Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-17
GET A WIFE.
Marriage Agencies and How
They Do Business.
PEOPLE WHO PATRONIZE THEM.
Specimens of the Advertisements and Cor
respondence-Match-M Making Ma
chinery Complete Success.
The Cheapest Method.
Copyrighted 1891 by Silver Sand

| Since that day in May some six thousand
| or more years ago, when the Lord found
out that it was not good for man to bealone
and made a match for Adam, mankind and
| perhaps more especially that part of it
| known as womankind, seems to have taken
| delight in following the example of God in
! this one thing if no other. Consequently
| from that day until this, all people. from
| those in the most abject slavery to the
| rulers of the earth, from those who are
poorer than was ever Jobs turkey to those
| who are as rich as CroeSuS, people of every
rank and station in life, have been engaged
in the business of making matches.
II is not the purpose of this article to
discuss this subject from q theological
standpoint and determine whether or not
mankind in general would have been much
better off in case the first match had never
been made, as manybacnelOrS seem to believe
nor yet to enter into sociological investi-
CATION as to why matches are made in this
manner, but simply to give brief descrip-
ton of the improved machinery used in this
important branch of our infant industries.
Trusting that it will be of interest at least
to the young men and young ladies of our
country who are yet unmarried, and are
DESTROYS of keeping up with the times by
using the latest appliances in all their
engagements.
MATRIMONIAL AGENCIES
There are in the United States at least a
dozen agencies doing profitable business
in this peculiar kind of match making.
Nearly ali of them publish paper devoted
largely to the personal advertisements of
young men and young ladies wishing to
make the acquaintance of some one of the
opposite sex with view TO matrimony.
These advertisements are paid for at the
rate of from l to 5 cents word. The
name of the advertiser is not published and
all persons desiring to forward q letter to
l., h., 10. Ia
PEELED to pay the publisher the sum of 10
cents for forwarding their letter to the per-
son whose acquaintance is desired. Be-
sides these sources of revenue the pub
Usher also receives fair subscription price
for his paper, SO that in this case the la
borer is not only worthy OF his hire" but
gets it. The more enterprising also in
crease their bank account by having a pri-
vate list of ''ladies means,'' to a few of
whom they will introduce any
mean man who means to increase his means
in this way, provided he is willing to pay
S. for the introduction, that is, for the
privilege of mailing them letter; or, they
will send a description of yourself to
number of ladies of means who wish to
marry for the same price, paid of course in
advance, stating that if the ladies like your
description they will then write you direct
So it is evident that these men succeed in
living on love, or on the hope OF love,
whether it is in the power of ordinary NOR
tails to do so or not.
WHO ARE THE PATRoNs2
Each issue of any one of the various pub
LEGATIONS contains from 100 to 500 advertise
ments. They come from people ranging in
age from sixteen to sixty, those in their
teens are plentiful but are far out num-
bered by those who are between twenty-siX
and tw9nty-seven, while in almost every
paper you can find an advertisement of some
age that can be mentioned between twenty
seven and fifty. And yes, there are 4 con-
siderable number of widows and widowers
but more of the former than Of the latter;
however. the maidens and the bachelors
take the lead. There are college gradu-
ateS and persons who cannot write their
own name; professional men and laborers;
ladies who think themselves beautiful,
pretty, or handsome and saw the adver-
tisement of one lady who actually admitted
that her face was rather inclined to be
homely. Persons worth snug fortunes,
persons of comfortable circumstances, and
persons who are mot worth a red cent"
are all here. Persons who choose this way
of forming acquaintance because they
think it romantic; but more who choose it
because they are bashful and could not |
take or hold their place in fash |
ionable society without fear of |
embarrassments which have more terrors |
for them than has the smallpox. Bachel-
ors who have not yet found their ideal and |
lever will. Ladies who have never had
proposal and think that IN case they do not |
succeed in this way their chances will be |
just as good when leap year comes as if |
they had not tried it. Saints and sinners
the latter in the minority; wise men and !
fools, the latter in the majority In fact all |
classes advertise, and they are all very |
As man am sorry to he |
to admit that the men in most |
cases seem to be somewhat mercenary, |
however. this should perhaps be attributed |
to their early education, since this is 1
age, rather than to any personal |
fault of the men.
BILL NYE CHALLENGED.
The poetry found in the ads may not |
equal that of Tennyson. indeed may not be L
any better than the ordinary spring poetry |
but do not believe that Bill Nye himself |
could write ads any more original or more l
humorous than are some Of these, and in |
case he thinks he can he is hereby chal- l
enged to try his hand at it any time this /
month. Since this is an age of samples, we |
will now show you few, and will simply |
state that the stock is so large that in order |
10 give you any idea whatever of it it is |
to carry much heavier sample |
case than the ordinary commercial man. La |
my cases where names and addresses are
given they are correct, and ladies who may |
feel disposed to write the advertisers need |
nave no hesitaucy in doing so.
MATRyMoSIAI ADS,
Teacher. good CAAstlss, Waskss % cor.