Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-30
OFFERS HEART TO
DOZEN MALDENS
MYSTERIOUS COLONEL BIRcHBY
MAKES IoWANs FLUTTER
Welcomes Society Bellies Who Moth
cred Deo Moines Orphan to His
Heart and Home-Refers Them
to Mayor Harper

Mvsterious Colonel Henry Birchby o.
los Angeles has set the hearts of twelve
Iowa girls a-fiutter by his offer to MARI!
any one of them.
These girls formed a syndicate to adop
q cher,b girl in the orphans nom
| at Des Moines recently, which SO please'
the colonel that he wrote to one OF tneil
LAYING his heart at their feet. lie sait
he wasn't particular which one, provloeC
she brought the baby along so ne coul'
rear and educate her.
And he gave Mayor Harper as refer'
ence Already five letters for the colone
are piled up on the desk of Mayors Sec
retary Herbert D. Kennedy.
No one around the city hall has ye'
identified the colonel, and the mystery
deepens. , o,-
The item printed in the st. Paul. Dis
patch June 27 was as follows:
DES MONIES. Iowa, June %
Tiny. bright eyed Edna Haven, the
three-year-old baby who has oeen
adopted by twelve society girls OF
Des Moines, has an opportunity to
annex a father Then she will have
one father and twelve mothers, rather
on unlucky combination, but one not
distasteful to little Edna.
Colonel Henry Birchby of Los
Angeles who claims to be worth
million, has written to Edna Smyres
of Des Moines, who at the present
time is mothering little Edna. Colonel
Birchby wants to marry any one Oh
the dozen mothers. He says he lsnt
particular which one, since the devo-
tion shown by the entire dozen to the
little girl deeply touched him.
Could Give Child Home
at know that I am in a position to
give Baby Edna home as she should
have, a splendid education potn at
home and abroad and fill her leisure
moments with joy and sladness'
writes Colonel Birchby.
"As for the young lady who, under
these circumstances is willing to be-
come Mrs. Birchby, 1 have only to
refer her to the mayor of Los An
geles or any other prominent citizen
for my qualifications"
Colonel Birchby's proposal mas
caused more excitement among the
twelve mothers of Edna than any
event since the young women adopted
the child at the Iowa orphans nome
where they found her an orphan
1--WE might draw cuts to see which
ono will marry the colonel, just as we
drew cuts to find which one should
he the first mother to Edna. But
dor,t believe any of the girls has
sufficient right to take Edna all TO
herself and go away off to Los An
geles," said Miss Emyres.
Colonel Birchby's proposal has peen
received and placed on file
THE letter from Miss Cooke reads:
"I saw this in a daily newspaper
and want you to be so kind as to
tell me where, who this man is and
what he is.
Her Family Here
'.My people live in Los Angeles and
so would / like to, but I can't afford
N do so. I am looking for some one
with money, but that is secondary
consideration with me.
"Tell me what you can about TINS
man I am all woman should be
and can give you the best OF refer
ences, If he is all right why can't
he find a wife in Los Angeles? or
is he like me-too particular? I had
heen home from Los Angeles one
week when I saw this item.
"I have my dearest people in your
c;tv and I wish I could live there.
please return photo with clipping
in your reply and I'll do as much
70 help you some day If can. Yours
sincerely Miss Julia Ellenore Cooke,
APARTMENT No 2, The Baltic, st. Paul,
Minn., "a Exchange street"