Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-02-11
1Hs spINsrEns, assr.
An Abnormal Social Condition In ths
Bucks County Metropolis.

An Abnormal Social Condition In ths
Bucks County Metropolis.
Bristol. the prosperous manufactur
ing center of Bucks county, is an old
maids town. Well informed citizens
of that ent"rprising borough claim that
there are more unmarried but mar
riageable women there in proportion TO
the population than can be found in
any other place between the %silvery
Delaware and the Ohio state line.
Careful estimates made by the ems
enumeration place the number of eligi-
bles whose years range from 80 years
upward at 80. Old residenters, who
have kept a keen watch upon the soil
tary maids about them, make the fig
ures much larger than those OF the
enumerators.
In a quiet Quake' home c. aristO-
cratic Radcliffe street u a brood Of five
maids the oldest; Is nearing three o
and ten, and the youngest is approach
ing the meridian of life. Not so fA
away dwells the Oldest old maid in the
town. She is a leader in the FrieDdA
church, and three-quarters of a centur,
measures her years. She has a sister
who is already far beyond the point az
which the majority of pine marry.
Radcliffe street is the most fashionAr
able portion of the town and stretches
along the river front On it live no
fewer than twenty-six females who be
long to that class commonly called
''old maids" Proud as Radcliffe
street may be of its record in clinging
to its girls, Wood and Cedar streets
mrpass it. The men with marriage in
their eyes seem 70 have avoided these
two thoroughfares entirely.
There are nineteen lady school teach
err in the borough. and a gentleman
eCunected with the board said that
with but a few trifing exceptions all
had passed the border line that bounds
sirlhood Among the number who are
enjoying a single life is Miss Eliza Van
Horn. a maiden Of GO odd years. who
looks upon marriage neither as a dead
failure MOI the contamination Of blisA
She remarked:
"Oh, no, don't believe marriage is
a failure, but ! do think there is a
sound. practical reason for our Bristol
girls not marrying. | know Of a mum
Der Of cases where peculiar circum-
stances separated devoted lovers. and
the girls are old and unmarried yet.
There is pleasure in single as well as in
married life"
Anothe, maiden lady, past the half
century mark, said; Il had no use foy
= husband. and 50 paid no attention TO
the men who came with offers of mar
rage. A man in the majority of cases
Is only tina. much extra luggage for the
woman to carry"
James Monroe Bruden, who cast his
hrst presidential vote for Gen jackson.
hid, concerning the fair sex:
There Is an unmarried woman OF
over 25 year. old in pretty nearly all
the houses in town. l can't tell you
why, but they are there. Now, this
strange condition of things is not the
FAULT of the girls. for Bristol has a.
many pretty girls as any town in the
tat Only last week two young men
of our town married girls from outside
the borough Now. that wasn't right"
The wife of a census enumerator was
Questioned about old maids. and she
fudied a minute and then replied:
YES. know a few in our ward. can
name eighteen whom I 4 know personal
Iy. and this is one of the smallest wards
IN the tc~n. My husband says there
are more women in the town than men.
but there are few bachelors "-Phila,
delpha Record.