The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-03-03
CARLOADS OF GIRLS.
The Novel Mission OF Man From the
Cherokee Strip.
VashiL gton Star

ed 10 settlement last september tne
vast majority Of those who participa
ted in the mad scramble for homes
were males. Still, there were few
brave hearted women who had the
courage to declare themselves the
equal of the sterner sex, physically,
as well as mentally, and who took
their places in the long line ON the
border of the promised land and
waited patiently for the signal for
the race to begin. They underwent
every hardship TO which the home
seekers were subjected, and neither
asked nor received favors. Many of
them won the prize for which they
contested against such great odds,
and it is a notable fact that as large
percentage of women as of men
succeeded in getting homes. Cities
were built in night, and in short
time the mushroom towns took on an
air of permanency. The excitement
and turmoil incident to the rush for
quarter sections and town lots gave
way to the ordinary quiet of every
day business, and the men who had
succeeded in getting one of Uncle
Sans homes began to look about
them for a wife to preside over it.
Maids and widows were scarce The
social side of life was lacking in that
one essential.
This was nowhere more noticeable
than in the prosperous little city of
Ponca, in which there is gathered as
industrious a population as the sun
ever shone upon To be sure, the
great majority of those who had
sought fortunes at Ponca were young
men who had no family ties to add
spice to their new homes.
THE IDEA PROPOSED.
One evening a short time ago it
happened that one of the few avail
able young women of Ponca received
an invitation from seven admirers at
the same time to attend party on
the same evening. Being sensible
girl and heart and fancy free, she
decided that it would be poor policy
on her part to show any fayoritism,
so she invited each Of the seven to
call at her boarding house on the
night of the ball. Each came dress
ed in his best, prepared to act as es-
cort to her. When all had assembled
in the parlor she informed them
pleasantly that as she did not wish
to appear to slight any of them, she
had decided to accompany the one
who should draw from her hand the
longest of the seven straws which
she held. This proposition met with
general favor and the drawing was
proceeded with. The fortunate win
ner of the prize accompanied the
young woman to the party and the
remaining six young men sought a
quiet room to talk over the girl fam
inc aud seek remedy. Most of the
night was spent in cons 'dering the
many schemes suggested. The out
come of it all was that it was decided
to send trusted agent to New Eng
land to induce some of the marriage
able female population of that region
to come to the new land of promise.
When the coterie of lovelorn young
men told their plans to their friends
they were received with enthusiasm
and no trouble whatever was expert
enced in raising the money necessary
to put them into execution. 1t was
decided to select a man who was an
acknowledged expert on the subject
of women to make the pilgrimage to
the east, and by common consent
Oscar Mills was selected for the del
icate mission.
OSCAR MILLS MISSION
The Star correspondent was for
tunate enough to meet Mr.. Mills as
he passed through Arkansas City,
with through ticket for Boston in
his pocket. He talked freely of the
business which was taking him to
the Hub and readily explained the
details of the scheme.
Il am going east" said he, ''for
two car loads of women for our
town. We needem and needle
bad. We want them to wash our
dishes, mend our clothes, wash our
shirts, sew on our buttons and, gen.
orally speaking, to make life endura-
BILE in our town. You see, it's this
way; We've got a regular woman
famine, that's what's the trouble. /
don't pretend to explain how it hap
pened that Ponca City was settled
by bachelors, but that is practically
the case. 1t is coincidence, l sup
pose. At any rate there is not more
than one woman to every twenty men
in our town, and they are generally
women who have their household
duties to keep them busy. We want
women to work as l have told you.
TO us this is no laughing matter,
and | will venture to say that no
man ever visited Boston on a more
serious mission than that which l
am going on. We are actually in
need of from 100 to $50 more women
in our town, and l am authorized to
offer inducements that will bring
them here. We won't give 'em a
house and lot TO start in on, or any
thing of that kind, but we will guar
antee them work at good wages.
why dol 60 to Boston for girlst
Well, I'll tell you. We might posi-
bly, get some in Kansas City that
would suit us, but in Chicago we
could not do much. We canvassed
that thoroughly before / left home
and concluded that it was best to &C
direct to Boston. The fact is, VIC
want an AL class of girls-pure New
England stock.
ITO be candid with you, sir, we are
going after these women with
view to marrying them, after
we get better acquainted with them
| am confident that many of them
will have offers of marriage before
they are ten days in Ponca. The
fact is | have six special orders fol
girls. Three are for blends not more
than 10 and Puritans; two are fol-
German American girls, and one is
for widow of 80. OF course, if ]
fill these orders at all it will be as q
friend to those who want the girls
and not as representative of Ponca
have the pictures Of the young mer
who gave me these orders in my va
lise, to show to the girls, should
find any to suit them who are WILLING