The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-22
WIFE FOR THREE DOLLARS
QUEER SOCIAL RULES THAT PRE-.
VAIL UP IN SOUTH
MOUNTAINS
FOR HOME AND FOR LOVE
Woman in the Cnse Tells why She
is Happy With the Man Who Pur-
chased Hcr-FOrmer Husband
II BOarder With Family.


chased Hcr-FOrmer Husband
BOarder With Family.
WILKEsBARRE July 21.-"It's
burned lie, I didn't pay no SO for my
wife, I only give three"
Raymond Palmer held the woman, who
was not a bit averse, close on his lap,
and glared at the North American re-
porter.
And he got the little gal here, too,'
said William Palmer, polling forward a
shy child Of five or six, who gazed at
the camera with awe.
The visitors did not doubt what either
son or father said, but the former was
insistent. He raised his voice and called,
and out of the house shutf1ed a man much
like himself young. rough clad, coarse
voiced.
'Didn l pay you only So for your wife,
Rosengrant?"
IT guess you did, sure" said Rosen-
grant
These quaint figures IN this weird half
comedy, half tragedy, sat outside Ray
mond Palmer's cabin on the top of South
Mountain, four miles from StuH, Wy
oming county, and apparently a dozen
miles from nowhere. The owner Of the
house had a few days before bought
his friends wife and child, and the friend
was boarding at the house, happy and
contented, in no way repenting his bar
gain. Nor were the wife and her pur-
chaser any less contented, they love each
other, they are not disturbed by any
code Of morals, they do not fear the
Jaws, they do not know they have broken
any
STRIKING THE BARGAIN.
To them the whole proposition is simply
This: George Rosengrant and his wife,
after living together for eight years,
separated. Raymond Palmer wanted q
wife, Mrs. ROsengrant was willing to
MI the place. How much do you want
for her?" asked Palmer. They barganed
and she was sold. Everybody concerned
IS happy, and it's nobody's business but
their own.
Such IS the society which lives in the
depths Of South Mountains dense for
ests. The bear and deer CT the mountain
have the same laws, but with them might
is right, with the human beings the coin
OF the realm 10 power.
A bargain is d bargain, and there is an
end to discussion Of the question in their
minds. They are honest, for they will
keep the bargain husband, wife and
purchaser Now they are living all to-
getheT in harmony, the purchasers father
blesses his son and his woman, and plays
with his new granddaughter; the pur-
Chasers brother is counting the husbands
sister. Soon perhaps the family ties of
the Rosengrant-Palmer community may
be closer
This amt q fine place, but we amt
fine people, so we stand 1t all right" said
Raymond Palmer, waving his hand
toward the rough cabin, with mud and
leaves plastered in the crevices, and
We're going to be happy amt we,
wOman?"
We'll guess" she said, with con-
viction.
PURCHASERS STORY.
You see," said Palmer, starting his
story, she and her husband, George
the Huckleberry road, just above the
g1ist mill. They've been married eight
years and have lived in lots Of places,
around this lumber country, cause
George don't care much for work, he
don't Well, they amt been living at
Forkston long afore Cora quit him. For
why? She said he warnt a worl1in and
didn't get enough grub for her.
so she went to Mrs. William Miler's,
over the mountain. and lived there, and
che day 1 seen her. It's pretty lonely
up here on the mountain, with nothin'
10 90 Cepl CnOp luIAD6T, ana was
kinder took with her, and-well, l can't
explain how them things happen, but we
kinder shined up to each other I wanted
her to come right away, and she was
willin' enough, but, says she, there's my
husband
Gosh says I, 'thets So Well, we're
square up here on the mountains, we Pal
mers, so I goes over to George and We
talk it over and it warn't long afOre 1t
was all fixed.
What did we say? Well, I can't just
tell you what we says, 'ceptn' that I
says I likes the woman, and she likes
me, and, says l, she amt got no more
use for you, cause you don't treat her
right. So what'u you take? says I.
Hows three dollars?' says he.
Good as done says I, and hands him
the money.
Then Cora and me come over here,
and here we are. And we're agoin' to
stay, amt we, .woman?"
You just bet" she said, hugging him,
and both grinned happily.
And the baby that was thrown in in
the bargain?" asked the reporter.
BABY TO BOOT
There she is, sitting between Maude
Palmer and Fred Garfield" said the wife
purchaser. Maude and Fred had listened
attentively, and, now that attention was
called to them, smiled good naturally,
but Baby Rosengrant, sitting between
them looked with eyes full of tears to
the ground. A shy, bashful little thing,
feeling uncomfortable in her strange sur
roundings, neglected in the new-found
happiness of her mother and Palmer and
finding little comfort in her tobacco-lov-
ing, silent father
BY far the strangest situation in this
mountain comedy is this: That the hus-
band who sold his wife is now boarder
at the home of his wifes purchaser