Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-02-15
THE IDEA PROPOSED.

family ties to add spice to their new
homes.
THE IDEA PROPOSED.
One evening a short time ago it hap
pened that one of the few available
young women of Ponca received an in
vitation 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 IL
would be poor policy on her part to
show any favoritsm, so she Invited
each of the seven to call at her board
ing house on the night of the ball.
Each came dressed in his best, prepared
to act as escort 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 sevsn straws which she
held. This proposition net with gen.
era favor and the drawing was pro-
ceeded with The fortunate winner Of
the prize accompanied the young woman
to the party and the remaining six
young men sought quiet room TO talk
over the girl famine and seek remedy.
Most of the night was spent in
considering the many schemes suggest
ed. The outcome of IL all was that 1t
was decided to send a trusted agent to
New England to induce some of the
marriageable female population Of that
region to come to the new land Of prom
Use.
When this cOterie 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 execution. 1t was decided
to select a man who was an acknOwl-
edged expert on the subject OF women
to make the pilgrimage to the east, and
by common consent Oscar Mills was Sc
lected for the delicate mission.
OSCAR MILLS MISSION.
The Star correspondent was fortunate
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 ex-
planned the details of the scheme
~ am going east" said he, "for two
car loads OF women for our town. We
need 'em and need 'em bad. We want
them to wash our dishes, mend our
clothes, wash our shirts, sew on our
buttons and, generally speaking, to
make life endurable In our town. You
see, it's this way: We've got regular
woman famine, that's what's the
trouble. l don't pretend to explain how
10 happened that sPonca CITY was set
tied by bachelors, but that is practically
the case. 1t Is a coincidence, l sup
pose. At any rate there is not more
than one woman TO every twenty men
10 our town, and they are generally
women who have their household duties
to keep them busy. We want women TO
work as have told you.
ITO US this IS no laughing matter,
and l will venture to say that no man
ever visited Boston on more serious
mission than that which | am going on.
We are actually in need Of from 100 10
$50 more women in our town, and / am
authorized IN offer inducements that
will bring them here. We won't give
'em house and lot to start In on, or
anything OF that kind, but we will guar
antee them work az good wages.
"Why do | so TO Boston for girls?
Well, I'll tell you. We might possibly
get some in Kansas City that would suit
Us, but in Chicago we could not do
much. We canYassed that thoroughly
before | left home, and concluded that
it was best 10 go direct to Boston. The
fact is, wo 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 &C
that many Of them will have offers Of
marriage before they are ten days in
Ponca. The fact is I have six special
orders for girls. Three are for blondes
not more than 10 and Pnritans; two are
for German-American girls, and one is
for a widow Of 30. OF course, II iii
these orders at all il will DE as friend
to those who want the girls, and not as
a representative of Ponca. / have
the pictures of the young men
who gave me these orders in
my valise, to show to the girls,
should fnd any to suit them who are
willing TO come 20 Ponca. I under
stand that many Of the factories Of
New England are closed and that il
will be a very easy matter to get a
choice lot of young women who are
willing TO come to the west on such in
ducements as 1 am authorized TO offer
them"
At this point in this highly interest
ing conversation Mr. Mills was inter-
rupted, by the cry of the conductor,
call aboard" and saying hasty good
byh he swung himself on to the plat
form OF the Pullman car and started on
L L .,-s~ua r,fcSinn