Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-22
nDIVORCE GIRLS" BUSY
Fifteen Local Beauties Stir Up
New York.
THEY DIG FOR SCANDAL
Because the Census Office Wants the
Facts.
RUMORS OF DIFFERENCES
Divorced Ones Are Nervous, Fearing
Publicity-Local Dreams Will
Be Woman Haters.
OF. DIFFERENCES
Special Dispatch to The Star.

domestic lnfeMCltdeS, are creating quite
sensation at the county court house both
on their own account and because there
are rumors Of friction between the federal
and state authorities as to the right Of the
former to pry into the secrets Of moldy d.
vorce records. which are sealed to the pub
lie eye by special court decree. The talk
Of friction Is denied. but no one has denied
that the divorce, girls" are pretty and
unmarried.
There's the trouble" said kindly old
court clerk; 1.-The reading Of all these rec
ords OF, unhappy marriages is going to
turn those nice young girls from Washing
ton into confirmed men-haters, and 1t isn't
right for bevy of femininity SO young and
SO fair to be soured on matrimony right
at the threshold Of their careers"
Take this case for instance" remarked
another clerk as he pulled out some dusty
files; this couple sued for separation ana
divorce in three weeks after the parson
pronounced them man and wife. She says
he hit her over the head with beer DOL
tie one honeymoon day; he says she chaseo
a broomstick, and finally, getting him IN
a corner, whaled him numerically with
the baton. What fine effect the record
in this case will have upon the girls from
the capital city,
Divorce Girls Guarded.
There are fifteen of the divorce girls
at work in this city. and rumor has 1t
that they are the prettiest set of young
women seen around the county buildings
in many days-a just tribute to Washing
toms girls. The rumor Is difficult of vcri-
f1cation, however, for Uncle Sam is zeal
ously guarding his charges from pryang
eyes, The Office in which they work has
glass doors, but these have been carefuiiy
screened. At the portal stands federai
employe, and any one seen lettering aDout
is told kindly but conclusively that 1t
might be lust as well to continue his jour
ney.
The young ladies have a way Of disap-
pearing after the days work Is done. which
is entirely battling to the court employees,
much to their chagrin. They come and go
in some mysterious way which no one
seems able to explain.
Several county clerks have been assigned
to assist the census girls In handling the
bulky records, but they are all sedate OLD
married men. whose happy faces and So
fictitious anxiety as to the future OF the
young women making the divorce inquiry
are a striking tribute to the married STATE.
. The examination Of the local court rec
ords is to extend back twenty years. and be-
ginning with the year 1856 the census em-
ployes will bring the inquiry right down to
date They will have chance to study and
form an excellent idea Of the evolution OF
the modern divorce as 1t exists in the great
American metropolis. Some of the clerks
at the court house estimate that the inquiry
will not be completed for three months or
more These clerks estimate that there
have been not more than 10000 divorces In
New York county during the past twenty
years, despite statements winch nave paced
the probable number as high as Jo,OOO. Ihe
average, it is believed now, has not been
above 400 divorces year. This Is more
than one a day. The number has Deen
steadily increasing during the past hve
years and the census authorltles may oe
o1r,ah
to the probable reasons for this state OF
All the old court files have been dug up
and placed at the disposal OF the govern.
ment After being saturated with these
stories of unhappiness for three months
or more IT will be little wonder II
the divorce girls have any sentiment le1e
in them. Hardened old court clerks accus-
toned to human misfortunes and misery,
have blushed at some of the details ia'o
bare in many Of the divorce petitions.
at is sad to see such sweet girls put 10
such a task" said the kindly old clerk once
more as he sighed heavily and handed over
a packet of sere and yellow papers to one
of the prettiest Of the girls and all told her
1t would give good idea OF the working OF
the divorce bug in 1885.
Unfounded Rumors.
Rumors of serious differences between the
census official in charge of the divorce
girls" and clerks Of the county court re-
garding the sealed divorce records were rife
on Saturday, but they were promptly de-
MED by both sides today.
On the contrary, 1t was asserted that
there is perfect unanimity Of action between
the federal and state officials, and there is
nothing in the talk that states rights are
being violated. and that the clash will be
referred to Washington.
Undoubtedly the divorce inquiry has
caused great uneasiness among persons well
known in social, financial and political cir
cles lest the contents OF some Of the papers
in nota BILE divorce cases should leak out.
William H. Jarvis, who is in charge Of
the Washington corps of statistic makers,
hastens to reassure the panic-stricken d.
vorced ones that their fears are groundless
and that the young women who are doing
the work will not divulge the contents Of
the mysterious papers. Mr.. Jarvis con-
tinued:
1--WE have not asked for any sealed
papers as yet and have no intention Of
breaking any seals unless we get the right
to do so from the proper authority, and
that is by order Of the state supreme court.
In many cases 1t will not be necessary to
open sealed papers to get the information
ders to open sealed divorce papers the pub
lie can rest assured that no information
obtained will be given out"
1t is very doubtful II the sealed papers
would tell stories differing from the general
run of divorces; they may affect better
known people, but the underlying principle,
or lack of principle. is probably the same
old story.
Meantime Gothams marriage bells are
ringing merrily, and 1t Is said this years
statistics will show the greatest percentage
of increase in marriages than any for
decade past.
Births and Deaths.
In the matter Of births too, Manhattan's
vital statistics are of a character to bring
unbounded JOY to all suicide
enthusiasts, while in the matter of deaths
the record shows this summer lower NOR
tality percentage than has been known in
years. The statistics for the last week of
July. for instance. show a death rate for
this enormous city of only 1924 per 1000
This includes all the population, even the
poor crowded tenants of the tenements
The immense foreign population of New
York should tend to increase the death
rate, but the modern immigrants and their
offsprings seem to be sturdy set, able to
weather all the Ills and insanitary condi-
lions which surround them In their crowd
ed homes. For the corresponding week OF
last year New York city's death rate was
20.27, and the average for the correspond
ing week for five years past was 22.00
The significance Of these figures can best
be appreciated by q comparison with re-
cent Week in aahtnUfOu wbov, tho raw