The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-17
IMPORTING WIVES.
New York Firm building Up a Luz
crative Business.
From the New York Herald.


lies some time ago had called 10 their at
tention the fact that firm in this city is
building up a lucrative business In i'm
porting wives. 1t is estimated that nearly
% per cent. of the female immigrants from
certain foreign countries during the last
year have been brought over by this nm.
FOREIGNERS of the lower class, especially
German and Italian laboring men, very sell
dom marry American girls. They prefer
a wife from their native land, because sueh
a woman. would better understand. thelr
fastes ana their manner of living IMAM
would a girl born and brought up IN 1he
United States. They also claim that lor-
eign-born women are less eXtravagant ana
are better able to get along upon smali
income than the others.
AS a rule such men drop all their ac-
quaintances and correspondence Wheh
they come to America. After staying uFie
four or five years, if they have accumu-
lated a little money they become tired OF
single life. They think of the rosy checked
maidens of the old country. The next
step is to order one of these girls import
ed They write to the firm whlch makes a
specially of this business and thesdet'ls
are soon arranged.
brought over for Germans engaged in the
| PENNSYLVANIA mines, the mills IN new
| England and on farms in the South ana
West The advertising matter OF the WlIe
| importing firm is kept well distributed
| through these sections of the country the
man VINO wants a wife from his native
land has, therefore, little difficulty IN
| learning where to place his order some
| of the men realize when they first reach
| this country that it is only a question OF a
short time before they Will want help-
meet and therefore, on their way through
~. Of no
| leave instructions for them to De on the
| lookout for a suitable wife.
| When a man indicates his desire Tor an
| imported wife he receives by return man
| blank, which he is requested to NIL out
| He tells what particular part of MS nallVe
| country he wishes a girl from. Also what
age woman he prefers, the color halr, III
| short a general description of the kind
| of girl with whom he would like TO snare
mis- home He also furnishes descrlp-
| ton of himself, tells what KIND OF WORK
| he is engaged in, and makes statement
as to his financial condition. He generally
| winds up by saying that he is good man
| and that any woman could get along ana
be happy with him.
TJpon receipt of the Blank properly filed
out the importers send the would-be bene-
dict an estimate of the cost of obtaining
such a wife as he ,disires. The schedule
| reads:
| Transportation TO nearest steamer
port .........,. ....ay..................
Prepaid immigrant ticket .............. SO 90
Voyage spending money ................. 90
| Exchange .............. ................. 70
Two cablegrams, at $3.50 ............. 60
| Telegram of arrival ...................... 90
Two days board in New York ....... 90
Ticket to inland point ..................
The cost Of the girls transportation to
the port Of embarkation depends, of course
/ eba ho- 10 tTaxr After
she arrives in this country second class
| fare must be added to take her to the
| home of her future husband. If he lives
| in the Pennsylvania mining region the
fare will lie about ST. If he lives in the
vicinity of Chicago S13 will about cover il,
while if his residence is in the extreme
western part of the country the cost viii
| be nearer S65. The firms charge for i'm
| porting a wife is SIS.
| If upon the receipt of this estimate the
man stEl thinks he can afford to order a
wife he RENTS the amount specified in the
estimate and then awaits, with such pa
thence as he can command, the coming Of
| his bride.
The importers have agents in various
parts of Germany, Sweden France and
| Italy. They forward the order to the agent
| most likely to have in stock the kind OF
| women who wish to come to America. He
selects from this list of addresse htmahm
L
sends them a description of their longing
countryman. 1t usually happens, therefore,
| that the next steamer finds the blushing
bride on her way TO the new world.
Before sailing she is given explicit in
structions regarding the questions which
will be asked her at Ellis Island and the
replies she is to make. She generally says
she is going to a brother and gives the
name and address Of her intended hus-
band. If she has a little mhoney she Is
admitted without trouble, but If she is
penniless when she arrives the husband
is sometimes required to come to New
York and marry her before she is allowed
to leave the island.
In several instances the girls have be-
come frightened at the island and have
| disclosed the fact that they have beene
imported by an agent to marry men they
| have never seen. In many cases the man
comes to New York TO meet the woman
he has ordered. If he is pleased with her
| they are sent TO the city hall in charge
| of some one from the New York firms
office, and there are made man and wife,
After day or two usually spent at
hotel in which the firm of importers have
| an interest, the happy couple set out for
the little home already prepared by the
groom.
| Aside from their regular commission of
| S15 the importers make quite a neat sum
on every person brought over. On the 500
| steerage ticket there Is commission of
| from 81 so to S2 depending on the line: 81
| TO "a of the voyage spending money"
| goes into the firms Golfers, as does the
| 25 cents allowed for exchange No cable
| grams ere sent unless absolutely unavoid-
| able There is a commission of 81 on the
two DAYS board in New York, and If an
inland ticket is supplied there is a further
commission on that, varying from SO to
| Chicago to $40 for points In the extreme
West and South. These commissions are
paid by the railroad companies and are
perfectly legitimate.
The importers have an occasional mis-
| At" wife left on their hands Sometimes,
when the man who ordered a girl comes
TO New York 70 look at her before she Is
sent to his home. he Is not pleased and
refuses TO marry fler. In such a case the
| firm do the best they can for the maiden