The Tied Of Wastenaw County

The statistican of the Argus, has been prowling about the inarriage records at the County Cletk's office, and unearths the following fai "The year L896 was quiet a prosperólas one for the ministers of Washtenaw County in the line of marriages. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 there were issued Erom the county clerk's office 30 more licenses than was necessary to make one for each working day in the calendar, or 334 in all. As is usual, the fair daughters of Washtenaw county have had the best of the battle, there were 22 more brides who lived within the borders of the county than there were bridegrooms. There were 73 non-resident men who came to this county for their wives, wliile there were 51 Washtenaw boys who found their wives outside of the county. There is quite a difference noticeable in the several localities in the nuniber of each sex who were married. ]n one township the boys are in the lead, in he other the girls. In only three townliips, Bridgewater, Lyndon and Salem, ire the nuniber of brides and grooins he sanie. In eight cities and townhips, Ann Arbor, Augusta., Dexter, jodi, Manchester, Saline, Sylvan, and Ypsilanti, the brides are in excess of ;he grooms. In Lima, Northfield, Pittsield, Scio, Sharon, Superior, and York he boys forge to the front and the numjer of grooins exceeds the number of crides. Freedorn and York could only care up one groom each for sacrifice at lymen's altar, and Lima was in a like jlight as regards the brides, there being only one girl there who assumed the matrimonial yoke, however many there may have been who were willing to do o. Sixteen of the 334 couples were olored. Two hundred and ninety-five couples were married by ministers of he various denominational churches, 9 by Catholic priests, while 20 did not ïave either of these classes to tie the cnot, but were married by ju.stices of he peace. The men to whom licenses were issued last year gave their residence as ollows : Outside of the county, 73 ; Ann Arbor city and town, 74; Augusta, 11; Bridgewater, o ; Dexter, 8 ; Freedom, 1 ; jima, 7 ; Lodi,4; Lyndon, 3; Manchester, 11; Northfield, 9; Pittsfield, 6; Salem, 6; Saline, 12 ; Scio, 6; Sharon, "; Superior, 11 ; Sylvan, 12; Webster, .; York, 16; Ypsilanti city and town, 59. The brides whose Dames appear in the marriage licenses hailed from the following places : Outside the county, 31 ; Ann Arbor city and town, 82; Augusta, 12; Bridgewater, 5 ; Dexter, 11; Freedom, 6; Lima, 1 ; Lodi,7; Lyndon, 3; Manchester, 17 ; Northfield, 2; Pittsfield, 5; Salem, 6; Saline, 14; Scio, 4; Sharon, 6; Superior, 7; Sylvan, 16; Webster;, 3; York, 11 ; Ypsilanti city and town, 65. The native countries of the grooms are given as follows : United States, 279 ; Germany, 25 ; Canada, 13 ; Eugland, 10 ; Ireland, 3; Australia, Spain, ltaly, and Norvvay, 1 each. The birth places of the brides were : United States, 298 ; Germany, 19; Canada, 12; England, 4: Irelaud, 2; Scotland, 1. The ages of the sexes at the time the licenses were issued is widely divergent. Four of each sex were either too bashful to give their ages, or were so far along in years that they did not wish to. Of the remaining 330 brides and grooms, 121 girls were married by the time they v&re 21 years old and 38 men. The age of the youngest girl married was 16 years, 7 more were married at 17, 28 at 18, 25 at 19, 27 at 20, and 33 at 21. The age of the youngest male when married was 18 and there were 2at that age. Two more were married at 18, 7 at 20, and 27 at 21. Four women were married between 51 and 60 years of age, and 7 men. There was ouly one woman married between the age of 61 and 70, but 5 men between those ages found that they wanted a partner. One woman between the age of 71 and 80 was lonesome enough to want a man, but three poor old fellows between those years were willing to again try fortune's wheel as benedicta. ïhirty-two of the brides were older than their husbands. Below are the figures : Males- 18 years old 2, 19 years 2, 20 years 7, 21 years 27, 22 to 25 years 109, 26 to 30 years 90, 31 to 40 years 57, 41 to 50 years 21, 51 to 60 yeara 7, 61 to 70 years 5, 71 to 80 years 3. Females - 16 years old 1, 17 years 7, 18 years 28, 19 years 25, 20 years 27, 21 years 33, 22 to 25 years 115, 26 to 30 years 55, 31 to 40 years 20, 41 to 50 years 13, 51 to 60 years 4, 61 to 70 years 1, 71 to 80 years 1. The occupations of the grooms embraced 73 different ' trades and professions. Some of thein seem to have been peculiar people, too, for one booked himself as "real estáte," another as " insurance," another as "employee," while still another called himself "merchandise." The class which furnished the largest number were farmers, of whom there were 110. The teaching profjpssion came next with 30, followed by the laborers with 25. Then came merchants 11, carpenters 11, students 9, clerks 8, butchers 6, barbera 5, lawyers 5, masons 5, engineers 4, railroad men 4, firemen 3, jewelers 3, bookkeepers 3, ministers 3, gardeners 3, saloonkeepers 3, grocers 3, draymen 3, machinists 3, physicians 3, telephone operators 3, agents 3. Of printers, cigar makers, brick layers, painters, monlders, telegraph operators, millers, traveling agents, manufacturers and pressmen, there were two each. The following businesses could only afford one representative each : Baker, horse shoer, express driver, Hverymen, paper maker, employé, woolen manufacturer, steam fitter, billiard hall employé, waiter, superintendent of electric railway, speculator, hotel manager, merchandise, bicycle repairer, manufacturer, instructor, sheep salesinan, cement walk builder, porter, flnisher, conductor, dairyman, newsdealer, bookseller, mail carrier, foreinan, assistant cashier, salesman, dentist, real estáte, insurance, tinner, wood dealer, tailor, electrician and wood turner.