Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-06-22
SHIP-LoADS OF GIRLS.
They Went from Boston to Puget Sound
In 1903 and Married the PIoncers.

hhey went from bOstOn TO Iuget SOUND
In 1868 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-
fled 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 plucly New En-
gland girls that came out and married
the pioneers. We always called them
the girls, for they were the first cargo
of sweetmcats ever freighted To these
shores. There Is no word but girls
that the old pioneers could ever think
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 tn Puget Sound in 1866: The first
settlers who undertook TO develop the
country were lumbcrmcn from Maine
and the provinces. They were attract
ed to this new lumber region in the
early fiftics. Those first corners had
hard enough time getting themselves
here without thinking OF bringing
wives or sending for sweethcarts 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 a
dense forest jungle. Home life was al
most unknown except TO few OF the
pioneers who had taken unto them
selves squaw wives from the native
tribes. There was not half n dozen
white women in the sound country in
the fifties.
Old man Mercer beheld with regret
the bad social condition of this young
community. lie was humanitarian. "a
philosopher, and practical man
withnl, 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 chance. lie
would bring them out here and equal
ize things. So he went back To los
ton, chartered a ship and fitted IL up
comfortably. Then he advertised for
girls in the Boston papers. lie set
forth the advantages of Puget sound as
country for young ladies. School
teachers were needed there. dress
makers would have a new field. SINGERS
and violin players could ret big prices
for soirees and conccrts-the abundance
of the male populntion from the FIRST
families of New ENGLAND and tbe Prov.
inccs ,vns covertlv limited nj
The ads" drew. A ship-load WINS
soon securcd-siytv or more. Only "A
nominal charge of one hundred dollars
or two hundred dollars for the lone
passage WINS made. The shin set saii
with only one young man aboard. aside
from the crew. II was his lifelong re-
pret that he was married lust before
embnrlxinp ON that six months yovnge.
In dine time the shin arrived AT Port
Townsend. near the entrance 10 the
sound. The news micl,lv spread mn
the shores of the sonnd that "NI.rc,rs
girls were coming" and the shin was
heading for seattle. A thrill won't
through the male community at seat
tie. Every man that could afford n
honght II new suit NJ clotbes-o, ~ hc
didn't have money enough for that he
rot a new pair of oyernIis or n blouse.
Everyone had ON something new As
the ship came in sight they all thronped
down TO the wharf. Good old man
Mercer saw the tumult on the shore
and the tremulous frightened looks of
the young ladies', and he stood up by
the railing and addressed the hoodoos
on the dock.
'My men. these young ladies are edu-
Gated. refined. New England girls
They have cnme ont IN This conrt,.,, 20