The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-04
WIFE SEEKERS AT CASTLE GARDEN
Some Specimens Of Those Who Have Ap-
plieA---How They are Treated.

The Rockland county farmer who
recently applied to Superintendent
Simpson at Castle Garden fora wife,
was very fair specimen of hundreds
of cthe-s wLo make similar application
in the course of a year. The fact that
he wanted to marry some woman who
was comfortably situated financially
makes his case an ordinary one. In.
other respects be was more than usually
particular. -
The applicant had no right to expect
anything out Of the ordinary run of
women, for he was, if anything, less
progressing than the ordinary run Of
mankind. He said he was As yeassaaill
age, but he looked ten years older at
least. he was cut on the angular plan,
| and everything about him, including
clothes, manner, accent, and expression,
was distinctly rural. He wanted g.
young woman, stoutand strong enough
to do hard work, and skilled enough in
housekeeping to cook first rate. She;
must have black hair and eyes, a pleas
ant manner, and, more important than
| all, not less than $1,000 incold cash.
The applicant modestly confessed
to having no objection to marry
ing woman who had more money,
but woman with less-pever!
He said he had been widower seven
years, and that his farm was worth
1000. He did not see anything un-
reasonable in a secondhand man like
himself, who was worth only 81, ,000,
distinctly refusing to marry any woman
who was not brand new and Whowas
worth less than twice his value.
It is not often that an American is
discovered on such a mission as this.
1t is easy enough to understand why
foreigner should take this method of
procuring wife. There should be no
difficulty in pleasing any foreigner; for
the Garden is frequently filed to over
flowing with women representing all
nationslities. Many of the women who
come from the steerage ofa big steam.
ship into the bad smelling, stufy
rotunda of the Garden are pretty, but
they are seldom attractive. A long
journey in the steerage of asteamship
would mar the attractions Of the lpret-:
test women, and then they frequently
appear awkward. The strangeness Of
the place, the way they are hustled
about by the busy officials, and the fact
Of being in strange city thousands Of
miles from their homes, frightens them.
Some of the men who call here for
wives are worthy of good ones, and,
these always receive the ready heIpof
the officials. A few weeks ago q little.
old-fashioned Irishman with the rich-
est kind Of a brogue called on supenlns
dent Simpson and said
II want wife"
"Is she here ?" he was asked.
"Faith ave she was wouldn't take.
| her away??' he said. sI want to find
one to marry; can ye help nae 2''
"Who would marry little old man:
like you?" asked Mr.. Simpson.
sPlenty of them, replied the little
man confidently, eff they saw this.
He pulled out of his pocket a bank
| book which showed DEPOSITS amount
ing to $1,000.
"That'ii catch any of them,n y he said,
'taud all I want you to do is to pick out
a nice pfeasant-mannered girl, not,
| more than 30yeas old, and Kilkenny
if you can"
GLOW old are you ?"
"Niver moind that; it's thisN talk
whin ye foind her."
| The little man slapped his bank-bookl
| and laughed. He said he was ahcsss
! carman who had been too busy all his
life to. find wife for himself He
wanted somebody else to do it for him,
| and when the selection was made ne
promised to come around and marry
her of-hand.
Men employed in the Garden realize
| what a delicate thing it is to find aWife
| for a man. In the language ofoneof.
them, such an arrangement is aptto be-
a misfit. A man who can't find a wife:
| for himself is always worthy ofsuspi-
cion, and is seldom entitled to one.
A man with a stiff black beard, deep
set black eyes, and an appearance indi-5
! eating marked antipathy to soap and
water, called at the Garden in the early
| part of last fall. He had q strong
Italian accent. He wanted an Italian:
girl not more than l7years old. He
preferred one without friends and With
out knowledge ofany language but her.
own. What did he want her for? For;
wife, Of course. He was asked what.
his business was. The question an-
gered him. He thought that nobody's
business but his own. He was coo1y
dismissed, and he went away in a.
great passion. Nobody doubted but
what he wanted a girl for some evil or
degradingwoFk.
When a man applies to the officials
at the Garden for wife his character
aid his means for supporting herare
carefully inquired into. II he proves
to be a fit person he gets all the help
possible, and there kave been mary
happy marriages brought about in this
way. ss:E1f =. ~. -
Sometimes man from some thiniy
settled western part Of the country ape
plies for a wife by letter. Usually
these written applications haye a
charming ffankness about them. Near
" all the writer's are farmers or small
fro 4 3ocy,oo,, &,i,o we ,,f a nv