Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1893 — WHOLESALE MATCH-MAKING. [ARTICLE]

WHOLESALE MATCH-MAKING.

How Settlers in Manitoba Were Supplied with W|ves. “Not many years ago I was in the wholesale match-making business,” said an ex-officer of the army. “It was match-making of the matrimonial kind. At that time, in 1879 and 1880, Manitoba was being opened to settlement, and there was a rush of colonists thither from Ontario and Quebec and from Great Britain. The settlers were mostly men. Some of them had families and would send for them as soon as they had got somewhat fixed, but very many were bachelors. They were making homes for themselves, and naturally they found that they needed wives. Not a few of them were sons of English farmers, and nearly all were respectable and hardworking fellows. “They could not afford to go and get wives, and so helpmates had to be imported for them. Young women, guaranteed as to respectability, were brought over from England in great numbers, and this business rapidly grew to be an important branch of the immigration traffic. One philanthropic lady in England devoted her attention to exporting homeless but worthy girls by the shipload to Quebec, whence they were forwarded to Manitoba. Trains would come into St. Boniface, across the river from AVinnipeg, bringing two or three car loads of available wives at a time. They were chaperoned with due regard to propriety, and were consigned to the land and mining agents, who conveyed them to Winnipeg, where suitable quarters were provided for their accommodation. The accommodation was very temporary, because they were soon disposed of. “The settlers who were bachelors applied for the girls as fast as they were brought in. Their applications were not considered unless they were properly guaranteed as to character and ability to support a wife. Few of them came to Winnipeg from a shorter distance than 250 miles. Most commonly they were certified by letters from land agents, stating that John Smith, for example, was located on such and such a tract of land, was the owner of 1,500 horses, was sound, and kind, and so forth. On inaKing formal application for a wife John Smith was asked what sort of a woman he preferred—whether blonde or brunette, tall or short, plump or thin, etc. Having stated his preferences he was introduced to one of the available ladies, whereupon matters were quickly arranged. A remarkable point was that no suitor had ever to be introduced to a Becond girl. Invariably he was content with the first one, and married her. Apparently the men considered that when they had gone so far as an introduction they had committed themselves irretrievably. “In this way, by a process of artificial selection, myself and other persons officially in charge at Winnipeg made matches by wholesale. The young women were given free, transportation, of course, the object being to make ljomes in Manitoba, aud thus secure the permanent settlement of the country. Incidentally, the natural increase of the population was provided for. I remember one man who drove over 700 miles to get a wife. He was present when a train load of girls arrived and spotted the young woman he wanted off baud. Within seven minutes after the train came in the pair were united in matri - mony, and the bridegroom started away with his bride in abuekboard wagon.”— [Washington Evening Star.