Evening journal., 1906-12-04
WIDOWS STUNNED
IN DELAWARE
Out Of One Thousand Marri-
ages But Fifty-thTee Brides
We're "HaS Beens"
ARE SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS
Special to The Evening Journal


tistics Show that but s. Of the brides were
widows, a condition which Is thought to
be most remarkable.
The ages of these brides ranged from
20 to es years; were IS years Of oge. OF
the ages OF &c. %. 30. 80, and AZ. there were
each. or the ages Of S. IS; Al, 50. and
So there we're each.
Each OF these ages had but one repre-
sentative in this meagre marrying; 49.
81, 80, IS. As. 40, 60, A., 20. S5, &C. 20. A. SO.
81 and 6S. Others did not give their ages,
because they are not allowed in this state
TO give incorrect ages, though they may
waive the question II an adult and II there
Is no doubt about II. IN this Delaware
shows a wide difference from some other
States, where the age Of 20 was given by
any women who were actually as high as
es
While from a standpoint Of connubisl
bliss it seems decidedly unlucky to be a
widow in Delaware, yet some Of these
widows were exceptions to the rule, and
must have been come under a lucky star.
-Four of them certified that they had been
married twice before, while one actually
signed a confession on her marriage GER
tihoate to having gone through the mat
rimonial undertaking three times.
Widowers appeared 70 have struck a
far-reaching vein Of matrimonial gold.
There were just three widowers in these
1000 marriages TO every widow, and 159
Of the 1000 bridegrooms confessed 10 hav-
ing tried the life Of wedlock at least once
before and found it a complete success.
Funny Incidents.
There were some particularly funny in
cidents among the marriage ventures OF
these widowers. William II. Young, a
farmer, born in New Jersey Il years ago,
confessed TO having led to the altar six
blushing brides. The sixth was the one
he had then taken 10 wife. and lucky
Young that he is. his bride was only 10.
Her name was Maud Handy, but she be-
came Mrs. w. n. Young, Sixth
John Dickerson. another one Of the
widowers numbered among the 1000 BRIDE
grooms, certihes that he has faced a
preacher four times. He is 60. His ex-
perience evidently qualified him in his
selection. but he did not take a widow
for his fourth, but selected. woed and
won Miss Maggie Martin. age 22
Spinsters, too, seem to have been for
gotten in the selection Of wives by Della
ware bachelors and msrriagesble young
men.
But 36 Of the 1000 brides were selected
from women over the age Of 80. generally
conceived TO be the milestone at which a
woman, not yet married, sees pointed al
her the finger Of scorn from among the
young married women Of her community
and occasionally hears the stage whisper
"oid maidl" OF the Sc over 80 years old
z were s5, were 80, 6 were So. 4 were Al
were p, were so, and were co. Nearls
all the other ages were represented by
one each.
OF the blushing young maidens, those
Of the age Of IS appear to have had the
'call' on the callers. The brides Of the
age Of IS numbered 2o5. Twenty was next
with 1s1. Then came 10. with 50 renresen-
tatives. Sixty-seven gave their ages as
p.
Following these in point Of numbers
were e6 OF the age Of %: ~ Of the age Of
"A; 81 Of the age Of 25: "a Of the age OF II;
SS Of the age OF %; % Of the age Of 26
10 Of the age of p; IA Of the age Of 2s: lC
Of the age Of %. and 4 % the age Of 81.
The age Of 16, the youngest age giver
in the records, and the age Of 80 usually
considered a popular marrying age. mad
each but Il representatives in the bis
class Of 1000.
The remainder Of the 1000 brides do not
give their ages.
The Cause of II All.
But-to the widows. The question OF
the refusal Of widows to marry again. OF
their positive neglect by single men Of
widowers, was looked into at length. and
the further one investigates, the NOR,
patent is the fact Of tae increasing rarity
Of widows marriages.
How do I account for itY' said Re.
corder David Cooper in mis- Office in Dover
early in May, the great marrying month
while he was in the midst of an investi
cation OF some returns Of ministers OF
marriages. Il can guess the reason for 4
ALL"
"As sure as you live,' continued the re
corder, 1T can be put down to two
causes-nrst. thrift; second. life insur
anee.
American husbands Of to-day are prin,
cipaly all thrifty and provident Thel
provide a home for their wives and ever
the poorest Of them carry some kind OF
life insurance. II they are not protected
in the fraternals, or the big New Yorl
companies. they are carrying policies II
the little industrlals. This means tha
they leave their widows with means. prob
ably more money than they enjoyed either
in single or married life
Now, without joking, a widow viii
money. even only small bank account
looks on a courting man with suspicion
She is not quite certain that it Is he
money and not herself that he is after
Even IL he is not after the money. sh,
knows that two can spend it much fastei
than one. and unless there is n ease ot
this overpowering, heart-huttering love
frst-sght the suitor eventually gives ~
; as a bad Job the idea Of wooing a widow
There are a few women, toe. VIII,
would rather die than marry again an,
spend the little estate LEFT TO her by tn
provident and loving husband Of he
youth"
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