Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1891-02-19
AcALL FOR WIVES.
4 COhstgnment OF Girls to BE Sent TO
Canadian Bachelors.

j t : - - 4 &
A ConslEnment OF Girls to Be sent TO
Canadian Bachelors.
A cry for wives is the pathetic ap-
peal that comes to the Provinces of
Quebec from the French-C Canadian set
TIERS in the Canadian Northwest Terri
ries.
A prominent Roman Catholic clergy
man in Calgary is contemplating Civ
ing effect to a scheme which has been
suggested to him by the disconsolate
bachelors of his parish. and which. con-
sists in supplying them with wives.
Women of any kind. with the excep-
ton of squaws, are scarce in the Cana
dian Territories. and there is an abso-
Lutte absence of young manageable
females of the same race and religion
as the struggling settlers who have
gone out there from the Province Of
Quebec. Their priests are extremely
anxious to them married to wives OF
their own nationality and faith, so as
to encourage the growth in the new
Northwest of French speaking and
Roman Catholic nationality.
Judging by the wonderful natural
increase of the French Canadian ma
ton in the Province of Quebec. due to
the proverbial fecundity of its women,
the supplying of wives aud mothers to
the Northwest settlers is all that is
necessary to the early establishment of
an equally populous Nation on the
Western prarics. A remarkable indi-
cation of French Canadian fecunditv is
furnished by the fact that over 1000
claims have been already filed with
the Government of the Province OF
Quebec for the grants of 100 acres OF
land awarded by the Government OF
NJ. MERCER to the father Of families of
twelve or more living children. These
claims represent y population of l5,
600 people. and some of tho claimants
have living children, the issue of one
marriage, to the number of twenty and
more.
The Northwest settlers are only too
anxious to fall in with the desires of
their priests in the matter Of marriage
and paternity. The Gearth of mar
riageable females in the Northwest Ter
ritories cannot be obviated by any
efforts of their own. They cannot af-
ford the time even if they could spare
the means to pay long enough visit
to the Province of Quebec to select
wives for themselves. But they are
prepared to do SO to a certain extent
by proxy. Providing a sufficiently fair
assortment of such merchandise is
brought to their doors to afford them
some little selection, they are willing to
depute their priests to do the rest. The
scheme has already been advertised in
the French Canadian newspapers, and
the first party of candidates for matri-
mony in the Northwest will probably
leave for Calgary on their new venture
in the course of the next few weeks.
The apparent novelty of the scheme
has drawn down upon it large
amount Of ridicule. 1t has been de-
scribed rs a traffic in cattlc-''un com.
merce d'animaux domestiques." Those
who are engaging in it argue that it
not only does not SAVIOR of any impro-
priety. but also that not even the
charge of novelty can be made against
it. They point out that similar
course was followed in France for sup
plying wives to the earliest French set
tiers in Canada. Under the fostering
care OF Colbert. Louis XIV.'s Minister
OF Finance and the Colonies, girls were
taken from the houses of refuge Of
Paris and Lyons and sent out to Canada
as prospective wives of the French
settlers. Mother Mnrie de pIncarna-
ton wrote in 1865 that hundred had
come that summer and were nearly all
provided with husbands, and that 200
more were to come the following year.
In 1872 Count Frontenac. Governor OF
Canada, wrote home to Paris COM
planning of the scanty supply of young
women from France. If 100 girls and
as many servants,' lie says, had been
sent out this year they would ali have
found husbands aud masters within y
month";
II report speaks truly as to the cali
for wives in the Northwest the new
arrivals will not have long to wait
Nor will it likely he necessary either to
entice or drive The bachelor settlers in
to wediock us was tine case with their
forcfathers in Quebec in the middle O.!
tie seventeenth century. Then and
there houuties were offered on early
marriages, twenty livres being given
TO each youth who married before The
age of 16. Any father of family
wiso. without showing good cause,
neglected to marry his children when
they reached the ages of 20 and 16. was
fined, and each father thus deliquent
was required to present himself every
six months TO the local authorities 10
declare what reason, if any, he had for
such delay. Orders were issued lit
tie before the arrival of the yearly
ships from France that all single men
Should marry within Il fortnight after
the landing of the prospective brides.
No mercy was shown the obdurate
bachelor. who was made rs miserable
as possible. and no sooner did the con-
signnents of women arrive than the
young men Of the colony rushed to OBJ
tain wives much us the Freuch- Canadian
settlers Of the Northwest are expected
10 do as soon rs their prospective brides
reach Calgary.-Quc5 Letter IN the
Boston UeruiG.