The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-09-10
MARRIAGE MADE EASY.
FACTS ABOUT THE WAYS OF THE
FRENCH AGENCIES.

Customers-Easily Taken In and Sorry
Ever After-A Series of Questions for
the Applicant.
have mentioned that the classification of
matrimonial agencies adopted by the police is
purely arbitrary. With few exceptions the
the first and second class agencies are equally
unscrupulous, sometimes are branches of tho
same establishment; always resort to the
same tricks, and often employ the same per-
sonnet the only difference between them be-
ing that the customers of the latter, who gen.
orally are officeholders out of place, retired
4saldieEs and proyincials. being less we'll
versed In Parisians wiles, are more easily
gulled than the native of the metropolis. The
ha1f-pay officer is especially victim; he loses
his head at the first throw of the line, swal
lows the bait at once, and is landed inamedi-
ately. How, you will readily see. The ap-
plicant begins by depositing the fee, which is
from 100 to 500 francs, according to his own
fortune and his pretentions. Ladies pay
nothing in advance. Then contract is
signed to pay per cent. on the fortune of the
lady or gentleman who is the objective, and,
these fmmalities having been complied with,
sort of catechism is given to him or her, as
the case may be, which is to be filled up
A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
Then comes the series of questions which
you must answer il you mean business: Your
name and surname, address, titles, decora-
tions exact age, place of birth. the state of
your health, your height, appearance, the
color of your hair, eyes and complexion, your
disposition, your tastes, the degree of your in
struction, your accomplishments, if you have
any, your religion and politics, the nature of
your present employment and its precise an
nual yield. Ii you have a private fortune,
what is its figure? Is it in stock bonds, mort
cages or real estate. and if the latter, where is
itsituated and what is its revenue? The amount
of your debts, what are they and with whom
have they been contracted? Are your parents
living, and if so, what is their age, where do
they reside, and do they know of the step that
you are takings If deceased, 1t what age, when
and where? What are or were the figures of
their fortune? What was the origin of your
family, and has it ever been distinguished by
any great deed, or has it been involved in
any great scandal! Have you any good
family connections, and who are your family
associates? Have you any brothers or sisters,
and if so, what is their social standing? What
are the best references that you can give?
There are special questions for widowers,
widows and divorced persons. How many
childred have you! What is their age and
situation with respect to yourself. Name of
the deceased or divorced spouse and what was
his or her profession? Ii divorced, ON what
plea and in what circumstances Was the
divorce granted to you or against you! Then
you must give your own personal preferences
concerning the person to tie selected. Birth,
appearance, size, complexion and coler, age,
J,,I, Il
damands Do you wish it il cash, in gov yerll-
ment scrip, or in real estate! What expecta-
tions do you demand? What town or depart
ment do you wish to reside in. Then come
the conditions of the broker. "As the nego-
tiation of marriage involves always GER
tain amount of expense the husband presents
to us after marriage sum equal to 5 per
cent. of the wife's dowry to cover our outlay,
and, above all, in order to show his gratitude
for our intervention" The concluding para
graph of this formulary is as follows:
"We have no dowry less than $1,000 francs
and the majority of our connection is pro-
vincial We have correspondents every where,
and always select in the best circles"
A NUMBER OF LETTERS.
This document, which is said to have been
drawn by person at one time connected
with the press, but who gave up journalism
FOR the more lucrative business of matrimo-
nial brokery, takes readily with the inexpe-
rienced tald relatively impecunious flats, who
see in it a certain semblance of frankness, and
pay over their retainer with little hesitation,
from which moment the agency begins to
work, deploying ali its resources to get as
much money as possible oat of its client be-
fore the knot is tied, which is thus managed:
A number of letters are successfully written
to the candidate; No. l tells that person
likely to suit his conditions has been discov-
cred; No 2 announces the departure of that
person for the country, whittier her father or
her uncle took her "quite unexpectedly" No |
3 gives an account of first interview, and |
with it such an enumeration of the PERSONS |
physical and moral attributes that your future
happiness cannot be doubtful In No. YOU |
read that Mme or Mile. X has had long |
conversation with me about you-indeed, |
you were its unique theme. She looked love
lier than ever as l drew your portrait--I |
assure you that it was not at all fattsred. But |
was it that portrait which seems to have
turned her head? May she not have met you
elsewhere, and since then have cherished for
yon an attachment which she was 10th to
avow even to herselfs However this may be,
/ know that she loves YOU"
Ihls passage, which Is textually reproduced
from three different letters addressed to three
different individuals, is the last display of
4gush." All after correspondence relates
strictly to business, for similar high pressure
cannot be kept up. But it is usually
clincher The rheumatic, war worn warrior
who knows nothing of life save what he has
learned during five and twenty years service
with his regiment, which is absolutely nothing
1t all, sees glimpse of sunlight on the hori-
zon of his cid age. He cheerfully pays the
expenses Of that Indispensable" provincial
rip, announced in letter No. 2, sends other
,emttances afterward, because unforeseen
oblige us to prolong our stay"
deeds freely so long as the horse leech thinks
t prudent to phlebotomize, and then goes con-
Identity to the altar with his priceless pearl,
o be uncommonly sorry for it, nine times
'ut of ten, ever afterwards. Paris Cor. New
York Times