The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-11
WHERE EVERY YEAR
IS A LEAP YEAR
Some Indian Tribes Allow the Women
to Make Their Own Choice Of
Husband's-They Tell Mans
Mother.
MEN TAKE TO WOODS
When Debutantes Announce Their In
tention to Try Matrimony, Pros
peetive slators Attempt
Flight to Forest
MEN TAKE TO WOODS

] Once again with 1920 women have
a chance to take the initial step
toward providing themselves with an
Introduction to the heavenly kingdom,
a boon which marriage brings to
them, according to Mormon phil
osophy. The return of a year which
leaps forward day, bringing to them
privilege monopolized by man three
years out of four, has no significance
Tor women OF many lands, since they
fenjoy that liberty all the time" says
bulletin from the National Geogra-
ilphic society issued today from its
Washington headquarters.
| The women OF no race possess
more freedom in this matter than the
Hopi Indians Of Arizona" the bulle.
| tin continues. "A maiden does not
WOO the man of her choice, but
simply and forcibly states her prupo-
| sition to his mother without any en-.
couragement on his part. Her only
preliminary proceeding is to do her
hair in two gigantic whoris, one over
each ear. This is her announcement
that she is going accounting. These
peculiar knots are intended to repre-
sent the blossoms of a squash vine,
symbol of virginity, but to those I'M
tutored in their meaning they ..e-
semble huge door knobs set at
rather violent angle. When some de
butantes thus announce that they are
out on the carpet it isesaid that as
many as six or eigh of the eligible
young men of the tribe literally take
to the woods.
After this aggressive young lady
has selected her victim and his
mother has agreed that he shall be
sacrificed, she serves in the house of
her future motherin-law for thirty
days grinding meal, very much after
the fashion that Jacob of old served
fourteen years for Rachel. The poor
youth in the meanwhile does not sit
idly by. but weaves her wedding gar
ments.
Among the Batus of the Ugunda
Protectorate of Africa, If girl is
not fortunate enough to be asked in
marriage IN her home town, she goes
to another village and offers herself
to some man there. Though not hon
ored in her own country, she at least
receives consideration in that Of her
neighbor. for a woman is an excellent
agricultural laborer and man is not
likely to refuse such business asset
1.-THE Gala woman of the eastern
coast Of Africa has the rare privilege
among savge and half-civilizad
people of refusing to marry a man
who is undesirable to her.
Little is known of the marriage
customs of the ancient Egyptians,
but we can easily believe that women
had at least the privilege of express
ing a preference If they did not
actually do the proposing, for, if we
trust the historian Diodorus, man
promised his wife to grant her com
plete control over him and to offer i
no objection to her commands.
Some survival of this liberty of |
Egyptian women must have perme-
ated other portions Of Africa, for |!
princesses on the west coast of that |
continent whose children may be. i
come future rulers choose their own |!
husbands. Nor is princess limited |
in her choice to unmarried men. She |!
may just as easily decide upon one |
who has already entered the marri- !
age state, and the poor fellow has to |
put away his other wives and become |
her slave. Moreover, she has the |
power of life and death over him. He
sometimes has only one consolation
he inherits all her property if he is
fortunate enough to be spared until /
her death.
In the Tyrol girl may express
her preference for a man BY present
ing him with bottle of spirits. IF !:
she is afraid that her procedure has
not the endorsement Of her parents i
she may contrive to lower the pre- +
cfous filrid at night from her cham i
Der window.
"1n North Pennsylvania. young
peasant woman may give a particular |;
swain tip that he is the apple Of
her eye by going with him in his
,art at the time of the harvesting
If the oats to help him carry in his
crop. 1t is said that at this season (
one sometimes sees procession Of
carts going afield, a !
Wiling maid seated in each.
'One OF the obligations of a father
n Rumania and Bosnia is to provide
10 well for his manageable daughter
hat when she is presented with
list informing her of the means and
Of the eligible young
men in the vicinity she will not be
lampered by lack of worldly goods
IN her own part in making her choice.
"1n bygone days in India women
we're sometimes allowed to choose
heir own husbands. One of their old
airy tales tells of a fair princess who
,fter tournament placed a garland
round the neck of knight who had
yon her heart.
Among the Eskimos of the east !
cast of Greenland a man captures
he girl he wants, but from that time ,
n the usual order of things is re- !
ersed. He has to exercise the great. i
st vigilance to prevent her from
looping with any other man whom I
he may prefer, as this seems to be
er privilege. In the northern New 2
Iebrides, bride who is unhappy /
eeks the earliest opportunity OF run s
ing away from her husband and Ia