Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-03-02
UNMARRIED WOMEN
Some Curious Statistics About the SpinsteTs OF
New England.
Boston Traveller

Boston traveller.
An Omaha woman eliza P. Heatonl y
probably New England girl, has been
writing some interesting facts concerning
the preponderancs of unmarried women
in New England. She says: Some curl
Gus statistics fell into my hands the other
day, which I shall reproduce, for their
bearing on question of the hour-a
pressing question in the East at least
the growing number of unmarried women.
In one of the smaller New England towns,
where it semed as if tho family were al
most ceasing to be the unit of society,
met woman who for some years back
has kept record OF the girls who have
graduated from the high school of the vii
ia2e, what they have done, and what, up
to date, has become of them.
She gave me her figures, for the classes
from 1871 to 1876, from sixteen to eleven
years ago, and strange figures for any
marrying or given in marriage cOmmuni-
ty they seem. The average age of the
graduates from typical New England
high school is between 16 and II years.
Hence it would seem that the women of
whom this list has been kept, ranging at
from 81 to sc years old, have done the
greater proportion of all the SETTLING in
Iifen which they are likely to do.
There were 10 girls in the class of 1871.
OF this number are married, 4 have died
of consumption, 10 are unmarried. OF
the Is girls of 1872, 6 have married and
10 are single. OF the q of 1878, are
married and Is are single, Of the 13 of
1874, 2 have married; 5 have died of con
sumption, and are single. OF the Is of
1875, 8 have married, l has died of con-
sumption, and ara single.
OF the y of 1876, 6 have married, l has
died of consumption, and 10 are single.
Making for total of SO graduates, 81
marriages, IL deaths and 81 women TINS
far single. No account is taken of the
years since 1876, because as the average
age at marriage is advancing, no fair
conclusion could be drawn from the
yoanger classes.
The proportion of single women, it
will be seen, is nearly two-thirds of the
whole number. Whether this town is
fairly representative of its section,
have no means of knowing, nor whether
the same proportion would hold among
the unschooIed or less schooled girls of
| the place. There Is no obvious reason
why it should not, however, for a high
school education is not sufficiently ex-
alted to rouse in any mind the suspicion
that the girl who has subjected herself to
| it has thereby untitled herself for the
dom estic duties of life.
The eleven deaths were one and all
| from east wind consumption: which gets
| to be hereditary, and plays direful havoc
/ in families There have been two cases
/ OF insanity, but thess all occurred among
| the married twenty seven. The largest
number of children in the families of the
married is three. Three of the ninety
| girls went to college after leaving the
/ high-school, but these are n the married
/ list.
THEIR OCCUPATIONS.
| OF the unmarried 81, q follow a very
usual feminine trade; they are school
ma'ams-oue at Hampton, teaching the
! Indians under General Armstrong; 90 in
| public schools AID academies. Three set
/ type, one reads proof, one Is the head
| dressmaker in dry goods establishment,
| four dressmaksrs en- = smaller scale, three
/ are music teachers, one has studied medi-
cine, Is are stitchers and button hole
makers IN shoe shops, and the rest are
| home-stayers.
/ Just what has brought about such a pre-
/ ponderance of spinsterhood 1t would be
/ hard TO say. People have contendeo that
| il didn't exist, and have explained the i'm
mense surplus OF women IN New England
on the supposition that Eost of them are
widows, made so by the hazardous occu-
patiors of the men on the Eastern coast.
| Widow. here are in plenty, but these 81,
and everybody who knows anything OF
| New England will find II an easy matter
to eau up similar instances, have certain
/ Iy never married, probably most of them
had never an opportunity TO marry
/ There few marriageable yong men TO be
| found at the presen. time IN any smaiiish
| New England town. The serene quiet of
the most lethargic section of these United
States doesn't suit 8 young man. He
goes away before he is old enough to