They Want ... Marry Him

J. L. Babcock, of Ann Arbor, made rich ty the willof bis uncle, Luther James, but with the curious provisión that he must inarry in five ytars, is getting a vast Mnount of amusement out of the afFnir. The marriage clause in the will of course ■trept into the daily papers from Maine to California, and now designing females (rom all parts of the United States are after that fortune. Thk Register ha been farored with a perusal of s tnany of the appeals as it is poesible for one healthy pereon to stand at one time, and also irith gasirg at the pictures of thes? disintereated geekers after wealib. There are school-teacliers and variety wctresses among them,- none of very tender ge. There are widowed washerwomen and genteel girls among them. Massachusetts with her 60,000 more wouenthan men, eupplie a fair number; Dut not so many as California, where the men outcumber the women. It once was thought that a marriogeable woman 't w.ii long for a hnshp.nd in California, but "times is changed." To be fair wiih tbee women, there is Tery litlie hypocrisy about the most of them. They clieeriolly ackuowledge that y are alter that money. X WIFE IS NAME O.M.V. Here is a girl who s $ing to be a wifein uame only. lf Mr. Babcock de reg it she will marry biui, take his tnoney,'and then leave hitó,- a very retreghiog and frank propositan thHt is eviöence of much original genius somewhere: BELi.EVii.iF1., Ii.i.s., Dec. 19, '88. niB SiS- oüced an tem in our mormiig'. , V which States that your únele has wil ed "fnow-whfUgle apor girl a chance l ton'tth k it aV thítshe has to stand back 1.1: Thn.ik this is kap year it at least gives hor the riviloae to rite tliis. Mr. liabcocK a wife ïefore in flve years ihe fortune wjll fall nciTpl ralled Wift naino only. ?t ta n t nécèua. for tne to write more, only 7 would bè S t0 receiye an anawer. My LTmpisin Si ; Ioii. ' J" wiKh t0Siee me make un appointment áÜ 1 will meet you. 1 am stayltetgSW.Men;.e,Im respect f""ï. St. Louis Mo i;neral Delivery. t 5 i win v.home in time to receive your rnsWer therefor'addreNi to St. Louis. SHORT, FAT.DARK, BCT NON-COMMITTAL. Here is Ja e Smith n San Francisco who has un -ye for the rnain chance bu lio isn't atU lrank : Ras Francisco Dcc. lstn, '&. "üíh sÍÍj havfjuxt read-with mueh amusemSíwSí oír Báyal Hlghne h.8 Meen beHeircd with billet-doux" and 'sich" Irom the Uiïsex ftooall ovr the country, and for lun s sakeave dcWed to ewell the list-rot as ar-anrídatifo? rrivilCKe of pendlns your ducateí nt slinply o ádd to ihe interesUng readiug mat1er vim are mpposeii tobe til mg. I'd giTe gooddeal lor a ptep at those same 'Tifcaliforniathe raarrlageablemen are not so arce as to necosltatu reveising the usual order f thinfrs and proposing onc's selt, and U-ap ear don't (munt for muoh. "And Borne seud photographs and others pen tiictures" Now I eant send you my piloto, as I Uve ouly had it taken Uvice, and each time th result -was such I have uever siuce repeated the Ü1ArMaVtnM-Well Ira short and fat darle MKl-í&n.l-l gua that's all. Now don't thmk trvlncto be l'nry lor 1 could not be tlmt. and fo fearlmOT be boring you will close and sign my ye Jane Smitií !■' s Smith ís so bcauti'ully non-commlttal. WANT3 A FRIENDLY OORRKSPONDF.NCE. Here is another Californian who evi ('ently gives her genuiue name and ful rees, whioh out ot consideration fo silly girl, The Register withholds: Sin Francisco, Caí.., Dec. 18, '88. Ho Me. Babcock :- Having seen your leugth article in the San Francisco 'Chronicle" concern mtyour many lady admiren, I feel confiden me more added to üie list will not prove muc of an annoyance. California has ïmny flne Kentlemen to cnoos from, but not all so very fortúnate I believe a yinam now writing this aheknown to my par ent (as they one morning last week read the ar licleal the break fast taole and were so amuse over it, I quieüy resolved to tty my luck. 1 1 us jou will give me a good uumber on your list, an 'odd one" if not too much trouble. I will be "Twenty one yeare" neit "Fcbruary, not entirely over the romantic ideas (you know iwrhap afsoa litile preüumptious om my par Ent I would üke a photograpb of he Benorabl "Mr Babcock" asi will certainly reciprócate at once. I am somewliat fastidlous myself, and a fair exchangeis no robbery. Shall be in a constant state of anxiety to hear if my letter reached you, also a friendly correspondenee wouid prove a delishtrul pleasure on my part. As it is ttill "Leap Ycar" I am not