Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-08-07
WIVES SOLD CHEAP.
LOVELY MAIDS OF NEW GUINEA
BOUGHT FOR AN Ak APIECE.

adventure OF an American Scientist "
Among the Papuans- How = Brave
Native Lover Earned a spouse = A =
Pressing Invitation to Marry. Z
Such opportunities for matrimony as
we're offered me In New Guinea few
Years ago | never expect 10 enjoy again. {
My Journey through the island of the
Papuans was made for the purpose OF
collecting specimens of all sorts. such as I
n naturalist seeks To gather, bat the .
people themselves are the must interest.
ing savages have ever met. The men
and children 20 about entirely naked,
while the women wear only short grass
petticoats | employed young black
fellow named Raboor to help me III my
work His hair was n bush of kinky
fuzz and stood up on his head in a mass
as big as half bushel measure t
fonnd ont that he was in loye, but he
admitted with sigh that he WAS too |
poor To marry tue girl Of his choice.
'You are young and strong said |.
why do yen not GO TO work and earn
enough To support yourself and your
sweetheart
You do not understand" he replied
IL have good garden that would sup
ply what food We wanted; besides. can
throw the. spear further and trner 10 riIe
mark than any other man in this dis
trict, 80 that | can get plenty of kan.
garoes and pigs. But they will not buy
the girl Her mother wants ml ax for
her, and that | cannot grow in my gar
den or hunt in the forest with my
spear"
The poor fellow groaned. made several
despairing remarks on his prospective
mother-n.law. and finally said that If
he did not love tho young woman 50
dearly he would 10 away and never
come back again.
HELPING NATIVE To MARRY.
But my boy, yon need not despair. .
said l. ..If the possession of an AK will
secure your happiness | will give you
one | want my paradise bird. for III
my country people think more Of them
than Of axes If YOU will help me get
as many birds with the long pluines ~
you have fingers On both hands you
shall-hlve ln AK on the day we get the
last one, =
He accepted this proposition delight.
! edly. At length, with his assistance,
the ten good birds were procured and
the ax earned. was present when
Raboor bought his wife with it, They
were married the following evening, the
ceremony being concluded with a wild
dance and singing by chorus Of girls.
; As we were preparing our dinner on,
$ afternoon "a utter and giggle wer,
i waited to our ears. Looking around ",
behrld Loher in the midst of a group O
:. = fifteen ur twenty girls. many nf them 0
superior beauty, who We're laughing an,
!, peering al rs over each others shoulders
!. They all wore flowers in their hair an,
|, bands Of green leaves adorned thei
Z arms and ankles. Each maiden had ol
o her best striped petticoat and some wor
necklaces of dogs teeth.
2 At length Lohier, one Of my recen
!. guides, stepping forward said that Ii
! had been u long way had visited tin
biggest towns OF his country and ha,
Q brought back with him the most beau
Il tiful women Of his nation. He hope,
> we would each select one that woul,
please US, marry her and settle down il
, New Guinea The parents of some 0
y the girls had come also and were stand
:, ing in the background. Our friend "a
Il planned to as That the prices We're high
/. as they were the finest girls IN the land
Il LINING Up FOR PROPOSALS.
y He arranged them all i'll gigglin
= line. that they might be seen To the bes
y advantage. Beginning with the iira
- he told their names and gave their diffel
= ent accomplishments.
= noticed a beautiful girl whom ina
met while ont shooting among the nun
70 ber of maidens, and | was anxious |
y hear what Loher would say Of her. Sh
still wore the string Of beals had give
e, her. and looked rs pretty and modest a
violet When he came To her he sait
= This is Lucena Is She not lovel,
Her arms are round as bamboo. h.
40 form is supple as the climbing vine. he
v skin is smooth ~ young banana lea
N her hair is soft rs spiders webs; h,
d. ewes are bright as dew IN the morning
She can sing like bird and run fast
"A kangaroo. she Is a good housekeepe
4. an affeetionate daughter and com,
p from a good family. for her father is
= great warrior
=. a The value set upon the beauty was u
q AK, knife, piece Ut calico and a strin
TO of beads We stood admiring her, an
II Lohier Thought he had made a bargain
We realized that the affair might tur
to out seriously, perhaps, but we turnt
u the matter of by declaring that we wei
u unable to make choice among 80 man
=. lovely Creatures and proceeding TO di
y. tribute presents literally. To most I
ne the girls we gave gay colored handke
nd chiefs. with brass ring and a bra
ed button in each To Lncena we offers
iy y looking glass and the young womt
danced for our amusement while We a
our dinner. aud siang a song, which tbs
, composed as they Went along, desert
ing the whole scene aud eomplimentiu
ms us upon our generosity. Toward eyel
he ing they babe us goodby and started 4
,le their homes Fish Commissioner She