Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-06-03
THE MATRIMONIAL AGENT.
How Aspirants for Rich Wives
Are Duped In New York.
Gorgeous observation-disclosures OF Rcferenc,
and Albums FILLED with Charming
Faces-The Pretended Heirsss
Who Is Hired by the Day.

One of the impositions which now
and then flourish in the City of
New York is the matrimonial agency.
The most important of these agencies
send out their circulars quarterly to
people in all parts of the United States.
and an extract from one of these docu-
ments deserves to be given verbatim:
81 entertain the conviction, sir, that in
your neighborhood-or at any rate
among your conncctions-you will
either know or chance to hear of GER
tain young ladies who may happen to
be placed in the embarrassing position
of not being able to contract suitable
marriage, either in accordance with
their taste or their just pretensions. |
venture, therefore, to do myself the
pleasure of furnishingyou with an cpit-
ONE of those actual and seriously dis
posed parties of whom / have the
honor to be the intermediary:
"A foreign noblcman, well known in
the highest circles for his irreproach-
able manners and fine looks. He is
thirty-four years of age. =. An en-
Judge, thirty-iive years of age and with
an income of eighteen thousand dol
lars. 3. Several doctors, twenty-five
to thirty-cight years of age, and pos
sessing incomes ranging from ten
thousand dollars to fifteen thousand
dollars. 4. Numerous merchants and
brokers from twenty-five to forty years
of age, with incoAes varying from six
thousand dollars to fifty thousand dol
lars"
The matrimonial agent invariably
has on the books of his establishment
all that can be wished for, and every
thing moreover would appear to be of
the very best. There are blondes and
brunettes, short and tall, stout and
thin ones, of high birth and high con-
ncctions, and of both sexes. He has,
in fact, all colors, all sizes, all shapes
and all qualities. The price, moreover,
is not absolute; he will permit us to
bargain with him, although he does not
neglect to inform us that his extensive
connections assume rs incontcstable
superiority to his articles over those of
other establishments. His clientele he
informs us, comprises tho elite of So
ciety people.
One day in the early part of last
month a young man who had just ex-
hausted the last dollar of small for
tune left him by his late father year
ago, presented himself, over head and
ears in debt, to one of these matri-
monial agents, having come to extri-
cate himself from his difficulties by
uniting himself to pretended dowry
of one thousand dollars a year, a mod
est and probable enough dowry. After
few preliminary explanations, the
agent asked him, according to custom,
for the seventy-five dollars for ex-
penscs, at which the disabused sutton
shrugged his shoulders, and naively
Observed: SIS it likely, 1 ask you,
that should think of tying myself to a
wife If l was in possession of seventy
five dollarsp" No reply could be made
to so pertinent an observation, and the
negotiation, as matter of course, fell
to the ground.
Bachelors who have lost everything
need dowry to refill their purse and
q nurse for their rheumatism. They
notice one day in a matrimonial sheet
an advertisement of lady wishing to
marry. and who is handsome, young,
witty, modest and amiable, and, best
of all, who Is ballasted with six thou
sand dollars a year. Address No. -
Eighth avenue. At least one individ-
ual out of the hundred who read the
advertisement will be certain to think
this the very thing to suit him, and
will make point of writing to the adj
dress indicated. Two days afterward
an answer arrives. With trembling
hand he opens the envelope, and with
palpitating heart dcvours the reply, the
purport Of which, however, will simply
be that "affairs of this nature can not
be discussed freely by correspondence.
He is begged therefore to favor the
agent with call at No. Eighth
avenue, and he shall receive further in
formation. In conclusion he Is assured
that having been the first to reply to
the advertisement, preference will be
accorded him. The bureau of the
agent at the address indicated turns
out to be in fine house. all windows
of which look into the street. A SER
want in fine clothes introduces tho
would-bc bridegroom into an cls-
giant salon furnished with en-
quisitc taste. and the open folding
doors Of which permit him TO see on
the right and the left what appears to
be suite Of splendid apartments.
Everything brcnthcs Of love and mar
riagc The clock on the mantclpiccc
V suTw"',nted by an amatory shepherd