Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-06
TWO CARLOADS OF GIRLS
The Novel Mission of Man From tn,
Cherokee Strip
He IL Going to Boston for House.
some Bachelors of the Southwest.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Feb. 3, 1894.
When the Cherokee strip was opened to
Settlement last September the vast ma
jorty of those who participated 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
we'll as mentally, and who took their places
In the long lines on the border of the prom
ised land and waited patiently for the sig
nal for the race to begin. They underwent
every hardship to which the home seekers
were subjected. and neither asked nor re-
ceived favors. Many of them won the prize
for which they contested against such
great odds, and it is a notable fact that
as large a percentage of women of men
succeeded in getting homes. Cities were
built in a night. and in a short time the
mushroom towns took on an air of per-
manency. The excitement and turmoil in
town lots gave way to the ordinary quiet
of everyday business, and the men who
had succeeded in getting one of Uncle Sam s
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 nttle city OF HOncd, 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 fortune 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 IL happened
that one of the few available young women
of Ponca received an invitation from seven
admirers at the same time to attend a
party on the same evening. Being a SEN
sible girl and heart and fancy free. she de-
cided that it would be poor policy on her
part to show any favoritism, SO she invited
each of the seven to call at her boarding
house on the night of the ball. Each came
dressed in his best, prepared to act as es-
cort to her. When all had assembled in the
parlor she informed them pleasantly that
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 winner of the prize accompanied
the young woman to the party and the Re
naming six young men sought a quiet
room to talk over the girl famine and seek
a remedy. Most of the night was spent in
considering the many schemes suggested.
The outcome of il all was that it was de-
cided to send d trusted agent to New Eng
land TO induce some of the surplus mar
riageable female population of that region
to come TO the new land of promise.
When this cote-ie of lovelorn young men
told their plans to their friends they were
received with enthusiasm and no trouble
whatever was experienced in raising the
money necessary to put them into execu-
ton. 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 delicate mission.
Oscar Mills Mission.
The Star correspondent was fortunate
enough to meet Mr.. Mills as he passed
through Arkansas City, with a 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
am going east" said he, for two car
loads OF women for our town We need
EN- and need 'em bad. We want them IN
wash our dishes, mend our clothes wash
our SHIRTS, sew on our buttons and gen
orally speaking, TO make life endurab!e in
our town. You see. it's this way: We've
got regular woman famine THAT'S what's
the trouble. / don't pretend to explain how
1t happened that Ponca City was settled
nearly altogether by bachelors but that Is
practically the case. 1t is a coincidence
suppose. 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 keen
them busy. We want women to work as
have told you.
To us this is no laughing matter and
Will venture to say that no man ever Wis
ltcd Boston on a more serious mission than
that which am going on. We are actually
In need Of from 100 to $50 more women in
our town and l am authorized to offer in
ducements that will bring them here We
won't give 'em house and lot to start
In on or anything of that kind, but we
VIII guarantee them work at good wages
why do L go to Boston for girls? Well,
I'll tell you. We might possibly get some
ia Kansas City that would suit us, but in
Chicago We could not do much. We can
vassed that thoroughly before l left home
and concluded that it WAS best to go direct
to Boston. The fact is We want an Al
class of girls-pure New England stock.
To be candid with you, sir, we are going
after these women with a view to marry
ing them after we get better acquainted
with them. l 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 for girls. Three are
for blondes not more than 10 and Puritans;