Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-02
HOUsEKEEPER NO. 1a0.


WIN NOHeu-he NecDb ~ Ituu-
ming Advertisement for Help.
From the Philadelphia Record.
More troublesome far than tho stormy
domestic life which the Ill line philosopher
Socrates led with his unlovely spouse,
Xanthippe, has been that of Evan Adams,
''rhe Man Of Many Housekeepers," who
lives In his widower home way down in
the Jersey village OF Pleasantville, near
Atlantic City. There Is probably not
man In the state Of New Jersey who has
had a more eventful widowerhood than
Evan, embracing, as II does, a list of con-
siderably over n hundred housek cepsrs
and they have prosecuted him to death, so
he rays.
Evan Adams Is a nondescript sort of
man, and, strange rs 1t may seem, his
neighbOrs fail to thoroughly understand
him. He IL a lean, gray-bearded man, Of
63 years. His home IL n two-story and
attic house, old and weather beaten, and
to the best recollection OF the Pleasantville
people has never been painted or white.
washed. No fence surrounds the premises
and big growth OF weeds adds to the des-
olation of the scene.
In spite of these signs Of poverty, Evan
Adams Is known to be man of consdera-
bic means, and his neighbors say he is
careful OF his pennies. Besides this he Is
a local preacher, but of later years he has
not followed this profession. He is a quack
doctor, too, and carries lis own patent
medicines In carpet bag, vending his ar
ticles around his home and in Atlantic
City.
Seven years ago Adams wife died. and
he has been In quest of n suitable woman
to take her place ever since, but for some
reason has utterly failed. Ofthe l26 house
keepers who have come "on trial." the
longest time that any one stayed was three
months, and she happened to be the Il rst
one he secured. The period of incumbency
OF tho rest has varied from one month To
one day. The neighbors have endeavored
to keep an account Of the exact number
that the man really has had, but there Is
only one neighbor who Is able to tally
them, and he says there are l26 in the list.
The greatest number of these female
major donos that Adams has employed In
. month was ten, and they came last De-
cember. 1t Is reported also that not long
ago two came in one day, owing to some
Misunderstanding as to the time of their
arrival. Both were cleaned out before
night closed in.
For the first Ave years Of his widower-
hood Adams obtained his housek eepers
from the intelligence offices of Philadel-
phia. Latterly, however, these help-hiring
agencies have shut down on him, and he
has been compelled to advertise for female
ends Of his household In the want columns
OF the newspapers Owing to the brief
soiourns Of his many housekeepers, the
advertisements are allowed to remain i'm
tuO anu tuts has Detn
a source Of much embarrassment to the
widower and those seeking his employ.
The Pleasantville people have way of
ascertaining when now hand is expected
and also when the old ono IL to be suddenly
discharged. Whom Adams appears in his
wears his antique silk tile, then new
conner Is expected. But when he dons his
old working suit, with q belt attached,
woolen shirt and the old slouch hat, war
10 imminent and the housek eeper il
doomed TO peremptory and speedy dis
charge.
Invariably the women claim that Wild
over Evan Is too fresh with them, does
not give them enough to eat, and, like old
Scrooge, Is too stingy to have first-class
fire in the stoves. The neighbors say that
the bottom of the little woodpile i'm the rear
of "Buckwheat Fort" as the widower's
house is called, has not been reached for
the past twenty-five years. The house,
keepers assert that Adams only gives them
q potato, slice Of bread and tough piece
Of meat to eat each meal, while he adds
occasionally 10 this provender luxuries
such az cheese and butter, which he hides
In the cellar.
AT first Evan Jared well with the femi-
nine contingent. Housekeeper No. 93,
whose tirst name was found To be Mary,
was especially afie,tionate during her two
weeks visit She was what the PLEASANT
account OF tho vast quantity of fureblows
and gswgaws that adorned her attire.
When she first came in the widower's
employ the neighbors exclaimed: "At
last hes got q pretty one, and she will
stay" Two weeks elapsed, and all the
sunshine was taken away from Buck
wheat Fort when the widower suddenly
found that his pretty bird had flown with
300 or his money and a quantity of linen,
She was the prettiest housekeeper he had
ever secured and her departure seemed TO
have been harbinger of ill-luck for the
widower. lie was sued to recover 81 .OO0
damages for breach of promise by a house
keeper soon after, and the court found
judgment against him for S25.
todon physique was installed at the "Buck-
wheat Fort" Like all her predecessors
she was to be paid s2 week for her ser
vices For the first four days everything
worked like charm, but on the fiflh q
crisis came, and 1t fell like thousand of
bricks on the head Of Widower Adams.
Early that morning the neighborhood was
aroused by loud shouts aud maledictions
at the "Buckwheat Fort''
The sturdy housekeeper, with big club
In her hand, was seen chasing the widower
around the premises. She ran him up one
OF trees In front Of the house. While he
Was up there the sturdy female major
oomo proceeded 10 shatter all the window
glass with her club. Partially satisfied she
aIowed the widower to descend from his
Isrch. The housekeeper demanded her az
wagest aud Evan had 10 pay.
Vp saturday last houssksepsr No. iae