The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-05-25
PLAN TOLURE GIRLS AWAY
Young Women Thinking OF
Honorable Marriage, Victims.
CANNOT STOP PRACTICE
to Aid In Their Crimes-How
Marriages Are Arransed-Young-
er Element opposes--Schatchen's
Word Is Law.

The cadet" system is a startling
reality in the swarming district inhab-
tied by the poor of New York. SO
numerous have been recent instance9
of the enticement of girls from their
homes in the belief they were going
10 be married that n warning has
been printed in the newspapers of the
quarter, and influential citizens have
bestirred themselves in an effort to
rouse the police,
The ingenuity of those beings who
make 1t their business to prey upon
the young and innocent daughters OF
the poor has prompted them to per-
vert to their own criminal uses one
OF the most ancient and best known
Institutions of the Jews. The schatch-
en-. or matchmaker, has held a pecul-
iar position among his people. He has
been the wise man upon whom the Of
zee of bringing marriageable young
persons together has been bestowed.
To be a schatchen man must be
old. or past middle age; he must bear
an unblemished character. and, to be
successful, he must present a vener-
able appearance.
Among orthodox adherents to the
Jewish faith the mating of the young
people is left to the schatchen, and
his word Is law.
Realizing the invaluable services
that a schatchen might perform for
them, the cadets" have sent out
among the Jewish people of the east
side number of men--in some cases
seruine schatchens who have been
corrupted by gifts of money; in 9TH
ers, men, disguised as members Of
the venerable brethren The work of
these veritable wolves in sleeps
clothing is to foist upon respectable
family an unknown youth to whom
their daughter is to be given in mar
riage. The arrangements are carried
forward in the regular manner, and
In some instances the marriage cere-
mony Is enacted. Then the girl Is
taken away to become a slave to some
member Of this despicable class or
youths.
Among the poorer and more igno-
rant families the mock schatchens
nave been more successful Fathers
with marriageable daughters have
welcomed the imposters, and exerted
their influence toward the sham
natchmaker's success. Their designs
have been almost invariably success
fnl in homes where a daughter has
reached the age of 23 or "a years
without having been married. "Old
maid-hood" is considered by the Yid-
dish people as deep disgrace. AL.
most any alternative is believed to
be preferable.
ut has been the custom from time
immemorial for certain men of the
Jewish faith to take upon themselves
the work of mating the young people
OF their particular clan These men
are sometimes rabbis, sometimes lay
men of Importance. In this country
The type Of schatchen' may have de-
generated somewhat, but as to that l
cannot say positively
"As it exists in this country, the
costom Is somewhat as follows: A
schatchen knows a family who has a
daughter of marriageable age. He
knows Of another family in which
there is an unmarried son. He knows
that family No. / is anxious to have
their daughter married"
The younger element is opposed to
the schatchen. To this revolutionary
faction the matchmaker of their
fathers Is OdiOus. The customs of
the country of their adoption are TAX
Ing root, and they demand the right
Ia choose their own husbands and
wives. The latest device of the "ca-
oets," and the fear which IL Is engen-
dering In the hearts of their elders. is
welcome to these revolutionists. They
hope to see the ancient matchmaker
reiegated to instant oblivion.
"The trouble with the schatchens
IN this country" said charity work
cr IN the east side to Globe report
er, us that their existence makes IL
almost impossible for Jewish young
people to meet on natural terms. The
young men do not call upon the
young women at their homes. The
schatchen Is supposed to perform all
the preliminary acts of courtship-at
least those which lead up to an init
mate acquaintance. He brings a
young man into the family of a girl
RS her possible husband The girl
knows that the introduction is made
with the idea that she will love and
marry the man to whom she is being
introduced. Her former attachments
or friendships are not taken into ac-
count. Often she knows nothing of
The young man, other than that which
the schatchen has said concerning
him. Nor do her parents know more
Absolute reliance is placed upon
the sincerity Of the matchmaker. If
he is an estimable person, all is well
But IL, on the other hand, he has
heen corrupted by designing persons,
Or II he is an imposter the girl is be-
ing sold to unspeakable misery"