The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-09
sHlP-LoADs OF GIRLS.
They Went from Boston to Puget Sound
in 1865 and Married the Pioneers.

AAcy sschi from bostOn To EuSeI SOuu0
in 1865 and Married the Pioneers.
That is one of the Mercer girls. said
| Samuel Crawford. an old newspaper
man of Seattle. as he alluded to one of
the leading ladies of the city, digni-
fed matron of some sixty falls.
"A Mercer girl. unused the Transcript
correspondent: ''how long is girlhood
protracted in this part of the country?"
''Oh, | see You don't know the story
of how two ship-loads of Boston girls
came out to Puget sound thirty years
ago. Some of the wealthiest and most
| representative ladies of the older cities
| of this section, like Seattle and Olym-
pia. are those same plucky New En-
gland girls that came out and married
the pioneers. We always called them
the girls, for they were the first cargo
of sweetmeats ever freighted to these
shores There is no word but girls
of applying to them
This is the current historical account
of the singular conditions of early days
that led to the female exodus from Bos-
ton to Puget Sound in 1866: The first
settlers who undertook to develop the
country We're lumbermen from Maine
and the provinces. They were attract
ed to this new lumber region in the
early fifties Those first comers had
hard enough time getting themselves
here without thinking of bringing
wives or sending for sweethearts to fol-
low them. 1t took six months to come
overland or by ship around the Horn.
Life was hard, too. after they had ar
rived, for western Washington was
dense forest jungle. Home life was al
most unknown except to a few of the
pioneers who had taken unto them
selves squaw wives from the native
tribes. There was not half dozen
white women in the sound country in
the fifties.
Old man Mercer beheld with regret
the bad social condition of this young
community. He was humanitarian
philosopher. and a practical man
withal, and he conceived a great
scheme. Back in old Massachusetts,.
where he had come from. he knew
there were myriads of surplus girls
nice girls, pretty girls, educated girls
who only wanted a chance. He
would bring them out here and equal
ize things. So he went back to Bos-
ton. chartered a ship and fitted it up
comforta bly,. Then he advertised for
girls in the Boston papers. He set
forth the advantages of Puget sound as
a country for young ladies. School
"a 11npdad thara
makers would have new field. singers
and violin players could get big prices
for soirees and concerts-the abundance
of the male population from the first
families of New England and the Prov
inces was covertly hinted at.
The lads" drew. A sbip-load was
soon secured-sixty or more. Only "A
nominal charge of one hundred dollars
or two hundred dollars for the long
passage was made. The ship set sail
with only one young man aboard. aside
from the crew. 1t was his lifelong re-
gret that he was married Just before
.em parking on that six months voyage
In due time the ship arrived at Port
Townsend, near the entrance to the
sound. The news quickly spread up
the shores of the sound that MERGERS
girls were coming" and the ship was
heading for Seattle. thrill went
through the male community at Seat
tie. Every man that conld afford it
bought new suit OF clothes-or if he :
didn't have money enough for that he |
got a new pair of overalls or a blouse /
Everyone had on something new. As |
the ship came in sight they all thronged /
down 10 the wharf. Good old man 4
Mercer saw the tumult on the shore /
and the trcmulous frightened looks of /
the young ladies. and he stood up by !
the railing and addressed the hoodcos 4
on the dock
My men these Young ladies' are edu- !
Gated. refined. New England girls
They have came out TO this country 70 |,
follow some useful occupation. Some
are school, teachers, some dressmakers /
and some musicians. They viii make
nice, pleasant society for Us II any of /
you want them as wives you must go
d bout It in the good old way. and court !
them as Miles Stsndish won his Pris-
ella. or George Washington got MS
Lady Martha They will row come
ashore and 20 20 the various homes of
the white women where eparations
have been made 70 receive them :
relv upon sou as true New England
gentlemen 20 protect them and make 4;
pleasant for them Il was an m
studied but effective speech. and. ike
Patrick Hcnrys. il turned the current
Of popular feeling
CoBrtships were short those sEs-s.
bat doubtless correspoudingIy sweet
Every body meant business SOB al
were nlaTris.d-all but one. and she
fingered along iIii the roses had faded
fzoga her cheeks and 10 this day she is
LETT over. ~he was prettv girl. bot
had q bsd disposition. = sca captain
vas cosrting her lie invited. her ~
take . horsstszck ride ard t-vaghs TIE
oniy av4ilao ois l46y-s anIssszl IN tosrn.
the only good one having t>ecn Engaged
b. @gn3e Other feil0Ey The pretty bat
pouting giri reluctantly sn0unsesi me
5adesi- spsvfneei speed, During an
eoa<fs r5sis aroaEs slie t.ssgn ard along
he logging EaasAs sisr said not = word
70 issr lsgrer. lie newer came sv4sa-
: sseassssi ssslr-ls.aa of 4s~put sffE giFia
'sas 'Frought oat That isrFsSe up sd
Mercer. fie fssss esIezssseis loo spss ~
seFnsIe es1ns'ssIagssicszs. vseEgtss ~ sssae-
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