Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-14
THINK DIVORCE IS
TOO MUCH BOTHER
WRITTEN AGREEMENTS TAKE
PLACE OF LEGAL ACTION
One Likes City, Other Prefers coun-
try--one Fond Of Children, other
Weary Of Hers-By General
Exchange All Are Suited
specIal correspondence Of The Herald.

Special Correspondence OF The Herald.
ST. LOUIS, May ~.
II n wife with one child, living in the
country hut longing for the cityj and
II wife with six children, living in
the city, but longing for the country
N the husisnnI of the former sympn-
thize with tlse fntterj and
If the hn Jnnd of the latter sympa-
thixe with the former.
May they swap all nrOundg
This interesting problem in matri-
monial algebra is now in process of
solution in st. Louis and in Illinois.
Let A represent the first wife, Y the
second; let B represent the first hus-
band and u the second. Then we have:
Alb SIS Y-I-Z = Al ~ IS Y b.
Is the result X or trouble?
Fred L. Jackman of st. Louis traded
his wife, Al years old, and the mother
of six children. for the 21-year-old wife
Of j. NJ Mosby, farmer living near
Pana, ILL.,, according to allegations in
a warrant sworn out at Pana
Written contracts, drawn up by a
lawyer recorded the separation of the
couples, the common law marriage OF
the husbands to each others wives
and the adoption of Jackmanis five
children by Mosby.
The remarkab exchange of marital
interests and privileges followed an ac-
quaintance which began during the
past winter on the rented farm of
Mosby in Shelby county, five miles
south of Pana, where the Mosbys re-
sided
Jackman, who is A years old, went
to work on Mosby's farm His family
of six went. there with him, and the
arrangement was that all should re-
main there until spring.
Mosby Liked Children
Mosby, although but 30 years old. is
very fond of children, and found an
enjoyment in the society of Jackman's S
children which he had not found in
that of his one daughter. The little
ones followed Mosby around the farm.
and the younger of them, won by a
greater kindness than their own
father showed for them soon began
to call him papa"
In his admiration for the children
Jackman included their mother. He
fingered in the kitchen when Mrs.
Jackman was helping there, and found
many occasions to consult her about
the childrens work and play.
would ordinarily have been annoying
to the farmers pretty young wife
had she not found an object of in
terest aside from her husband. The
attachment between her and Jackman,
once begun. grew even faster than
that between the more oddly matched
pair.
The possibilities of the situation be-
came obvious to all four. The young
kl-A ol.AII u
their mother, could easily support
them all on the farm, task which
their rightful protector had found too
hard for him in the city. And the
other husband, more blessed with
children than with the fatherly in
stinct, once rid of his burden, could
make a happy home for the young
woman who was tired of farm life and
eager for chance to live in the city.
Tt was Jackman who first gave ex-
preston to the idea. He one day in
March suggested to Mrs. Mosby that
they should bring about an exchange
os partners.
Highly pleased, the young wife and
mother took the plan direct to her
husband. He seemed even more
pleased.
The older woman was the last OF
the four to be brought into the plan
and she showed no reluctance. The
scheme was laid before her while al
were at dinner, and before the four had
arisen from the table it had been de-
cided to drive to Pana and see q
lawyer.
Lawyer Prepared Papers
To town drove the four and to the
office of Attorney E. II. O'Farrell. He
told them they could exchange partners
legally only by divorce and remarriage
This, he made clear to them, would take
months.
None of the four was willing to wait
They told the lawyer to draw up papers