The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-24
GO VEST. GIRLS.
4 ilacc Where the Piainc,t Maiden Cam
not Remain Single Three Months.

I
4 i'lacc Where the Plainc,t Maiden Cam
not Remain Single Three Months.
!. Red Bend Washington Territory
correspondent says that when the census
of Red Bend was taken last mon'h it
VA; found that there was q population of
97s, including 293 m~'es, GO married
women. widow engaged, . riails ensag-
ed and the rest children. More than POO
of the lren are bachelors, ringing in age
from % to So Fed Bend is some dis
tancc from railroad, ard it has been y
| very difficult matter tc get young women
to locate there. Most OF the girls who
come into this region stop at Yakima, or
60 thence to the larger towns South Of
| here.
When the school. house was built the
directors advertised in various territorial
paIcrs for teacher, and the first one
who presented herself was employed.
She had not been ct the desk more than
fortnight before she was married to a
storekeeper named Elverson, who was
about the bcst.looking young man in the
town. She resigned her place, but con.
scnted to serve until her successor arrived.
One of the young women with whom the
committee had been in correspondence
was found discngaged aud in the course
of Il month she tr:nsfcrred herself 10
Red Bend and took charge oi the school.
She was tolerably homely woman,
somewhat advance, in years, but she,
too. WAS led to the altar in less than n
month, and gave up the school as her
predecessor had done.
Once aeain the place was filled, and
things weiit along smoothly for awhile.
About that time A1cGinn, the tavern
keeper, imported a servant girl from
Portland, and put her at work IN his
kitchen at salary OF IS week. Mrs.
McGinn was not very lusty, and her hus-
band found that the only way in which
keeping hotel was possible was for him
to nave efficient female help. lie had
had serious trouble in getting anybody to
come, but the wages that he offered final
ly induced the girl spoken Of to accept
the Job. She had no more than learned
the ways of the kitchen before two or
three youag men began 10 hang around
the back door of the tavern. Mcliinn
WAS equal to the emergency. lie watch,
ed matters for day or two, and, becOm-
inc convinced that the school-hoase
episodes were to haze repetition in his
own Kitchen, he got q gun, and Just as
Young man appeared at the back door
the next evening after supper he Jumped
out on hit.i.
"What do you want here 2" he asked.
Nothing" said the fellow, coloring up
little nothing much. | was Just
calling on the girl in there. She's an old
friend of my family, and look in once
in 6, while to see how she is getting on
"Well, Pm friend Of Your family,
too" said AIcGiLn, to The extent that |
don't want to kill you; but if you don't
keep away from here l'll murder you.
Now you git..' -,
The youth SUNK away. The next day
the girl was missing from the kitchen,
and late in the afternoon it was discoT-
ered that she had married the young
man. The same day The school mistress
announced her resignation, and, as Nc
Ginn was on the war.path with his gun,
the leading citizens made up their minds
tia! crisis had arrived which would
require good deal Of statesmanshlp to
bridge over.
That evening when the school commit
tee met to consider things, Mr.. Elder, the
chairman, said he had an idea which he
thought might be worthy the attention
of his associates. lie proposed that in
the future ali school teachers should be
made to sign bond not to marry before
the end of the term The idea was
accepted but, fearing the conditions
might make it impossible 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
after deciding to take the place was IN,
formed of the contrac. which she would
have to sign. To this she Indignantly
declined to accede. The school commit
tee was inexorable, and so was she. She
said she would lea for home in the
morning. The committeeman looked at
one another to see if anybody was weak
ening, bat no one appeared to be willing
to give in; so it was decided that she
would have to 90. This particular girl
was Young and very yivacious, aud when
she started of with School Director Beebe
for Yakima, the whole town wished she
would stay, An hour later Beebe drove
into town with the girl still in his wagon,
and to the people who gathered around
the vehicle with questions, he said "lhe
fact is we've decided to get married. She
didn't want to 60 back, and didn't want
to Lave her CO.
Everybody felt that Beebe had played
roofs on everybody else, but there was
nothing to say. At the next meeting OF
the committee, which Beebe did not at
tend, Mr.. Elder again had an idea which
he wanted to submit. He said that in
view of what had happened it occurred
to him that Red Bend had greatness
within its grasp. "Now," he continued,
"!el us overstock this market with school.
ma'ams and servant girls. Advertise for
them everywhere, offer big wages, and
hire all that come. Well get enough
after while to go around, and when we
do it We MAY have a few on hand
The suggestion was discussed at con.
siderable length and finally adepted.
The school board decided to hire len
teachers, and twenty of the married men
in town agreed 10 take twenty five SER
want girls. The advertisements brought
many answers, and in the course OF time
the town began to fill up with yolng
women of every description. As they
arrived they were assigned to different
families, and before weel; had passed
there were morc marriages on foot than
tic preacher could keep track of. The
experiment has been found 10 WORK
spiendiily, and AZ the only school ma m
in town il now SAID to be on The point OF
marrying, it is thought that the same
dnylcn viii be re;nrtcI 10 again. Six