St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-14
BOYS A LONG WAYS AHEAD.
Boys Are Being Born a Great Deal
Easter Than Girls.

Faster Than Girls.
''BOys are being born faster than
girls,' said Maternity hospital physi-
clan on Friday to New York Journal
reporter. statistics, usually so dry
and cherries, prove that births are now
in a ratio of three boys to two girls"
What is the meaning of it?"
''It is said to he sign of approaching
war;" continued the physician, ''but |
guess that is an old wOman's saying.
But Eli tell you what it does mean, and
that is that the girls of the next genera
ton are going to stand better chance of
being married than those of any gener-
alton since the beginning of the war.
Il am not going back to ante-bellum
times, but it takes many years for the
effects of such terrible war to wear off.
1t killed or manned hundreds of thou
sands OF men, made tramps or brigadier
generals of many thousands more and
broke up the matrimonial business COM
pletely. That is why there are now, in
Massachusetts alone, $4,000 hopeless
maiden ladies. will not say how many
there are in New York, as l have large
feminine practice. But those old maids,
God bless them, are as much the victims
OF the late war as the pensiOner with
one arm or leg missing. They are the
great army of the brOken-hearted and
they do not get the sympathy they de-
serve. 1t was their fortune of war, and
they lost in every battle we fought.
But the future is bright for the girls
now coming. The question of all used
to be. Who will she choOse?' not who
will she catch?' as it has been of recent
years. The first question will again be
IN the ascendant in ten years time.
Three young men will be paying atten-
ton to two young ladies, and very often
the ratio will be two to one. The Nor
mon theory will be crushed without re-
course to the EdmundS law, as every
woman will have market value as a
m0negamic wife and will decline to
share mans Affections"
But are young men marrying as
much as ever?' the physician was
asked.
"You must ask popular minister;
try Dr.. Talmage or some other like
him.
DIR. Talmage was busy in his new of
ment, Mr.. Beecher's late Office. Hence
New York clergyman of the people
was asked the question.
"They are not marrying as fast as
they should" he replied, especially
the Amerlcan-bOrn young men. The
foreigners wed early and do not remain
widowers long. They appreciate home
comforts, while the American loves his
freedom, as he calls it, his clubs and his
athletic sports. The girls are ready
and willing, but the young men say
they cannot afford to marry. But I
think there are too many girls-not that
would lose one Of them, mind you, but
you must know that that which we have
q yxynd moi Ina II
the scarce article. When there are more
men than women, then there will be
harvest of marriages, and, without any
selfish reasons, hope l may live to see
it, and l think will.'
In large mercantile house in Broad
way employing 800 clerks there have
been twenty marriages and fifteen
births in one year. The figures are
given by clerk who subscribed some
thing for the commemoratiOn of all the
events, and as he keeps diary, his fig
ureS may be taken as official. There
may have been a birth or two not regis
tered on his book, however, but of the
fifteen eleven were boys. There was
time when father was almost ashamed
to report the birth of girl baby, as his
associates were apt to condole with him
on his disappointment in the sex. That
shyness must be dissipated by the statist-
zeal figures. Boys are becoming too
plentiful to be remarked, while girls
now coming ale assured of comfort
able married future state.
In New York city for 1887 there were
1910 marriages, 1900 more than in the
preceding year. Eighty-six bridegrooms
were over 55 years old, 81 over 80, "A
from 65 to 20, Is from 20 to so, and one
gay old gentleman in his 9Oth year led
to the altar a ripe maiden of rs autumns.
Showing that OH the feminine side it is
never too late to be married, 20 women
were between So and 60, between 60
and Is, and three hearts beat pit-a-pat
as brides at threeScOre and ten. There
were $1,000 births last year, gain of
1000 over 1886.
The brayest man of the year was an
old gentleman of eighty-five years. He
led his fifth bride to the minister. Six
other men married their fourth wife
each, and one woman took her fourth
husband.
The statistical clerk has already used
three pages of his 1887 book and the
year starts in with fine matrimonial
prospects,