The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-22
Frederick Haskin's Letter
tspead coslrsposdncs ArsuAB
NEW YORK'S ENOCH ARDEN LAW

New York City, June 21.-Albany
which is usually quite overshadow-
ed by the dazzling personality OF
its sister city, New York city. has
recently acquired a brilliant fame
all its own 1t is the home of the
new Enoch Arden divorce Law.
AS such. it is attracting much at
teution, distinctly flattering to one
whose Importance has at times
beeR sighted. People who never
heard of Albany before know OF
it's existence now. The desks OF
offieials are piled high daily. like
those of movie stars, with letters
from enthusiastic divorce fans all
oyer the country. eager to know
IL their matrimonial status may be
ended under the new statute, which
makes five years absence a second
ground for divorce in the state OF
New York.
These letters are written upon
all kinds of stationery. from the
elaborate, monogrammsd and faint
ly scented kind to the cheap scratch
pad variety. About five out of ev-
cry six are from women, showing
that the male sex is more inclined
to leave home and forget to send a
forwarding address than is the fem
mime. Many inquiries have also
been received from law firms both
in and out of the state, indicating
that numerous divorce suits of the
Enoch Arden variety are in prep
aration.
The first edition of the law in
pamphlet form has already been
exhausted, and another is rapidly
giving out under the constant de-
mand. Indeed, as one state official
dryly remarked, if it keeps up, the
new divorce law will rank as lone
of the six best SELLERS of the year.
While some Of the letter writer's
merely request copies OF the law,
Others seize the opportunity to
pour forth all their grievances to
Secretary of State Lyons, to whom
most of the notes are addressed.
Perhaps this is because they think
he may be able to offer them legal
advice upon their own particular
problems. At any rate, they spare
no details. One woman confded
that while her husband had been
gone five or six years, she was very
happy to get rid of him and now
looked forward to the complete
preservation of that happiness by
divorce decree.
One Who Drifted Away.
Another woman in asking for a
copy of the law casually informed
the secretary that her husband,
who had been a professional bal
loonist, performing for the benefit
of county fairs, must have "drifted
away" as she had heard nothing
from him since 1916 when he was
in the middle west.
Many of the letters consist of
long and eloquent praises of Gov
ernor Miller who signed the Swift
act, thus opening an avenue of
escape" as one woman put it, ito
thousands of helpless women who
would otherwise remain tied hand
and foot for years" Mr.. Swift, who
Is the author of the law and there
fore the real hero of the situation,
seems to have been rather over
looked in dealing out the applause.
While the law bears his name, one
woman evidently assumed that the
word Swift" referred to speed
rather than the author, for she
wrote for copy of the quick di-
vorce law"
Since the law has gone into eff
feet, some puzzling cases have
come to the attention of the secre-
tary of state. One man stated that
he was q former resident of New
York state. but that he had mar
ried a Canadian and had been liv-
ing Canada for the last seven or
eight years. His wife suddenly left
home about FIVE years ago and has