The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-02
SENTIMENTAL SYNDICATE.
Marriage Made Easy for Some New
 Hampshire Girls.

The New Orleans Times-Democrat
 1T see by the papers," remarked a New Orleans cotton broker the other evening. that dozen of sentimental notes have been found in the supplies sent to the armies in the Philippines. They come from romantic factory girls, and are baited hooks. blind cast in the sea of chance. I hope some may land good fish But what l set out to say" continued the broker, was that the paragraph recalled one of the most cu- rious and whimsical adventures l ever had in my life. I'll give you the facts as briefly as possible. In the winter Of 1898 I spent several months on ranch near San Diego. Cal. There was a cross roads store a few miles away, where we used to get our supplies. and one day l dropped in and bought a box of tight cotton socks. In look ing over my purchase when l retched home l felt something in the toe of one of the socks. and. much to my surprise, pulled out a letter written Tn a girls hand. It said in substance that the writer was employed in the New Hampshire factory where the hosiery was made. and knew that this special consignment was going to California. which had always been the land of her dreams. She drew graphic picture of the deadly dullness of life in small factory town, and admitted with half humorous frankness that she had sent the message in the vague hope that something might happen to relieve it's grinding monotony. Altogether it Was an amazingly clever letter-bright. breezy. and at the same time deeply pathetic-an1. considering the way it turned up, it naturally made pro- found impression on my mind. It was signed Barbara Hollis After think ing 1t over a few days with increas- ing interest and curiosity. 1 sat down and wrote a reply, which I mailed in care of the general delivery. as no spe- cific address had been given.
 '"The prospect of a witty semi senti- mental correspondence was very allur- tng just then, for the ranch itself was not an overively place, and l was thoroughly disappointed, a couple of weeks later. to get back my letter. stamped 'undalivered.' My next move was to the Postmaster. asking whether he could supply me with the address of the lady named. and he replied on an official blank. giving me to under stand that postmasters are not re- uuired to do anything except draw their pay. Then I tried the owners of the factory. and they returned my let ter with NO Such person now enploy- ed here penciled on the bottom. With that 1 gave up in despair.
 Barbara Hollis haunted me for long time,' the broker went on, but she finally faded out of my mind and I thought no more of her until she was recalled by mere chance fully a year afterWard. l was North at the time. and had been summoned by bus mess to Manchester. N. H., where. in looking over a timetable one morning. I happened to notice that the town in which the hosiery factory was located was only a short distance away and connected by trolley. It seems rather a foolish thing for man of my age to admit. but I immediately became excited. and could hardly wait to se- cure directions as to the route. I soon got a car, and in less than an hour