintiff with money wherewith to
provide the necessities OF life" and cruelty
prosecutes her Bobby before justice OF the
peace for assault and battery. Anna Sedan
refuses to allow her Charles to enjoy the com
iors of his home by (her or his?) living there
in, and taxes him with the support of worth
less male relatives. Catharne Pugh brings
two suits by two different attorneys against
Reu. Pugh. who leaves her alone and drinks
with vile associates. Some ofthese discomfort
cd persons have lived together long time,
Abigail g. Townsend having been married in
1916 to Horace Townsend, from whom she
now asks 10 be divorced because he abuses and
fails to provide for her. Others found each
other out more quickly. MIR. j. A. De Hof
married in 1869. gets drunk and abandons his
wife in 1870. The divorce list shows most Gu
rious facts. and is we'll worth careful reading.
As to Chicago, where divorce is in the air,
statistics and culed facts of last years cam
gaign, from March, 1869, to March OF the pre-.
sent year, are also interesting. The whole
number of divorces applied for in the Recor-
ders court was 447 in the Circuit court sc,
and in the Superior court, from January 10
July, 1869, it was s6--in all 563 to which, in
order to form an estimate, about fifty should
be added to make up the years balance, q
goodIy pile of applications-ov G0O How
false or how limited was Tennyson's notion
that in the spring peoples fancy lightly turns
to thoughts of love. may be seen from the fact
that at the opening of the year the fancy OF
more persons turns!to thoughts Of divorce than
to those Of matrlmony, rising, on the average
from about forty to about seventy. Tho fact
that dcsertion figures so largely as cause OF
marital difficulty in Illinois is due, among 9TH
er things, to the unstable and migratory ten
dcncies OF Western life, lntemperancc, which
is another source OF this moral abomlnatlon, Is
O necessary consequence OF living in the cx-
haustipg, because intoxicating, climate of the
West, where, for the same reason, insanity Is
pat oil ,oto
ditions it is the nature of woman to be discoE-
tented In the East this pecuarity appears
in woman's rights agitations, salaclous lltera
ture, curtain lectures, and assumption OF the
garb of men in the West it crops out as d.
volcc-because OF facility. In Illinois, Whcth-
er the husband gains or loses divorce suit
he is responsible for all costs Herewith connec-
ted upon Pelon-while tho suit is
going on the wife can enjoin him from the use
or possession of his own real and personal prop
crty. Thus is climate aided and abetted by
law, and divorce made easy. Throwing affec-
tion and dccency aside as not entering into the
question, tho wife has all to gain and nothing
to lose by Iodiana or Illinois divorce. Law,
public opinion and vagrant desires, push the
inhabitants Of the West down an inclined plane
already creased by climate and social n1ucn;-,
ces, and when they get to the bottom they will
NOD tnatlC is Src3Seu pltLue tuey haN0 W
climb agaiu.-Neo York. WOrld.
FAILURE OF FRANCIS SKINNER Il Co., OF
BosToN.- From the New York Herald, Sep
tember l3 The announcement yesterday that
the firm of Francis Skinner & Co., of Boston,
bad suspended payments and that their la
bilities amounted to $4,000,000, created i'm
mense excitement 10 the commercial circles OF
New York The firm is BostOnlan, but IN this
city they happened to have an agency or
branch, which did o very extensive trade IN
domestic dry goods, principally with Western
houses. This agency was recently located at
the corner OF Leonard and Church streets, but
some time ago was removed to the concern OF
Jordan, Bardwell 4 Co., on Church street,
about halt block away from the original
stand. Mr.. Brintwell, who acts as representa-
tive Of The concern here. was duly informed
Yesterday morning of the failure in Boston,
but, of course, was unable to account for the
cause. Rumor had it that outside speculation
in railroad stocks were the cause of the failure.
1t is said that very little of Skinner Il Cos.
notes have been in circulation in this city. The
losses will be sustained principally by houses
in the Eastern States. The failure had 10
effect on the discount market, as the paper OF
the firm has not been saable in this market
for several months.
MIR. Skinner died some years ago and the
firm name has since been merely trademark
or skeleton OF its former greatness. Some
six months ago the firm was placed in difficult
ties by atten. pting to build railroads in Massa
chusetts and some of the Southern States.
Building railroads and selling dry goods are
branches OF business which do not usually 20
hand in hand, and consequently Mcssrs. Francis
Skinner 4 Co., met with fiDaDcial embarraSs
mens, but were prevented from going to
protest by the Boston banks, which came to
their rescue and enabled them to bridge over
their difficulties. The Boston banks at that
time held large amount of their paper, aud
they assisted the firm in the hope of saving
themselves, but the sequel shows it was of no
avail in the end.