Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-25
Bachelors and Spinsters.

AT what age does man become a
bachelor and at what age does a wo-
man become an old maid? 1t is a
pretty delicate question, particularly
the latter part Of it. 1t is all very
well to say that a man is as old as he
feels and woman as old as she looks,
and that on this basis only is it safe to
speak of "old" bachelors and ''old''
maids. But prosaic, unromantic, un-
merciful Uncle Sam, in making up his
interesting census tables, establishes
the arbitrary limit of 20 years, and
makes the official ruling that all men
Of greater age than this shall be
classed as bachelors and all women as
spinsters. Officially "old maids are
unknown. but "spinsters' is the term
used. Perhaps there is a balm in it
not in the more commonly used eX-
few men and women over 20, in fact,
rot few million of them, who will
object to being classed as bachelors
and spinsters just, because they hap
pen to be unmarried. They are still
boys and girls" or young men,
and young women" until they are 80
or So, anyway, but those who compile
the census statistics have no respect
for delicate sensibilities, and so the
age of 20 must stand as the official
limit beyond which the unmarried are
bachelors and spinsters.
And having established this limit
the makers of the census tabulations
give us lot of interesting information,
as is seen in the article published else
where in this issue. In the whole
country there are, or were in June,
1900. no fewer than 2,531,333 more un-
married males than females over ~
years of age. Taking people of all ages
and conditions there are 100000 more
males than females in the country.
This is a condition of things peculiar
to America, for in the countries OF
Europe there are more women than
men. It is difficult to see why there
should be any old maids in America
real old maids, we mean, not official old
maids-when there is so much available
male matrimonial material. Probably
it is safe to assert that any woman
who wants a husband can have one.
Many women, however, are inclined to
be too particular in the matter, many
others are Indifferent and a small minor
ity really prefer single blessedness and
try to escape the unjust odium which
clings to the term "old maid" by call
ing themselves bachelor maids"
In only one state in the whole Union.
according to the census tables, are
there more unmarried women than
men over the age of 20. That state is
Indiana and it is difficult to under
stand just how it acquires this dis
tinction. Perhaps the Indiana girls
but no. even at this safe distance we
will not be so unSallant as to intimate
anything unkind concerning them.
Perhaps there is a mistake in the
tabulation, anyway. In every other
state there are more bachelors than
splnsters, though in dozen states, all
of them in the eastern section, there
are more females than males in the
total population. In our own State. as
the article points out, there are COSTS
bachelors to As, 100 old maids, so that
if an uncomfortable matrimonial fever
should suddenly seize them all there
would be a surplus of 1000 bachelors
left over to be rallied off among the
widows and the girls less than 20
years of age. But read the article
yourself. 1t is full of food for reflcc-
ton and in it the hopeless should find
abundant hope