The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-02

III summing up the activities of
young Dan Cupid during the past
twelve months. it is again found that
curiosity is u busy matrimonial agent
In some sections. ~ concrete illus
tration of this assertion. Henrico Coun-
ty, used on various and sundry occa-
sions as the goat, is again drawn into
the limeiight.
For several years il has become .
hard and settled fact that Henrico
maidens were lighting SHY of the boys
from the ncighboring farms when il
came to picking a meal ticket Each
year has seen an increase, until now
scarcely one girl in four, contemplating
marriage, selects a mate from her home
county. For instance. last year eos
Henrico girls set sail on the matri-
monial seas. and, strange to say, 169
OF them picked husbands from distant
harbors to pilot them through life.
More than half of the couples now re-
side beyond the borders Of the county.
Among the grooms OF the year were
representatives OF twenty States and
seven foreign countries. while nearly
every Virginia county brought forth a
husband. Ten adventurous youths
slipped across the border from Han
over. twenty Richmond gallants took.
u prize. and five Chesterfield lovers
padded across the James in a success
full search OF Il wife. Others came from
Pennsylvania. North Carolina, New
Jersey. Georgia, South Carolina, Mary
land. New York. Minnesota, West Nir
ginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida. Iowa.
Missouri Mississippi. Illinois. Massa-
cbusetts, louisiana and Alabama. For
cign countries represented were Aus
tria Hungary. England. Sweden. Saxony,
Liberia. Bohemia and switzerland.
One piece of welcome news is gath
cred from the mass of statistics com
J piled from the musty books in the office
/, OF Samuel l.. Waddli. clerk OF the Hen
I living. which has heretofore kept the
uarriageable ngc aeroplaning, has
met with reverse The Democratic
tariff. presumably, has called Il halt. and
{ for the first time in twenty years. the
! age average has decreased. The first
! six months OF 1913 showed the gradual
increase that has marked previous
years, but the last six months brought
| out the smallest average since ante
! bclium days.
| Going back TO 1858. when the first
complete marriage records were kept,
! the average age was found TO be
| twenty-three and three-quarter years
for men and twenty years for women.
In 1912 II jumped to thirty and one
f! quarter for men and twenty-five and
! one half for women. This was in
creased to thirty-one years for men and
twenty-five and threc-qrarters years
| for women for the first six months OF
1913. The last six months gave an
average of twenty-six years for men
and twenty three years for women,
making the general average for the
: whole year slightly over twenty-eig ht
years for men and twenty four and
one-half fer women.
j The first half of 1913 saw the high
water mark since the Civil War. In
/ that period, owing to long betrothuls.
/ the ages were thirty-one for men and
itwentyfour for women. From 1878 to
/ 1853, the average gradually decreased
until the latter year the lowest point
/ Was reached. The marrying age was
twenty-five and one-quarter for men
and twenty-three years for women.
\ For the next twenty years the aver
ages went skyward.
Leaving out the general classified
ans of clerks, farmers laborcrs.
vers. machiniats. mechanics and
statesmen. the following occupations