The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-06
JERSEYS COLONY OF WIDOWS.
EIGHTEEN or THEN LIVE IN TWO
BLOCKS AT GUTTENBURG.
SIN Mourning for the Departed. but Ready
and Wiling to welcome Husband
No. 2.Inqulsitiye Reporter Escapes
with His Affections stu Unclaimed.

ooh, it isl not to laugh; it list to cry" said
Frau Schmetterlng, widow, OF Gutten-
burg, n. j. She is one of eighteen widows
living on Bergenline avenue, between Her
man and Hudson avenues space OF only
two blocks.
at list sad," added Frau Schmetterling,
who in spite OF her name, which in German
signifies butterfly, is fully as broad as she
is long. 1T mostly all happened since last
February" she went on, wen all our hoos-
bans they take pneumonia an die. Now
I make a bizness mineself for living
Gutenberg looks upon those two hus-
bandless blocks with mingled amusement
and alarm. Since last February funeral
has followed funeral. and the men still alive
began to fee from those two blocks.
81 SEE to meself. sez ] :" said one thirsty
citizen Yesterday in Dailey's saloon, dye
want TO ioin that retirin' husbands union,
or don't We? Nav sez | an you bet don't
live on Bergenline avenue no more,
The widows have been widows such a
short time that they have not yet begun
looking for new husbands. But II viii
do no harm to tell you said one OF them
that most of us is still in the ring
In age the widows range all the way
from % to 80. Some of them possess con-
siderable property. One owns three houses,
and many own and conduct stores of various
kinds left them by their husbands. Three
of the eighteen live in one house.
The colony is known now as the Widows
Haven. 1t includes widows who bear
names which are distinctivey herman,
Irish, American and Armenian. The Ger
mans are largely in the majority. Az least
half a dozen of the widows are on the sunny
side of thirty and all of them. according
to one of Guttenburg's leading citizehs'
are handsome.
I'VE arc very proud Of our bunch Of wild
| ows." one Guttenburger said yesterday
| Il didn't know there we're 40 many oil them
until ! began to get the counting fever
| We have all had it for the last two or three
| DAYS. If YOU see a man going down the
street looking absent minded Ike and check
| ing off his fingers you can just bet he's
| counting up the widows. Some say there s
nineteen or twenty of 'em. but can't make
safely put that down az correct. three
moved in during the last month and L
! understand another one expects TO move
over here from West New York in a few
days Some of the widows own their own
| homes. but the majority Of them pay rent.
One runs feed store and another keeps
a saloon. They are all good neighbors.
Il have no idea why so many OF EN- set,
| tied in the Haven Iguess it just happened
| so"
One woman. who said she was a widow
and glad Of it, glared at a reporter when
he asked why SO many widows had located
| SO near one another. Then she stuck up
her nose and remarked that she didn't
think it was anybody's business.
Inc widows had a great treat Yesterday
in the parade OF the Guttenburg firemen.
The boys passed through the Haven per-
spring from every pore as they hauled
| their apparatus. After the parade they
had blowout at Eclipse Hose Company 3
quarters, and there some of the more thirsty
/ ones adjourned to the Widow Moessmer s.
Mrs Moessmer drew several large glasses
full Of Guttenburg's favorite beverage and
drank hearty" and then one of them took
the widow aside and whispered: This is
on me. Chalk it up This incident ex-
| plains one Of the reasons for one widow 3
! popularity.
A number Of young men we're sitting on a
| water trough in front of a saloon on Bergen
| line avenue discussing the situation. The
| pcsite and other insects radc siich noises as
| novelists know the exact names for. The
| Young men made notcheS with iackknives
| on sticks and thus counted up the widows.
DO YOU want n Midow?' they asked
| THE Sun reporter. Because " YOU do,
here's your chance We can't marry them
| all"
The reporter fed only to run across three
| women and an old man sitting on the steps
| of delicatessen store
DO you want to marry and be water to
! dat leetle Vilie?" one old woman asked
| the reporter. For if you do, / knows
the veedow watts his moder She will
! marry .
| The reporter hot footed it for a trolley
| car and soon got out of the danger zone.