The morning news., 1889-05-31
ON A TOUR FOR A WIFE.
THE MUCE-soUGHT, HALF-MILL-
IONAIRE BABCOCK IN TOWN.

The Man Who Must Marry in Five
Years to Secure a 100000 Legacy
Wants to See the Savannah Girl Who
Proposes to Help Him Get His For
from savannah-An Odd Bit of
Romance.
James L. Babcock, the Chicagoan who
is to receive over 100000 CT his late
uncle's estate upon condition that he mar
ries within the next five years, is in Sa-
vannah. He occupies modestly furnished
room at the Marshall house. The quantity
of mail that he receives daily aroused the
curiosity of Chief Clerk Theus, who put
MORNING NEWS reporter 'on to" the
| stranger.
| A few minutes talk with the modest, un-
assuming little man revealed the fact that
he is the parsonage to whom girls and old
maids all over the country have been writ
ing "billet deaux" and making all manner
of proposals for marriage. Mr.. Babcock
came to Savannah a few days ago and
registered from Montgomery, Ala. From
| his transformations manner, nobody would
ever have taken him for the person about
whom the newspapers have talked almost
increasingly since last July, when the death
Of his rich uncle occurred at Ann Arbor,
| Mich. The nephew attended the funeral
and before he returned home the papers
we're carrying the story OF the curious Will
under flaming headlines.
SAVANNAH GIRLS AFTER HIM.
Mr.. Babcock's business here is told in the
| letters of mora than a dozen of Savannah's
girls, who have made proposals to him. He
is here 20 hunt them up. The letters are
| all well written, and the plans suggested by
some of the writers are startling.
A good many people would like to know
who the Savannah girl is who wrote tie
| epistle which runs like this:
| DEAR BAB-You must know that all those
who write to you making proposals cannot love
| YOU but for your money. II you marry any of
them it should be not with any intention oflove,
| but merely business venture.
What do you think about lUP
II l am right, what 90 you think OF this
| proposition: Say you come to Savannah at the
earliest possible time and in quiet manner
we will marry. The S500,00) is then yours by
| the will. Pay me a sum which is to be agreed
upon by us and viii leave Immediately after
the ceremony is performed for Paris, where
am very anxious TO go tl.s year. will remain
| long enough away for you to sue for divorce
| upon the preteXt Of desertion. l want the
| money and it will be an easy means of captur-
ing the $4,000 for yourself if YOU prefer
| to always live an old bachelor. am anxious TO
|
| do So Understand that a contract will be
tered into before our marriage is consummated
that I am to be unknown to you after the VOW
| is taken and you TO me. IL VIII De partly
business transaction. Nothing more. What do
you think about it? Answer Yours, etc. -
SEEKING THE WRITER
Mr.. Babcock is especially anxious to see
the writer of the letter, and he will make a
tour of the town to find her. A recent let
ter not more than three weeks old, was re-
ceived by Mr. Babcock from another Sa-
vannah girl, who said that she was just
from Jacksonville where she came across a
paper giving his history. She was particu-
larly impressed with it, and wrote to find
out more about him. She went into an ex-
tended description of Savannah, its beauti-
full parks, fountains, shade-trees, etc, and
wound up by begging Mr.. BabcOck to come
"post-hasten to Savannah to see her. She
Just knew that he would like the city, and
size thought that she could make a satlsfac
tory bargain with him for the future.
LETTERS BY THE BUsHEL.
Nearly dozen other letters were received
from girls here, and they are carefully
packed away III Mr.. Babcock's
valise with those OF q thousand other
| competitors. His trunk contains not less
than $50 photographs of dashing American
girls and several English beauties, who are
clamoring for his attention. Noneof them
have ever seen him, and he quietly remarked
yesterday to a MORNING NEWS reporter
that he does not attribute any of the atten-
| tion to his personal appearance. 1t is the
money, he said, that makes the poor dear
girls puzzle their brains with fitting SEN
tences and sentimental letters, proposing
marriage to a man whom they have never
seen. He has not had picture
taken with a view to giving is out to the
girls, although he SAYS that he will marry
aL- . &C. A. II
five years. He is bound to marry, but he
does not know yet who his wife will be.
THINKS WELL OF SAVANNAH.
Mr.. Babcock said that he has been
negotiating with a real estate agent here
with view to purchasing lot on which to
build ''lt is not unlikely" he said, that
l will buy site and erect a dwelling 1
have been to Savannah before, and
always enjoyed my visit. have
got to settle down sometime and some
where, and why not here, as we'll as any
where.n
MIR. Babcock is an affable little man, and
converses so smoothly and so pleasantly
about his affairs that no matter who he
meets he leaves favorable impression. He
is about 45 years old, and below the me liun
hight, with short, black, bushY whiskers
dashed with'gray. His harris dark, streaked
with gray, his eyes are gray, aad ne has a
mouth full of white teeth. Ho wears
neat suit of dark clothes and
a modest diamond in his scarf. A buff
silk handkerchief is chucked down in his
outside pocket.
A BOOK ABOUT HIMSELF.
He carries his scrap book wherever he
goes, and the letters which tee newspapers
print are carefully pasted in it. 1t Is a
highly interesting volume to read, and the
book will be priced by the young Babcocks
to whom it will some day fall.
Mr.. Babcock is impressed with the differ
ence in northern and southern girls. All
the letters he has received from northern
girls ask hundred and one questions, he
SAID, and in a desulJory way broach the
subject and make an offer. They want it