St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-02-12
An AUCTION FOR wivEj.

AN AUCTION FOR WIVES.
A Il was Held In the Old Colonial
Days of Virginia
From the earliest settlement OF the
colonies there has always been defe9
in the distribution of women In this
country. 1t il Q historical fact that,
while one section has always suffered
from an embarrassment OF riches. an
other has pined in needless privation.
At the outset of American colonization
the wilderness was hungry for men to
till it, and thousands of the idle laborers
of London and Bristol poured into the
new Ell Dorado.
Robert Beverly, in his History OF Vir.
ginia," published in 1705 and 1722, says:
sThose that went over to that country
first were chiefly single men. who had
not the incumbrance of wives and chill
dren in England; and, nthey had, they
did not expose them to the fatigue and
hazard of so long voyage, until they
saw how it should fare with themselves.
Hence it came to pass that when they
were settled there in comfortable way
OF supporting family, they grew sensi-
ble of the misfortune of wanting wives,
and such as had left wives in England
sent for them, but the single men were
put to their shifts.
"Under this difficulty they had no
hopes but that the plenty in which they
lived might invite modest women OF
small fortunes to go over thither from
England. However, they would not re-
ceive any but such as could carry suf-
ficient certificate of their modesfy and
good behavior. Those, if they were but
moderately qualified in all other re-
spccts, might depend upon marrying
well in those days, without any fortune
Nav, the first planters were so far from
expecting money with woman that
twas a common thing for them to buy
deserving wife that carried good tes-
timonials of her character, at the price
of G100, and make themselves believe
they had a bargain.
"In one year Sir Edwin provided pas
sage for 1851 new emigranfs. Among
these were 90 agreeable young women.
poor but respectable. to furnish wives
to the colonists. This new commodity
was transported at the expense OF the
colony, and sold to the young planters
and the following year another consign-
nent was made of 60 young maids OF virs
tuous education, young, handsome and
! well recommended. A wife in the first
lot sold generally for 100 pounds OF to-
bacco. but as the value of the new article
became known in the market the price
rose, and a wife would bring15o pounds
of tobacco. A debt for wife waa Of
higher dignity than other debts and tc
be paid first"
| In q letter still in existence. dated
London, August 21, 1921, and directed
to worthy colonist of that settlement,
the writer says:
I'VE send you in the ship one widow
and II maids for wives for the people OF
Virginia. There hath been especial care
had in the choice of them, for there
hath not one of them been received but
upon good recommendations
I'm case they cannot be presently
married we desire that they may be put
with several householders that have
wives"
| But the writer of this epistle had
little reason to fear that any OF the
"p,aidens faire" would be left over. The
archives of Virginia prove that these
first cargoes Of young ladies were put
up at auction beneath the green trees
of Jamestown, where probably the most
anxious and interested crowd OF auc-
ton habitues ever known in the history
of the world were gathered, and sold for
12O pounds of leaf tobacco each, and It
was ordered that this debt should have
precedence Of all others. The solitary
zone widow" went along with the
others, for they could not be particular
in those days. The good minister Of the
colony no doubt had busy time that
day. He did not mention any fees, nor
did the bridegrooms think OF rendering
any. All was joy and gladness.
There exists in the United States to
day the same defective distribution OF
women as existed in the colonies 27s
wears ago. Indeed, 1t is an economical
as well a. a social, defect, that the dis
tribution of women in the country il
so imperfect that, while Massachusetts
has so. 1000 more women than men, and
while in every city and hamlet from the
Atlantic to the Mississippi spinsterl
bloom and fade unplucked by the rev
erent hand of eager youth, we frequent
Ily hear of lonely bachelor in the faI
west addressing letter to the Unifee
States commissioner of immigration a.
Ellis island, New York. begging him te
exercise his taste and discrimination
and, when his eyes fall upon desirable
!. young woman who wants husband, e
forward her to him at his cost and risk
, provided she does not object.
The fact that reasonably eligibl'
!. bachelors in the interior OF the country
should find it necessary to send to al
. eastern port for wives points ont de
plorable fault in the contemporary 50
. cial state. To correct this fault in dis
!, tribution, 30 painful to contemplate anf
. endure from the point of view Of eithei
section and of either sex, is problem
(which has received the profound atten
ton of our social economists from th'
. foundation of our country.-Chicag
, Inter Ocean.
Il WOMEN'S CLUBS.
> a we~nev.hip ef one Hundred Thou
sana In AneFiea.
Il The last decade Of this wonderfu
{ nineteenth century has witnessed . re
L -