The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-01
IS DIVORCE A FAILURE?
A Counter Blast to the Controversy on
the Success Of Marriage.

/ a NVUuL0I'04a8C W TIE VOutIOve1by O1
the Success Of Marriage.
| What becomes of divorced women
| A vast field of unexplored terri.
tory is opened by the question
Just as mules are supposed to seek
for their death some spot where nc
eye can behold them, so divorced
women, once divorced, are believed
to withdraw to some mysterious
limbo in which the rest of their
lives is spent unobserved. But the
Chicago Tribune has been at the
pains of collecting statistics about
them, and it finds that they can
actually be divided into the four
following classes:
] Remarked within year 20 per cent
CLASS II.
Waiting for an offer. er............1 10 per cent
| CLASS Ill.
Fallen into evil ways. ys...........1 10 per cent
CLASS ".
| Devoted to celibacy ............ 5 per cent
These figures have been compiled
from a comparison of the divorce
lists with the marriage registers,
from the statements of judges, JUS
tices of the peace, clergymen, law
yers and court officials, and from
personal inquiry among those who
have been divorced. They can be
accepted as substantially correct.
AS a counter-blast to the contro-
versy which has been continuing
for some weeks in the daily papers,
"Is Marriage Failure?' New York
Truth has started a series of inter
views with well-known men and
women in New York whom the law
has put assunder on the question,
SIS Divorce a FailureW We print
a few replies, emitting the names.
We begin with the ladies.
LONELY VAIL.
"For many long years I thought
divorce a great institution, the only
one, in fact, that enabled a woman
to develop to it's fullest extent her
trusting, loving, feminine nature;
but now a poor old woman like me,
with neither kith nor kin, needs the
close proximity of a strong mascu-
line arm and a powerful male
tongue My former husband would
have answered this purpose admi-
rably, but his energy is nowadays
all wasted upon the trying emer-
gencies of beer saloon. | won't
say positively whether, on the whole,
| consider divorce a failure or not,
but l am inclined to think it's disad-
vantages outnumber it's privileges"
GIT IS SPLENDID"
ooh, it is such release to be free !!
You see, | have all the money |
want, and as | am pretty, rich,
young and independent, l can do
what l please. My married life
was wretched. When my husband
bought tickets for the theater he
neglected to include mamma and
my three sisters, and when / OBJ
jected to this he swore dreadfully.
Of course | wouldn't go anywhere
without my family. No self-respect-
ing woman would go out with her
husband and leave her poor mother
and sisters at home by themselves.
And because / stuck to my family
my cruel husband went off and
spent his evenings with a circus
girl. Did you ever hear anything
so atrocious? No man except a
depraved monster would act in that
way. So / just had to get a divorce.
1t is splendid. l never thought |
should be so happy in this world,
never !"
ANYTHING BUT A SUCCESS"
II have been rather unfortunate,
am afraid. You see, my husband
did not like me to act in private
theatricals, l suppose because he
was jealous, and | just loved pri-
vate theatricals. By-and-by, when
| couldn't stand it any longer, !
went way out to Nebraska-horrid
place-and staid there until | got
a divorce. Now, of course, l could
play in theatricals as much as |
chose, but somehow l am never
asked. / don't understand it, do
you? And it does seem too hard,
that when I got divorced on pur-
pose to be an amateur actress
have absolutely no chance whatever
to display my talents. OF course
YOU know | didn't give that as the
reason for a divorce. One never
does tell the real reason, and rightly,
too, because everybody knows it
and generally much better
than you do yourself. Just at pres
ent | am inclined to think divorce
a wretched failure, because when
you begin it you expect so much
and your expectations are never or
seldom realized. Perhaps | may
change my mind some day, but
now [ am a disappointed woman
and my youth is rapidly passing.
No, SO far, divorce is anything but
a success"
anrvoRcE HAS RUINED MY LIFE"
"I am willing to. answer your