Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-11-02
Result of Answering Anonymous Corre-
spOndentS.

A few days ago an adventure with a
serious moral came to the knowledge
of d Chicago reporter. About three
months ago young man of excellent
| family, residing on the West Side, and
| employed as an accountant In an in
surance Office on LaSalle street, con-
cluded he would have some fun with
the girls, and inserted the following
advertisementin in one of the daily papers
of that city:
| "WANTED-A young man with a
good income wants to correspond with
! a young lady between the ages of Is
and %; object, social pleasure and
matrimony if mutually agreeable after
acquaintance; photographs exchanged.
Address NJ 96, - office"
| He received several replies and ex-
changed letters with three or four of the
writers for time, but finally dropped
| all but one, whose letters were the most
intelligent and attractive. With her
the correspondence was kept up for
about two months, and photographs
were exchanged. The young man,
not wishing to disclose his own identity
without first having made sure of his
victim, sent her photograph of an
other person, which he procured at a
photograph gallery in another part of
the city, and it so happened that in
sending her picture she deceived him
in the same way. The correspondence
ripened into an engagement for mar
riage, without either person having
seen the other, and the young man be-
came anxious to see the features of
his unknown friend. What his mo-
tives were cannot be judged, except
by the course he adopted, but it may
be said that at least they were neither
pure nor honorable, as he has very
large circle Of lady acquaintances, and
If he was desirous of marriage he
could have found many among them
who would have readily reciprocated
HE affections, as he is attractive in ap-
pearance, we'll educated and intelli-
gent, and his parents are very well to
do in this world. They live in hand
some house, and have all the luxuries
that liberal income can afford. AS
far as social pleasure was concerned
he found plenty Of it in his own circle,
and, therefore, the only theory for his
seeking the acquaintance of some un-
known girl by concealing his identity,
Is that his object was other than ad-
vertlsed. After great deal of urging
on his part, and an equal amount of
hesitation upon hers, he finally secured
the consent of his correspondent to
meet face to face, and he fixed for the
scene of his meeting news depot on
West Madison street, which is frequent
ed by ladies; arranged with his friend
to visit him there at an early hour in
the evening, and promised to escort
her to the theater; suggesting that
after the play was over they might
have supper and good time. He
appeared at the place of meeting
promptly, and after waiting there a
few moments, was very much astonish-
ed to see his own sister, a girl of nine
teen years, walk in, bearing the mark
of identity which it was arranged that
the correspondent should carry. The
surprise and chargrin was mutual, and
it is to be hoped that young men with
evil intentions and reckless young girls
will hereafter carefully avoid such ad-
ventures. 1t appears that the girl
having seen this advertisement, "for
the fun of the thing" answered, and
was soon SO much interested in the let
tiers of her correspondent that she was
willing to keep it up even at the sacri-
fee of her self-respect. It was a mar
row escape for both of them.