Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
ON VITAL STATISTICS.
Marriages, Divorces, Births and
Deaths Recorded for 1889.
SOME MATRIMONIAL IEFELICITY,
But Not Enough to Deter Recruits Who
Number a Few Thousand.
NEUROLOGICAL AND NATAL FIGURES

|
as well as instructive. An eminent histor
ian states that carefully kept for a rumble
of years they proved what theologians haC
vainlY sought to establish in thousands o
years previous, viz: That monogamy is tn,
natural relation of the sexes in humanity
male births being 21 to 20 female, and tht
former being subject to casualties, that leav
ing war and other unnatural disturbing
causes out of the calculation. would equalizt
the sexes when adult. Statistics also shot
4 that where people can marry and be gwen in
marriage under healthy conditions of society
they are lmpelled to do so in about the same
proportion from year to year, and also that
under similar conditions the corallary gov
erns the patronage of the divorce mills
Among vital statistics this is beginning
to be regarded as the most vital in some
( communities IN the United states. Some
see in the easy dissolution of the marriage
tie an evil fraught with the greatest posi-
Bile national calamity, while others are in
clined to think that the sum total of human
| happiness is increased by allowing people
who find they have not sized each other
correctly, to take mutual non-suit, and
begin de novo.
WENT OUT OF BLAST.
In round numbers there were 240 hearth
stones in this county on which, during the
year just ending, the fires of love were
extinguished, and the result was that
many applications for dissolution of as
many unions, and the number is not ma
terially greater than in late years. As
prosperity and connubial bliss are shown by
cfo fo hon iy,h IL L.. =
not as large as it might be were the cost of
meat and potatoes greater. "When want
looks in at the door, love flies out at the
window, is gray-haired proverb, "love in
cottage" being much more attractive in
theory than in practice.
Some people regard this number as indi-
cative of sorry state of morals, but when
it is considered that there are 100, 900 couples
yoked, and less than in 400 find the yoke
gall beyond endurance, Il of per cent,
the showing is not necessarily discouraging
1t isn't likely that the same percentage of
other contracts give equal adjustable results.
Prothonotary Bradley, whose practical
experience extends over nearly quarter of
a century, states that there is but little
chance for easy divorces in this county, ex-
cept by collusion between the parties them
selves, as the judiciary Is not disposed to
drop the bars unless a clear case of wrong
on one side is made out, and lawyers, know
ing this, generally cool the ardor of the ap.
plicant unless the showing makes out a
fragrant case.
Another official connected with the court
says that Judges Ewing White and Slagle
are harder to pass in divorce cases generally
than Judges Stowe and Collier. He re-
fuses to be quoted, but assigns as a reason
that the last named Judges mix more with
people at large than the other three named,
and inferentially concludes that they SYM
pathize more with the victims of mar
ital chaing than do the other Judges.
No one expressed an opinion as to Judge
Magee's leanings in this respect, but it was
generally expressed opinion that no 90
minute investigation would satisfy any of
the Judges regarding the merits of case,
and that divorces would only be granted on
good reasons shown.
Z ONLY IN EXTREME CASES.
: Judge Slagle was asked how he stood on
the question generally, and he replied that
no one need expect to get severance at his
hands unless good case were made out, and |
it is safe to say that more of our Judges will |
grant it unless for sufficient cause, though |
where each side wants it, it is difficult to de- |
termine at all times just what is best to be |
done, il extreme views of the indissolubility |
of the tie be held.
Nearly per cent of the population be- |
lieved during 1889 that marriage was not
failure, for up to $3.50 P. NJ. Thursday there
were 4,O61 marriage licenses granted, and
the mill was still running full head at the
minute named, Swede of 46 and Swedess
Of 81 were undergoing the catechism which
hn pfoio II ohu
at all applicants. Thus over 16 times as
winglets at Hymen's altar as those who
sought to slip the moose. According to sta
tistical philosophers this result was brought
about mainly by the cheapness of food, or
the ability to get the wherewilhal to procure
it. Whatever may have been the insDira-
ton, the command in Genesis, chap. i: %,
was largely obeyed. These who have
gone through the ordeal have an ap-
proximate idea at least of the num-
Der of miles Captain Hieber's Jaws
have travelled In 1889. There is a sympa-
.hetic vein in the Captains makeup that
makes him won6rous kind to his clients,
Ind he would doubtless make his Office
MATRIMONIAL SPEAK-EAsY
t he could; but unsymplthetic lawmakers
lave decreed that he shall ascertain the de-
sree Of consanguinity III which applicants
tand, and many other things which CRATE
ike discord in wedding march. His
'enignity, however, gives the lie to his
imulated rigor, and the majority of neo-
,hytes go away carrying an enduring pho
ograph of his benevolent silver-framed
ountenance on memory's tablet.
During 1889 $500 babies arrived, bearing
With them promises OF peace on earth and
GOODWILL between 1900 parents in
he city of Pittsburg, which would
i've for the county a natural in
rease of about 10000 inhabitants. Mr..
7. w. Mckee, of the Bureau of Health,
ould only get at the number approximately,
ut it will be found near enough for all
ractical purposes, and it is consoling to
now that 1t exceeds the deaths by more
han 30 cent, and the mortality in Pittsburg
eing comparatively greater than in the
ounty generally, both physical health and
lorality are reasonably good.
NEUROLOGY OF 1889.
The grim reaper cut off 4, 1903 people of all
ges, sexes and conditions in the city during
le year, making about half of the necro-
'gical list of the county. July was hard
q the babies and it leads the list with 491
eaths. The record ran as follows: JAN
ary, 800; February, 313; March, 1894;
lpril, 355; May, 324; June, 345; July, 491;
-ugust, 1856; September, 352; October, 321;
Tovember, 325; December, 377.
The year has been one of unexampled
and while many ripe sheaves !
ere gathered in there has been no pestilence
consequence, and with the exception of
uly, the infant mortality was unusually
ght, and yet the weather has been all that
light have been expected to breed pestil-
Ice.
When through the forest cleaned, I
The rhndodendron and the fragrant breath !
Or magnolia swept delIciously
Oer the half laden nerve.
When the graves
In fieeting colors wrote their own decay.