quite out of fashion. , . , Pardon me for intruding on yonr yaluablo time. Believe me "a California admirer." v . . w ONLY A IOOR WASHERWOMAN. She is so charmingly frank that her letter is worth preserving. There is somethins peculiar ab lUt the letter. She pives a lock box nutnber, and poor washwomen do not nsually patronize Uncle Sim to the extent of paying for lock boxes: Faireuky, Livingstone Co., 111., Dec. H, '88. Mr. Babcock :- tt is with fear and trcmbling that I address yon, for I have seen accounts in the papers of the fair one's that have addressed you and I ain such an opposite character, for I am bnly a poor Washerwoman. and not at all fair to look upon, am rather dark complexión, brqwn eyes wear royhair in loose long ringlets, which are slightly auburn in color, am quite tall and very slender. and of coure being only a poor Waaberwoman am not able to dress so-as to hide imperfeetion of form or to enhance such slight charms as I might have, for yoa kuow dress adds somuchto one's appearancc, and unhke your other correspondtnts I am not in love with you at all but would so llke to help you spend your fortune, and really I dou't suppose I ever should love yon. but think I could treat you respeetably if ynu would furnish me a nice house and give me plenty of money to spend, it would be such a relief to me for I bave such a hard time to get along you don't know what a trial it is to me. Oh, I nearly forgot to teil you my age, It is about 45, isn'tthata niceaee? Ido hope this epistle will strke you favorably for I am so anxluus to help you Bpend your fortune now pray do not keep me in suspeuce, but write to me anead of my number and so relieve my mind, and if you wrlteme favorably I will refuse totakein any more washings and feel that my hard lot in lifo is over, for I am so tired of washing for a living. Kespectfully and slncerely, FROM CURIO8ITY ONLT. - A ROMANTK" I.1FE. A Fchool-ma'arn in Dubuque writes the best letter of all. She has doubts whether there is a gentleman in existence with all the qualities that woukl tuit her fastidious, poelio soul; but she would correspond with Mr. Babcook: Dubuque, IoWa, Dcc. lTth, 1888. Mr. James L. Babcock, Dear Sir :- Takiiig up a daily paper one mornIng, I noticed a short romantic account, written upon the Ufe and fortune of a Mr. J. L. Babcock ; and somehow I doubted the authenticity of it. So from pure curiosity I concluded l'd wrlte and find out and also if he was besieüed by a host of "Fair Ones,'' who are so anxious to beeome mtt-half instead of remairini one. Now if there isreally such a party,- I wül endeavor to wr'te you some of my own romantic life. I was left an orphan at an early age, placed out among strangers, away from all relatives or friends who knew my infant life, and like most all othere that live among strangers they have many hard battles to flght,- for most people only take a child that way for the work lt may be able to do or some other selflsh aim. But I siruggled on unta 1 omainea sumciem cducatiou to tiao.h aud evertince an early age I have followed that crofession, aitending High School and Business College whenever an opportnnity presented itself. I am neither handsome nor iich, neither am I directly in "The Market," as I posess enough wit to earn a good comfortable living. The gentleman who would fill the bill in that line tor me would nred lo posseas so many good qualities that I doubt il he be in existence. I live in the pieturesque city of hills (in which I was bom) upon the bordere of the grand old Mississippi, and, As I watch its waters glidiug onward to the sea, I ofteu wc ndcr whaf fatc it nolda U,t me ; For sometime, somewhere it will be revealed. And I shall be happier because it no longer is concealed. Now if this should fall into the right hands and you Ehouid care to correspond with me, I would be pleased to have you do so. If not, Consign ths to the waste basket, And not iet it cause you a thought If ycu do not deem it worthy Of your time, with pleasure fraught. Yoiirs truly, The oold, cold world will laugh aud wonder at these, and say many bitter and harsh things a.'Xuf, the writerg. The samples here givn are only a few of rrmny dozens Mr. Bibcouk has received. Undoubtedly among the writers tbere are sonae hardened sharperp, and some girls who are in f(ir tlie "fun of the thing" merely; but n.jst of them uDquestionably are genuinely in eamest, end under the spur of want or fear of want, have acted thus unwomauly.