The evening times., 1897-12-02
FATHER BADE GIRLS MARRY
"Before December LIST or Leave
My Home," Said He.
THE FOUR THEN LEFT HIN
Jacob Burkhart, OF st. Louis. Be
lieves in Raising His Family On
Business Principles, Bat His Ell
fort to Apply Tnem to His Spirited
Daughters Has Not Succeeded.

st. Louis, Dec. 2.-'FOr rent, three
rooms" This is the sign that hangs On
the house, at No. 4511 North Twentieth
street, occupied by Jacob Burkhart. The
vacant apartments are due to the perm1-
nent absence from home of Mr. Burkhart's
four daughters, Ella, Laura, Lotta, and
Mrs. Emma Godfrey.
girls that they would have to get married
by December 1. 1897, or quit the house.
The young women did not find husbands.
Now they are living apart from the stern
father in pretty little flat, at No. 21O2
Obear avenue.
Burkllart is a widower, and lived with
his four grown daughters IN the North
Twentieth street house, comfortable
seven-rocm dwelling. He Is a retired
business man. The girls stayed at home.
were popular, and entertained frequently.
Several eligible young men called at the
house, but somehow the wedding bells did
not ring. The father got impatient.
~ believe IN raising family on busi-
ness principles" he said. Il don't believe
In forcing girls to marry, but at the
same time. I do not care TO see them
charges on their parents all their lives
The young men nowadays do too much
courtinc. These skits, with their hail
parted in the middle, fine clothes and
sweet manners, do not seem to mean busi-
ness"
Since the I'D mans ultimatums to his
daughters they have received several
proposals of marriage, but the suitors were
not acceptable. The old man entered the
parlor late one night two months ago
One Of his daughters was entertaining
young man. The father concluded to have
q business talk with the fellow.
"Youug man. he said, lit seems to
me thatif youcare asmuch form y daughter
as you pretend, you ought to get marrid
to her. It's pretty late In the evening for
you to be Pr ying purely social CALL"
The daughter, it is said, did not like
the remark; neither did the young MIN.
There was a disagreement, and tlen 'L-
owed the famous Burkhart order, that
the "big four" Of tue family must take
unto themselves companions for life, for
better or for worse, by December l, or
find another abode.
II am all alone now" said MT. Burk-
hart, today. MY daughters have left re.
! don't know where they have gene. Oh.
the girl s are all right, only Ella has little
too much mouth. 1 thought it was hest
for them that they get married. Perhaps
they think otherwise. At any rate. they
preferred quitting me to making ma.ri-
monial contracts.
II understand that they have had lots
of proposals since all this fuss about my
ultimatum was made by the newspapers.
Ella, think, had a proposal or two before
she left, but didn't see her name in the
Thanksgiving list Of licenses. Yes. l no
ticed tine big number of divorces applied
for today, but that doesn't change my
opinion about marriage. It's easy to get
married. The trouble is to lie mated.
MY girls had plenty of time to make
selections. They knew my views all
along. 1 shall remain in this house for
the winter. don't know what I will 90
in the spring. Iguess 1 can manage to get
alcng without the children"
Burkbart is in cornforta bie circumstances.
He has homestead rights to the house he
lives In, but at his death the property will
go to the daughters. Burkhart decided the
house and lot To his wife, and at her death
she Wliicu ~ 10 tue CuuuIeu.
There are alSo three grown sons in
the family, but they do not live at home.
One of them IL married.
The young women apparently are hap
PLY located in the Obear avenue hOnse.
The flat is neatly furnished, and the
new order of things seems to satisfy
the four girls, who rejected matrimonial
offers and gave up comfortable home.
1--WE re not worried over the situa-
tion," said ole of them. I'VE have
nice little house; can go and come as
We please; have company, and not he
subject to parental Interference. When
the time comes We will consider the best
of our numerous proposals. We're all
young yet"
Ella car. get married any time, but since
her father set the limit at December l,
she, more for spite than anything else. re-
fused to be led to tie altar by that date.
She wants to be free to chcose her we'd
ding day, and she would not tell the old
man when he asked for the Information
when she was going to renounce single
blessedness. She is obstinate, and will
have her own way.
Ella is twenty years old; Laura, eight
cen; Mrs. Godfrey, a widow, twenty-thrsc,
and Lotta, twenty-five.