The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-20
DAGO N)B[EAAN SUES
Sold His Title to an Ambitious
American Girl.
FOR HARD AMERICAN CASH
Got the Girl all Right, But
Has Never Seen the Coin.

New York. Oct. Is.1The Journal says:
At last the American public has an op-
portunity 10 learn exactly with what rms
and conditions a European nobleman sells
himself in marriage % an American girl.
The italian Marquis Luigi Carcano has
value of his name. When he married Miss
! Caroline Soren, an American girl. her
mother, Mrs. Emily Merriam. contracted
70 pay him $4,000 within certain period.
The payment, 1, Is alleged, was no, nlad..
That is why the Marquis Is bringing an
action against the estate OF Mrs. Merriam,
who Is dead.
This marriage was purely business
contract in which the consideration Oh :, e
side was title. on the other t!o.y0l The
bridegroo had ar anc.en. utle for sale
He WIS willing 20 share IT with a wife for
$50, Godfather & low price The brides
mother agreed TO pay THAI sum 20: -
The extraordinary legal document in
which this bargain vas made has jWt
been on exhibition in me Boz. 70 Superior
Court. This is certainly the first time
that the vast majority Of Americans have
had al opportunity 70 SCI eyes on such
a document. II is well known that meIy
bargains OF this nature have been made,
but II Is Still shocking 20 read one Of them
set forth in such cod blooded ter m
That a marriage contracted on such
terms should end in a Lawsuit is not sur
pris!ng. The marriages Of American sir's
with foreign noDlemen hav9 often ended
in unhappiness. misery and disgrace.
When one reads this document one read
lily understands why this is go.
The basis OF a true American maria ge
is mutual love and devotion. The tasis
of marriage between an American wo-
man and a foreign nobleman IS a title
and a fortune. It is not egotistic to point
out these things. They are the natural
and inevitable results OF a better IN >ory
of government and a consequently bet
ter understanding of the rights OF human
nature.
In European countries II is considered
natural and proper for an Impoverished
nobleman to sell his name and title IN
marriage TO a low-born woman. To Amer
lean eyes such transaction can only Gp-
pear disgraceful and unnatural
The American mother in this case was
Mrs Emily Merriam, a descendant Of an
eminently respectable Puritan family of
Massachusetts, and one OF the loveliest and
richest bellies of Boston seventy-five years
ago. She married John Merriam. of Lex
ington, Mass, and had two children A
few years after the marriage her husband
died, and she married George f Soren, of
Brooklyn. Two children were the result
Of this marriage. IT was not happy I'M
ion, and in 1867 a separation was arrang-
ed. the wife taking her former husbands
name.
Mrs. Merriam was never contented in
America after this unpleasantness. She
took her favorite daughter, Caroline Sor-
en-. to Europe to complete her education.
She intended to be abroad a year but she
never lived in this country afterwards.
She became charmed with Italy-its eli
mate and society-and settled there
The history Of Mrs Merriam is typical
OF those Americans who become dissatis-
fed with their native land and prefer Eu-
rope to 1t.
Caroline S0ren was strlking1y handsome,
and she was reputed an heiress. One day
at a reception in Milan the Marquis Luigi
Carcano was introduced to her. The Mar
quis's family was one of the best and old
est in Bombariy with estates in Desio,
just outside Milan
Imagination pictures the courtly Marquis
proposing marriage in passionate language
and at the same time delicately intimating
the consideration he was willing to accept.
His terms were agreed 20.
Three DAYS before the marriage Mrs Mer-
Ram agreed 10 settle upon the Marquis
the sum of 10000 Italian lire equal to
about S30.oo0 That was on August II. 1877.
and the payment was TO be made five
years from that date II certain conditions
mentioned were arrang One Of these
was the sale of specified lands in Cam
bridge. Mass
Il is necessary 20 read the very words
Of the contract to appreciate fully the
nature Of this bargain:
I'm consideration 81 the marriage Mrs.
Emily Clark (widow Soren) settles upon
her daughter. Caroline Nackev-Soren. as
hes marriage portion. The sum OF Italian
lire, one hundred and fifty thousand Ut.