Year: 1871

the following tale


Certainly not because they are unnecessary iu
this region, but the fact Is the women are scarce
ard men are plenty. In market phrase, q the
woman demand far exceeds the supply" Those
inexorable laws of supply and demand, about
which political and other economists delight to
talk, have mol yet corrected this acid question
heavy dose of girls, none of your Homeopathic
Prescriptions, is what Nebraska needs, and the
stomachs of her young men will always remain
sour unit; the supply comes. You have no idea
how anxious young in this region to
marry In the words of an old prairie farmer,
60 courtin's hot"


The poor man is passing through bitter ex-
perience A party of us were duck bunting the
other day on the Missouri bottoms Night over
took US before we were aware of it, and we were
obliged to seek lodgings at the first dwelling we
could find. 1t was small one-story structure
Of three rooms, and was occupied by family of
sx-hlher, mother, daughter and three sons.
The sons were all unmarried, and from the calls
that were made aferward, we judged that the
daughter unmarried also. We hadn't been
in the house FIVE minutes when some kind of a
vehicle drove up and two young men were ush-
cred into the paror. Slragbtway the mother
and daughter held whispered consultation,
which closed with an invitation to the sitting
room for supper. 1t was evident that the young
men callers had been to tea, as they stayed in
the parlor with sweet sixteen"


Scarcely had we taken our seats at the table
uhan q boSxl from he dnos ont doors announcad
another conner. He seemed to avoid the front
door, and knocked at that where our party were
just sitting down to supper. The mother rose to
answer the summons, when we were surprised
by the daughter opening the parlor door and
rushing forward with "Dont get up, mother !
It's one of my fellers Come I'M Jim, how do
you do?'


And Jim entered in response to the CHEEKY SAL
utation. He made himself as comfortable as
possible until we had finished supper, when
another whispered consultation proved that the
''parlor is as full as it ort to be, whispered BY
Miss in response to some motherly suggestion
The old gentleman solved the question by inviting
us into the kitchen to smoke. 1t was evident
that Jim didn't smoke, for be remained in the
sitting room. We should doubtless have enjoyed
quiet cigar had not the old lady opened the
back door and shouted at the top of her voice
4" Come round here to the back door !'


1t was another yorng man, and we fancied he
looked as if be had come in rather late Two
young men within the parlor, one in the sitting
room and one in the kitchen What should be
done? The courting business was getting hot
There was another talk between mother and
daughter. 1t was evident their devices were ex-
bausted The old gentleman called into the
corner. He settled the question with whisper,
"I'll be damned if | move again till the sittin'
rooms full y


Into the sitting room went number four, and
we smoked 1t was full ten minutes before the
next disthrbers came, and they entered the
Kitchen with the air of old acquantances We
looked anxiously at the host. Taking his pipe
from bis mouth single sentence relieved us :
1" Thems the widowers Stick


And we " stuck " and smoked on. For the
busy. The widowers bad certainly a third of her
time. 1t was nine o'clock. We wished to go 10
bed, and the only bed we had discovered was in
The parlor. The old gentleman OWNED our wish
and said


g I'm sorry, gentlemen, but this is one of the
regular coarting nights Them two fellers in
the parlor never leave afore midnight, and the
widowers allus stay all night And that amt
the worst of it. Dan II be here at ten o clock ,
! and the boys alus sleep in the haystack Friday
nights. Yer welcome to that ~


The parlor, sitting room and kitchen being
full, we retreated to the haystack. In response
to question on the point, the old gentleman
said that


:" Friday night it's putty bad, but Sunday it's
wuss. Last Sunday night there was ten on 'em
and the girl is gittn more and more partikiler.
The more she gifts the more she wants -


On the baystack, with stiff breeze driving
away the mosquitoes, we heard Dan drive up.
One of the last remarks of the old man, before
he fell asleep, was Yes, gentlemen, courtin's S
hot in Nebrasky ~ And we believed him.


Why THEY TARRED AN EDToR.-The reason