Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-01
poNoA,s WOMAN FAMINE.
New England Girls to be Sent West to Be-
come the Wives of Settlers.


Oscar Mills few days ago passed
through Kansas City ON his way to
Boston to get number of women for
Ponca, of tine Cherokee Strip. The ex.
element and turmoil incident to the
rush for quarter sections and town lots
when that territory was opened has
given way to the ordinary quiet of
everyday business, and tho men who
have succeeded in getting one of Uncle
Sans homes have begun to look about
them for a wife to preside over it. Maids
and widows are scarce. The social side
of life is lacking in that one essential.
This was nowhere more noticeable
than In the prosperous little city of
Ponca, in which there is gathered as in
dustrious population as the sun ever
shone upon, declares the Washington
Star 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.
One evening short time ago it hap.
pened that one of the few available
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
favortism, 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 rs 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 10
accompany the one who should draw
from her hand the longest of the seven
straws which she held. This PROPOSE
tion met with general favor and the
drawing was proceeded with. The
fortunate winner of the prize accom-
panied the young woman to the party,
and the remaining six young men
sought u quiet room to talk over the
girl famine and seek remedy Most
of the night was spent in considering
the many schemes suggested. The out
come of it all was that it was decided to
send trusted agent to New England to
induce some of the surplus manageable
female population of that region to
come to the new land of promise.
| When this coterie of lovelorn young
men told their plans to their friends
they were received with enthusiasm,
and no trouble whatever was expert
enced iE raising the money necessary to
| put them into execution. 1t was de-
cided to select man who was an ac-
knowledged expert on the subject of
women to make the pilgrimage to the
east, and by common consent Oscar
Mills was selected for the delicate mis-
sion.
Il am going east" said he to re.
porter, for two carloads of women for
our town. We need 'em and need 'em
bad. 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. don't pretend to explain
how it 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 20 men in our town, and they are
generally women who have their house
hold 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 l am going on. We are
actually in need of from 100 to 150 more
women in our town, and / am author
lied to offer inducements that will bring
them here. We wont give EN- house
and lot to start in or anything of that
kind, but we will guarantee them work
at good wages.
ITO be candid with you, sir, we are
going after these women with view to
marrying them after we get better ac-
quainted 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 for girls. Three are for blondes
not more than 10, and Puritans; two
are for German American girls, and one
is for widow of 80. OF course, if
fill these orders at all it will be as a
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 l find any to
suit them who are willing to come to
Ponca. / understand that many of the
factories of New England are closed
and that 1t will be very easy matter to
get choice lot of young women who
are willing to come to the west on such
. Inducements as | am authorized to offer
| ihem ~