Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-10-09
" Go West" Girls.
4 Paradis- tor Women.

New York Sun is responsible for the
following story, which will doubtless
create a sensation in the Eastern
cities where the BUN ber of women
greatly exceeds that of men:
Big Bend is some distance from
railroad, and it has been a very diff
ficult matter to get young women to
locate there. Most Of the girls who
come into this region stop at Yak
lima, or 60 thence to the larger towns
South of here.
When the school house was built
the directors advertised in various
Territorial papers for a teacher, and
the first one who presented herself
was employed. She had not been
at the desk more than fortnight
before she was was married TO a
storekeeper named Elverson, who
was about the best looking young
man in the town. She resigned her
place, but consented to serve until
successor arrived. One of the young
women with whom the committee
had been in correspondence was
found disengaged, and in the course
of month she transferred herself to
Bi. Bend and took charge of the
school. She was a tolerably homely
woman, somewhat advanced in years,
but she too was led to the altar in
less than a month, and gave up the
school as her predecessor had done.
Once again the place was filled,
and things went along smoothly for
awhile. About that time McGinn,
tho tavern keeper, imported SER
vuut girl from Portland, and put her
at work in his kitchen at a salary of
IS week. Mrs. McGinn was not
very strict, and her husband found
that the only way in which keeping
hotel was possible was for him to
have efficient female help. He had
serious trouble in getting anybody
to come but the wages that he Of
fered finally induced the girl spoken
of to accept the job. She had no
more than learned the ways of the
kitchen before two or three young
mt n began to hang around the back
door of the tavern. McGinn was
equal to the emergency. He watched
matters for day or two, and, be.
coming convinced that the school
house episodes were to have repeti-
ton in his own kitchen, he got gun,
and just as q young man appeared
at the back door the next day after
supper be jumped out on him.
"What do you want here ?" he
asked.
"Nothing," said the fellow color
ing up little; nothing much. I
was just calling on the girl in there.
Shes AN old friend OF our family,
and I look in once in q while to zee
how she is getting on"
"Well, I'm friend of your fam
lily too," said McGinn. to "the ex-
tent that I don't want to kill you;
but if you don't keep away from here
I'll murder you. Now, you git!"
The youth skunk away. The next
day the girl was missing from the
kitchen, and late in the afternoon it
was discovered that she had married
the young man. The same day the
school mistress announced her resig-
nation, and as McGinn was on the
warpath with his gun, tho leading
citizens made up their minds that a
crisis had arrived which would re-
quire good deal of craftsmanship
to bridge over.
That evening, when the school
committee met to consider things,
Mr.. Elder, the chairman, said he
had an idea which he thought might
be worthy the attention of his asso-
ciates. He proposed that in the fu-
ture all school teachers should be
made to sign a bond not to marry
Lefore the end of the term. The
idea was accepted; but, fearing that
the conditions might make it impos-
sible for them to get women into the
town, they said nothing about them
to the one with whom they opened
negotiations. She came on, and q f.
ter deciding to take the place was
informed of the contract she would
have to sign. 10 this she indignant
ly declined to accede. The school
committee was inexorabIe, and so
was she. She said she would leave
for home in the morning. The com.
mittee looked at one another to see
il anybody was weakening, but no
one appeared to be willing to give
in; so it was decided that she would
have to go. This particular girl was
young and very vivacious, and when
she started off with School Director
Beebe for Yakima the whole town
wished she would stay. An houl
later Beebe drove into town with the
girl still in his wagon, and to the
people who gathered around the ve
hicle with questions, he said: 9Th.