The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21

OF accurate information In regard
- to the conditions which surround
obtaining a decree in the West, these
letters by one who has passed through
the ordeal and who presents the actual
facts Of her life while so doing seem
timely and valuable.
She has been persuaded to publish
them because they may be OF service to
others who. like herself. must go into
exile. ignorant OF what awaits them.
The stories told arc all literally true.
although in some cases the circum-
stances have been slightly altered to
avoid giving oflense.
SIOUX FALLS. s. D.. May 3. 1906.
eTo Mrs. sally Kendall. Langhorn Ho-
tel London. England-Dearest Sally:
Thus. places are assigned US in the com
edy Of fate. why did we not bid
eypsy 10 our double wedding? I be-
lieve the congratulation incsntatioas
said over me were louder than those on
vour side Of the room. and yet yester-
day as / reached South Dakota alone
YOU and Harold started on your first
trip abroad.
Having had a perpetual honeymoon.
doubtless your heart Is as glad as mine
was when I sailed away with Jack the
day after our marriage. came back
broken hearted woman, but ] want you
10 enjoy every minute Of your stay.
London is a nation, not city; remem-
-. 4Ls~ - -. a. - -,,ob naerffo
the fact that I soon discovered that I
had blundered my life never think
OF the hours which Jack and L spent
wandering about in a gondola of Lon
don Ia hanson cab-without thrill
OF Joy.
You viii find the stun that dreams
are made OF in the quaint English
villages. and If you go to oxford you
viii no longer ieer at English pride.
"Ah, well, I too am in search of the
snfnite. so far as 1t can be humanity
obtained. for inhnity means peace. and
God knows have need of that,
Were ] a Romanist who believed in
purgatory I would compare these COM
ing months in South Dakota to that
condition, for I have never imagined
anything so awful as this town. II
consists Of cheesboard parallelograms
OF hideous streets which seem to begin
and end nowhere: at least, they wander
vaguely to and from the prairie an
there are lost in the sand. A turg
river, filed with volumes OF alluvh
soil, flows through the town; but o.
one side warehouses cover its bangs
and on the other are railroad buildings
and tracks. while beyond these the
banks for at least a mile are dreary
fats. with not tree in sight.
'.As had decided, came to the prin-
cipal hotel here to remain until I got
my bearings. I find it crowded with
e never ceasing throng Of drummers.
who sprawl over the dinner table and
stare at me dxedly all through the
meal. Between the courses they make
pyramids OF the forks, or, tipped back
fn their chairs, use toothpicks In a
reckless fashion.
MY room looks out on a staring
business block, and when, worn out
with my journey, I tried to sleep, a
5ingling piano and wheezy gramo-
phone IN the shops opposite made the
effort at rest a nerve racking impossi-
bility.
This morning I saw the lawyer to
whom I had been recommended. He
. assured me that the grounds present
cd were sufficient in any State in the
Union, and encouraged me in my
thought that the lack OF publicity here
makes South Dakota a refuge, but he
grimly added that the magazines which
have recently published articles on
easy divorce generally failed to get
hold OF any Of the facts Of the actual
law here.
NO case can be begun until one has
State II were man, 1 might be
allowed out six weeks Of this time for
business purposes; as It is. ] am ex-
pected TO put In every day II I can
endure it. He says the matter OF resi-
dence is one which is very closely in
ouired into. and though rich men pur-
chase places here and come and go in
their private cars, staying only a week
or 80 at time in Sioux Falls, any ap-
plicant for divorce IS obliged to swear
81 court that he has IN bodily presence
resided IN the State at least four
months and two weeks: and. unless one
IS a perjured scoundrel. unit to breathe
the air Of decent people, he cannot OBJ
tain decree otherwise.
Then a proper notice must be sent
TO Jack, and the Judge must be salts
fed that II has been received by him,
so that he may have the chance to de-
1eno II he cares 10 do so. II he has dis
appeared or cannot be found I get a
hearing and a verdict, but I must stay
here another six months before my
freedom is complete.
Ny lawyer admitted that the grant
ing of divorces is a regular business in
South Dakota, but he pointed out the
difficulties IN the way Of any one ac-
customed to gentle living and advised
me to consider well before 1 undertook
the thing. When one is being stihed
she does not particularly care whether
the hand that saves her be rough or
smooth, and ] insisted that my mind
was irrevocably made up. He then
very kindly directed me to a quiet
lodging, which ! shall look at this
afternoon"
H.
Care Of Mrs. street
SIOUX FALLS. s D.. June y. 1906
TO Mrs Sally Kendall KEran-o Hall