The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-06
BABCOCK WILL MARRY.
Ann Arbor's Matrimonial Prize Nc
Longer in the Market.

| From the Chicago Tribune.
ANN ARBoR, MICH, Feb. 24-Mr. Bah
cock will presently be married. The for
tunate young woman is the sister of @. s.
James, prominent merchant of Waukesha,
and a member of his family. For two years
past the principal sensation of Ann Arbor
| has been James L. Babcock. Popular
| curiosity swung and ratified about him as q
center. His trips abroad were the subject
Of much speculation, and hundreds Of
women marked his movements when he was
at home. Local interest in him was even
greater than in that everyday topic
OF discussion in college terms
namely: "What will the students do nextr
Mr.. Babcock will next winter surround his
own Preside If building contracts are not
broken, otherwise he will rent. The news
OF this mans intention to commit matri-
mony will be dampener to more than a
thousand girls, young and old. They are
| all ambitious to become Mrs. Babcock, and
have SO informed him either verbally or by
letter. With the perversity characteristic
of mankind he selected none of those who
| declared themselves in she race. The future
bride has been an acquaintance of Mr.. Bah
cock and admired of him for some years,
long before he was quoted at premium in
the marriage market.
OVERWHELMED WITH MATRIMONIAL Of
! FEHS.
1t is probable that the majority of news
paper readers will find no difficulty in re-
| calling the peculiar circumstances which
made James l.. Babcock such an eligible
matrimonial possibility.
In the summer of 1888 Luther James, the
mat@ nal uncle of MIR. Babcock, died at an
advanced age. He was Michigan wool
buyer, and had amassed large fortune.
Mr.. James had never found time from the
demands of commerce to cultivate the do
| mestic amenities. So it was when Mr.
James came to go down to the cold and
silent grave he decided that his nephew
should not drag out so barren an existence
After the wool buyer died bis will was
duly produced and probated In order to
promote the development of proper marital
desires within his relative Mr. James be-
queathed to Mr.. Babcock $500 900 on condi-
ton that the legatee marry within five
years. There were no other strings tied to
the bequest. The fact being exploited in
the newspapers had the immediate effect of
swelling Mr.. Babcock's mail.
The proposals OF matrimony and descrip-
tions of candidates came so fast that Mr.
Babcock had circular printed ackno wledg-
ing the receipt of the commun ications and
noting the fact of their fling.
FOLLOWED BY ANXIOUS MAIDENs.
Mr.. Babcock had business interests and a
legal domicile in Chicago at the time of his
uncles death, but spent his summers prin-
cipally at Waukesha and Ann Arbor, in
both of which places his mother had resi-
dences. To these towns anxious virgins,
who could not trust the uncertain mails, or
relied more on their presence than their
epistolary ability, made pllgrimages They
did not see Mr.. Babcock. They we're re-
ceived by his mother, who explained that
her son had no immediate necessity for
$50 ,000
There were los eligible maidens laying
siege to him within few weeks after the
pro0ating of the will. After reaching that
number Mr.. Babcock failed to keep further
tab on his applicants. After the news
spread the heir-upon conditions-received
many fiattering offers from Europe. and
even South America. 1t was a remarkable
fact tn It with all the correspondents the
| $500, 900 matter vas a minor consideration.
They loved Mr.. Babcock for himself alone,
having, with rare prophetic instincts, de-
tected his merit and worth in the newspa-
per portraits. The ages of the proposers
ranged all the way from IA to go years.
Dame Rumor has three different times
fixed Babcock's wedding day and named
his wife. Mrs. Seeley, a handsome Detroit
| widow with relatives IN this town, Mrs
James of Dexter, a connection by marriage
of the man with 100000 hanging up; and a
| Miss Sears Of Chelsea have been nominated
from time to time, although In each case
| without the persons kno wledge.
When seen at his rooms at the Franklin
hotel to-day Mr.. Babcock was pleasantly
engaged in deciding upon the details of the
interior arrangements of his new house he
is about to erect The residence will be one
| of the finest In Ann Arbor and is to be
located on property which Mr.. Babcock at
one time contemplated giving to the city
for park purposes. MIR. Babcock is a man
of medium height and slight of build, with
dark hair and beard cut after the mode
popularized by Gen. Burnside His
face bears lines OF care, the result
of application to business aud being
chased by women. He said that no time
had be ated from his original resolution
not to permit his uncle's fortune to depart
from him. 1.-THE general idea of MIR.
James will is not understood" he said; 1.-THE
papers all put it as if had TO marry to in
herit anything. On the contrary my uncle
left me a large sum Of money in bonds
aud stocks. After provision for
| other relatives and directing
that Thomas Sears, my cousin
and co-executor, and my self should manage
the estate for five years. be willed to me the
property left after paying off the legacies,
provided that ct the end of the time speci~
fed | should be married. If l am still
single" and Mr.. Rabcock smiled wisely as
one cauvossi & a very unlikely proposition,
then the property Is to be divided among
the nephews and nieces, and would come
In fer my proper share. The time for my
marriage is not fixe-