Omaha daily bee., 1893-01-10
IMPORTING WIVES.
Manner In Which Manitoba Settlers Got
Hclpmatcs.

III NnlCn hanltODa SettleTS SOt
Hclpmatcs.
"Not many years ago | was in the
wholesale matchmaking business, said
an ex-otiicer of the army to a Washing
ton Star reporter. 1T was mntchmak-
ing of the matrimonial kind. At that
time, in 1879 and 1880, Manitoba was
being opened to settlement and there was
n rush of colonists thither from Ontario
and Quebec and from Great Britain.
The settlers were mostly men. Some
of them had families and would send for
them as soon as they got somewhat
fixed, but very many were bachelors.
They were making homes for them
selves, and naturally they found that
they needed wives. Not II few of them
were sons of English farmers and nearly
all were respectable and hard-w orking
fellows.
''1hey could not afford to go and get
wives, and so helpmeets had to be i'm
ported for them. Young women, guar
anteed as to respectability, were
brought over from England in great
numbers, and this business rapidly
grew to be an important branch of the
immigration traffic. One philanthropic
lady in England devoted her attention
toA 1pciting homeless but worthy girls
by the ship load to Quebec, whence
Trains would come into ST. Boni-
face, across the river from Winnipeg,
bringing two or three car loads of
available wives at time. They were
chaperoned with due regard to propriety
and were consigned to the land and
mining agents, where suitable quarters
were provided for their temporary ac
commodaticn. The accommodation was
very temporary because they were soon
disposed Of.
1.-THE settlers who were bachelors ap-
we're brought in. Their applica-
tions were not considered unless they
| were properly guaranteed as to charac-
ter and ability to support wife. Few
| of them came to Winnipeg from a
shorter distance than $50 miles. Most
commonly they were certified by letters
from land agents stating that John
Smith, for example, was located on such
and such tract OF land, was the owner
of 800 horses WAS sound and kind, and
so forth On making formal npplIca-
tion for a wife John Smith was
asked what sort OF woman he pre-
ferred-whether blonde or brunette,
tall or short, plump or thin, etc. Hav-
ing stated his preferences he was intro
duced to one of the available ladies,
whereupon matters were quickly ar
ranged. A remarkable point was that
no suitor had ever to be introduced to a
second girl. Invariably he was content
with the first one and Immediately mar
led her. Apparently the men consid-
cred that when they had gone 80 far as
an introduction they had committe
themselves irretrievaply.
I'm this way, by a process of artificial
selection, myself and other persons Of
fcially in charge at Winnipeg made
matches by Wholesale. The young
women were given free transportation,
of course, the object being to make
homes in Manitoba and thus secure the
settlement Of the country. Incidentally
the natural increase of the population
was provided for. l remember one
man who drove over 700 miles to get q
wife. He was present when trair
load of girls arrived and spotted the
young woman he wanted otfhand.
Within seven minutes after the train
came in the pair were united in matri
mony and the bridegroom started away
with his bride in IA blackboard wagon.