"THE DIVORCE COLONY."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 13

"THE DIVORCE COLONY."

The most curious community in America is probably the "divorce colony" at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In this State the laws of divorce are peculiarly easy, and wealthy husbands and wives come from long distances to settle in the town Ln order to acquire a '"residence," which entitles them to the relief of the State's laws. Formerly it was only necessary to hire a room, sleep there one night, and then go off to the Bast until the period of six mouths' residence has expired; but now it is necessary (according to the "New York Herald") to actually reside there. Among the ladies who have spent six months there is Mrs J. H. Smith, who, before she married "Silent Smith," was the wife of Mr W. Rhinelander Stewart, of New York. She hired a delightful little vine-covered bungalow, but there are very few houses to let iv the little town, and most of the colony stay at boarilinghouees. A recent colonist tells how she was taken by her lawyer's clerk to a boardlngaouse which was full of the unhappily married. Among those staying there was the judge of the Court which pronounces most of the divorces. The natives of Sioux Falls, except the shopkeepers and the lawyers, do not admire the "Divorce Colony," and none of its members are eligible for the local golf club and other social delights. There are no parties, no en-tertaiuments, and the colonist has to vegetate for sis months. Then the lady comes to the judge's private room, where there are only the law- J yers present. Her lawyer puts one or two questions, already rehr-arsed, the judge asks a couple of questions, and then—says the latest recruit —"my lawyer nodded to I mc to leave the room. By the time I had reached the Courthouse entrance the lawyer caught up with mc with the decree ail signed. "In two hours the next train was to leave for the Bast, and my first impulse was to take it, but my lawyer begged mc to put my journey oa for a day for appearance sake." So she ceased to be a "resident" at Sioux Falls.