The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-01-21
RATIFIED HIS GIRLS.
NOVEL SCHEME OF A FINLAND FARM
Err IN WISCONSIN,.

ER IN WISCONSIN.
He was Desperately in Debt and to Get
Out He Conducted a Lottery with
Three Daughters for the Prizes-Tho
Drawing an Amusing Scene.
The Finnish settlement, few miles
south of Maple, Wis, has been in
state of great excitement over a re-
markable succession of events. 1nere
are about two hundred residents in the
settlement-all farmers, thrifty and
nearly all in comfortable circumstan-
ces. There is large surplus of un-
married young men in the community
and a scarcity of marriageable young
women, so that every female old
enough to be courted receives the at
tentions of from one to a dozen rival
lovers. A widower named Hanes Dorf-
kie is one of the settlers, and has been
living, since the death of his wife, with
three pretty daughters in a little log
house somewhat removed from the
main settlement. Lately Dorfkie met
with number of reverses which Grip
Piled him financially, so that while his
neighbors saw plenty on hand the old
man saw starvation looking into the
faces of himself and three daughters.
Something must be done and the wary
cid Finlander set to thinking out a
scheme for replenishing his depleted
excbequer.
The old man, Dorfkie, held a confer
ence with his three daughters, and un-
folded to them his plan for making
money. He proposed at first to have
an auction, and to sell them, one by
one, to the highest bidder, but the
young women shrank from such bar
borous suggestion, though they signi-
fed their willingness to acquiesce in
any legitimate scheme of money max.
ing that the father might devise. At
last the old gent thought it might be
good scheme to have rattle, and SO
informed the three dutiful young wo-
men.
So it was whispered about the neigh
borhood that Farmer Dorfkie had de-
cided to rattle off his daughters. and
the day later the whisperings were
confirmed, for Mr.. Dorfkie himself ap-
peared among the people with a bas-
ketful of pasteboard cards, upon each
of which the information was con-
tanned that the holder thereof was en-
titled to one chance on ona or another
of the three maidens fair. The tickets
went like hot cakes at 81 apiece, and
within few days the loving father
had exchanged his basketful of paste
boards for like measure of shining
silver and gold.
The day c. me for the great event
ard the sehOolhouse was packed to
the outer door with men, women and
ch .ldren. Two hundred and fifty tick
cts upon each girl had been
sold, and the arrangements was
that each prize should be dis
poged of separately under the aus
pices of a committee selected out of
the audience. Tickets numbered to
correspond with those sold were placed
in one box and another box contained
249 blanks and one number marked
Prize" 4wo young girls were then
selected to preside over the boxes, and
the drawing commenced, the tickets
being removed from both BOXES stimuli
taneously until the lucky number drew
the prize. For half an hour the audi
ence sat in suspense, while the two
girls slowly withdrew the numbers
and compared them, under the vigilant
eyes of the committeeman. but at last
the number lis was responded to by
the exclamation 'Prize!" and the first
rattle was over. Then followed wild
skirmish for the holder of the lucky
ticket, and when found he was carried
to the front over tfe heads of the good
natured crowd. The holder of the
winning ticket proved to be thrifty
young man Of the settlement, who had
long sought fef ting hand of the eld-
est daughter Hulda, whose husband he
was now to become.
Next came the rattle for the second
daughter, a rosy-cheeked lass of twen-
ty-two summers. This time the win
ming ticket was held by one of the
richest men in the town, but unfortu-
nately, he was a married man with
| large family. This caused long delay
| in the proceedings, during which the
entire audience entered into heated
| discussion as to what disposition
| should be made of tbs ticket, but it
was finally agreed that the lucky num-
| be: should besold at auction then and
| thele. This was done, and, after con-
| siderable bidding. Miss Minnie, the sec
ond daughter, became the prospective
| bride of q middle-9ged widower, who
/ paid $50 for ths p izs.
Then came the raffls for the young
est daughter, and things were PRO-
crossing smoothly enough, when an er-
lor was discovered which caused a
bitter alteration between two ticket
holders, and came near precipitating
a free-for-all fight among the specta-
tors. Through carelessness the win
| ming numb6r had been duplicated. and
there were two claimants for the hand
| of daughter No. 3. AT length q gen.
eral row was averted, however, by the
adoption of a happy suggestion. The
TWO claimants resorted to a game of
freeze out" for determination of the
matter, and for two hours they sat at
j. card table, surrounded by an excited
crowd of friends. manipulating the
iasteboards for a brids, Slowly the
tack of chips in front of the unlucky
player dwindled to a paltry few, and
1t last his opponent swept the board,
and the game was decided in favor of
A young man named Gustav Johnson,
Who labors by the day on the farm of
lis father.
Frue to their promise the three
daughters allowed themselves to be
ed to the altar by the three lucky
Winners.