The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-07-28
WASHINGTON WIDOWS.
The Haven Par Exec uence for Di.
vorced People.
Census Figures Which Show That tho Ma.
tional Capital Carries On the Laurel
~ . Resort for Matrimonial
UnfOrtunates.

The funny writer's will have to re.
wise their jokes if the figures of the
census Office are correct. There is a
good deal of danger that the District
OF Columbia will soon be pointed at
throughout the country and cartooned
in the comic papers as the haven par
excellence for divorced people. For it
is fact, says the Washington News,
that the figures of the latest census
bulletin given to the public show that
Washington city has more people in it
per capita who have been through the
divorce court than has Chicago, that
hustling metropolis of the west, which
has worldwide reputation for the
cheapness and dispatch with which the
lawyers can render asunder the bonds
OF matrimony that were supposed to
be eternal when they were riveted at
the altar.
The figures that are reputed not to
lie are these: Chicago, with a popula-
tion of 1,O99, $50, has 1,64O men and
women in its limits who have been un-
married-that is, one divorced person
to every 67O of the population. The
District of Columbia, with population
OF 23O, ,392, has 46O-146 men and 314
women divorced people, or one in
every sol of the inhabitants. So the
District carries off the laurels. Still,
throughout the United States, there is
one divorced person for every $50 of
population. But while this is a start
ling statement, there are number of
other communities that surpass the Dis
trict in this respect. The little puri-
tanical state of Vermont, for instance,
with population of 376, $50 has 1850
people who had to seek legal separation
in order to keC peace in the family.
Virginia evideAtly has climate better
adapted to domestic peace than has the
District, for while it has seven times
the number of inhabitants, it contains
slightly less than four times as many
divorced couples as does the capital
Maryland shows up still more staid, for
its population is four and half as large
as that of the District, though it has
less than twice the number of divorced
people as has the latter.
There is another peculiar thing about
the district-its percentage Of married
people is less than that which prevails
throughout the country. Taking the
United States at large and nearly 36
per cent. of the inhabitants are
married. In the district less than 33
per cent. have ventured upon wedlock.
But more alarming than any of these
figures is the presence of widows in
the District. There are actually 1899
widows here-dashing or otherwise
or one for every 1615 of the population.
This figure appears to be very large
when it is considered that throughout
The United States the number of both
men and women who have lost their
partners in life do not number more
han one to every twenty-one of the in
labitants. Yet in the District the |
Widows alone move around in society |
1t the ratio of one to sixteen and one
lalf.
An interesting study is brought up
n the effort to discover why it is that |
he District has more than its share Of |
divorced people, widows and unmarried |
inhabitants. 1t is answered very easily |
~ the sim pie fact that one-half of the
employees of the government are
women. There are great numbers of |
Widows of soldiers who were killed in
he war who have sought this city and
'een successful in securing lucrative
appointments. Then there
re thousands of young ladies who get
'laces in the departments and con-
lude that it is better to hold them
han to give their hearts to some fell
ow whose salary in their estimation is
lot more than enough to support
themselves. The divorced people get
here in pretty much the same way.
Women shorn of the protection and
upport of their erstwhile husbands
ave tried their fortunes in the capital
nd in many instances been able to
ecure desks in the government work
hops.
1