WIVES AT A PREMIUM.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3016, 29 November 1898, Page 4

WIVES AT A PREMIUM.

. f , 810 . PRICES" JOR WQMKN. .

• ita houaee fair, its streets well paved, yet within tbi« town there it an, air of forlorn dejeotion thnt etrikes tbe most oateless trareller that comes within its bonndary., It is, on Vancouver IsUnd, a sweet, fwr spot. Aud the de*-ol-tion is caused by one thing— one only. The lack of women and girls. This particular towi l»cfcs women so 6adly that in a reoent censns ol th«. place it was fotind nearly 30.000 short. TL« doonteps of these houses j awn vacantly and ihn vines flattering over the portals seem to s<.y — " She comei not yot." It is not to be «x peuted that such a > condition of affairs could ax -at without becoming known. v.Xbe lhnft>'longshoremen of tbe place and the woodmtn. the tuineri, and tbo merchant* haro wriitei; K*st about it, and a few days ago the Ma s or n! fje place was surprised and delighted to receive a letter containing a suggestion. It wa* that, as women were too numerous is tka E*si to And the homes they dtaired, lie, the Mayor, thoald devote a part of the funds of tbe town to sending for a car load of marriageable young women to come out and settle in the vacant homes. The letter suggested that as the ycUßfc women were not in affluent ciroumst&nses, cacst ol i.»:! m living with married sisters, or mppcrtlug themselves, it might ba a good thing to provide eaoh with a small " dowry " wiih wbicfc to equip herself to come out to the frontier coast and marry one of the needy moo. A Cargo of Qtils. ' The letter so impressed tbe Mnyer of l!i< pl-ce that be laid it before a committee of men and women, for there are a fbw wom»u there, and they decided that nothing <*»nld ba b»tt*r Their fertile brains hit upon the expedient of Cting up a hotel or " home " for all vhe now »rriTalß, aud they suggestei a reception committee of men and women to meet them •' When tbej get off the train," said the chair- j man of the committee, " we will approacl them, shake hand a with them, and make them feßl at home at once, men m wrli ts women being there to say, • Huw d< you do ?' " The scheme at last repot t» wa». being carried out, and a hundred little travelling bag* were being Oiled with email belongings of femininity, the same that were to tr&usfornt 1 hat coruer of Vanoourer from the most de«> • l»te place upon tb« earth inta a paradise. It. other ccuutriwi women are to ranch more plentiful thuu men that certain ioduo«men)B are belr) out to natn to marry. The»e people cau ba:dly believe that there is an El Dorado for womeu, where a woman needs only a v»efid:ng gown ai>d a bouquet to b« taken possession of bj a worthy man. -In these countries the men hivo boer> Miir.ned out bj emigration. Ttej have gone •rut to Australia, have gone upou tbo high seas, have come here But the women bave ."-taypd at home. Hence tbe dower question became important, mid grOßfl more and nsoie »o every jtiar. In I'rance tbe poore-st girl muifc have her dut, and if her parents cau»»ot give it to her rhr must work until she gets it. Hero a girl, if sLe is poor, works only to give herself a trous6tmu. «nd is very fortuuate if she oomw t<) bir husl>and witb a £1 noto in her pane. Her Weight in Gold. There are places on the frontier vfll*KPß bordering upon n cently op:ned placss, (ertitorjrs, aud upon tho limits of cultivation, where a v/tvnan is vroith her weijjht ia gold and a great <le;tl moro. Thoro ia a genuine bartering of rvoraen nonotantly taking pUee. L;-t a woman *, r«-m tL« oily g" there and tl-p " cr.urtsbip '' ;-»prS imiUCUMtely, and greet nrahy there i»cr her bai d. Tbo men h^Te Kf'd ore to offer, feyoiru " claim*,"' thi y bave partly workt.nl ia.i-.-iiS, ;m>l tLef w^nt a go;.'.' borae lo ))ve in. Tbey sill hire Ci iuuruc-n or half-breeds, Bny•Sl.ir g to do t! c Ls-rS work, if only m g.jo l-lr»ok : i>g woni*n will ligi.t tie parJour Israj a,t uulit »nd sit in the window hi d wait for t! era !o como Vioroc. The ''price" lor 3 pp tty wornsn ol good education aud tuniiiy in a ncwly-construded town is great *rn>!i«h to I'tta'i li.-b n man in basinc 68 in the t.itv and iutio lure b»ra to society. The a#ei>t ot m moltiraonial b.irfsn, wbo, us rouob out of ruriunity as for busiur*«, kept hitnso.'f in toucli ■witt; fjoniter needs, received a lett<>r from a wru'tby miner of a pertain rirsnlate territory •' 1 ncorl a wifs,'' wrote tbe miner, " and if you can j-tirmads a ffood-lockinj; woman to come out .bete and take a look at me I can gamble she have me. I won't show hrr tny r.wn bronzed n^ug. but I'll lut hrr gt t a gquint st the orr. If ste'il nnmc her figure sho can hare it. Mines put; in her nemo tbe day before s!.e becomes Mre Hawkinh " Tbe " price "of a woman — for witb Hucli quick matrimonial airsngemt-nts •' inn- love " poeß to tbe wall, aod poor Cupid jjot;i l.omo out of occupation — depends upon tbe woman aud the location. Manages While You Wait. In tbtiviug villages, wbero *iv»-ry roan owns bis own farm, a pretty giil wants a good house " rleHr," tv big noieage of land, and > goodlooking irmu. Tbe live stocK is also taken into account by Ler. Homelier girls get less. And so fll tLe way down to the woman who is angular »od sour, and who tnuftt ba contented with a farm hand and lots of bard work. That is tbe way things ore managed in the cromon'a El Dorados, nbere every woman can have a husband " as quick as wink '' and where every roan is waiting for a girl to come along. Iv tbe most desolate sput upon e»rtb, irbcro a delegation of women is eicpected to arrire almost any day, tbe matrons of tbe town are determ;md that there shall be romasce in their rity nod enough couitsbip to make matters spicy gnf-pip. Tbe tnnrried men are HLewiie inclined to this arrangemeuf, as part of the cost of Irnn.«pi-rratii>n comes out of tl eir pockots as taxpayers. The matronn propose to open tbe amusement halls every night and give sociable*, fair?, and tea drinkings. Tbey have planned *au amateur dramatic company, and as for dances, eacb is to have a djucing class under ht-r own chsptroußgn. Tbe girls upou tbe day of ttieir Errival ure tf be giveu a rrcrpticn, anil all will become ac<iu«ii.tpd opeedily. The jreattst bsrgaiu sales of wives ever known took ,->!bcc upon a recet't'y -opened domain a few f< ar.s Bgo. A frantic call was sent to the cities 'or 100 womnw. Aiid poor girln, out of fuu aod ruri'sily and willinttrifess to have a home, set jut t here. The men met them at the station. r)>«' n'it]n lookid tbom over sbyly. By cveo'iug ill tb« girls h*d foun'l boarding p.'aces in tbe »ooden ghanlios of the "town," and by Sunday .l.c person w«s kept busy tying tho nuptial ;ri(.!s. The pri ttient girls aud the richest ones ;ut the W(allbinjt men. A gill with £10 was ai hi in ss and a man with £20 was a prince.

.i . - ■ .. , ; HERE is a. city iv the western part of Canada/close' to the ' Pacific Ocean, whicb is named by all- who visit it the mos' desolate spot upoi> the face of the earth. Its climate is good, its natural resources excellent.