The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-14
DIVORCE COLONISTS
How WOuld-be Grass Widows
Live at Sioux Falls.
While Doing Time" They Engage in Char
table Work and Gossip-MOst of Them
Have New Alliances in Prospect.
Especial to THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. DISPATCH

Especial to THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Dispatch
CHICAGO Nov. 13.-H. T. Corson, propri-
etor of the famous Cataract hotel ct Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, which gives tempo
rary homes to all the would be grass wild
ows and widowers who seek the aid of the
easy-going divorce laws of that state, was
at the Palmer house to-day. He gossiped
naively Of the curious colony now in his
city ''doing time.n There is no danger
that the divorce laws will be changed" he
said; ''the people whom they draw there
from all parts of the United States and
Europe are too good for business. The
hotels, lawyers and almost all the business
men are thriving on the existing state of
things, for almost all the applicants are
people of wealth. As a matter of fact,
most of the Americans could have ulti-
mately obtained divorces at home just as
well, but it is quicker with US and the
grounds of divorce are broader than in
some states. The newspaper notoriety
given the town has hurt the noted bust
ness to certain extent, because the people
have been given TO understand that they
must have residence outside q hotel in
order to be an actual resident. Such is not
the case, however. Then, too, this notori-
ETY. has led many to wish to live away from
anything like public place. In conse-
! quence renters OF cottages in Sioux Falls
are doing fourishing business.
! "The divorces find no difficulty in kill
ing time. The women are almost all
wealthy and interest themselves in CHART
able matters. The Baroness de Stuers,
who is now here at the Palmer has lived
at the hotel ever since she came to Sioux
Falls and has greatly endeared herself to
all the townspeople by her charitable
work.
Asked as to the identity of William
Elliott, who came to Chicago with the
baroness, Mr.. Corson hesitated. '.Well.
he's William Elliott and one of the best
| fellows l ever knew. He also lives
at the hotel and 1 think he's
second cousin of the baroness. He was
educated in England. His father, 1 be-
lieve, was native Of Poland and enorm-
| ously wealthy. The son is man of ele-
CANT leisure and doesn't care a snap for any
gossip or surmises about him that may be
! atioat in Sioux Falls. No, l don't think he
has any idea of marrying Madame de
! Stuers in case she gets divorce | am not
even certain that his name has been men
toned as that of correspondent in the
| case
"Mrs. James G. Blaine, jr., is one of the
1
the sympathy of all our citizens and this is
added to by her lameness. | don't think
there is the shadow of doubt but that she
will obtain her divorce. Her little child is
the image of its gradfather for whom, by
! the way, Mrs. Blaine seems to have a high
regard. 1t Is generally understood that
she blames her mother in-law for all the
trouble. Mrs. Blaine lives in a pleasant
little cottage of her own, appears to have a
comfortable supply of money, but is not
lavish with 1T, nor does she receive great
deal of company. l don't think there
is the slightest truth in the report that she
is being supplied with funds by New
York physician whom she is to marry In
case her suit is successful. A number of
applicants for divorce become actual
residents and remain after their suits are
finished. Those from England and other
fcf ign countries, however, usually return
home at once. presume almost ali the d.
yorces there at present have fresh matri-
monial alliances in view. Sometimes the
new marriages take place rather quickly
DIR. Bolton, a noted patent medicine man,
was married three days after he obtained
his divorce but on his return to the east
his first wife at once entered suit against
him for bigomy The condition of things
at Sioux Falls has given great field for
noyelists and even poets have found sub
jects. Henry Austin, the author Of 'Vaga-
band Verse; came out expressly to find
material for poems on love oddities"