There are currently marriage agencies that operate with a system similar to that of the old "girlfriends by mail." They are usually young people who, through marriage, intend to achieve economic stability that they do not have in their country of origin. In the US.UU. during the Civil War between the North and the South more than 600,000 men died and this caused a disproportionate number of married women and some were nominated as "girlfriends by mail" to travel to the most unpopulated areas, where there was a shortage of feminas.One of these women was the protagonist of a very curious event: incredible story of Eleanor Barry a "girlfriend by mail" .
Eleanor Barry a "girlfriend by mail"
Chris Enss, writer and historian specializing in the life of women Women in the Wild West, he tells us in his book «Hearts West: True Stories Of Mail-Order Brides On The Fron tier »a lot of stories and anecdotes about the experiences of these women.Some ended well and others very badly.Among them we find the curious and incredible story of Eleanor Barry.
Eleanor Barry was a young orphan, born in California, who lived since the death of her parents in the house of neighbors and who worked as a school teacher.As we said before, in the years after the Civil War, In the most populated areas of the US there was a great shortage of men with whom to marry, which was the main way of subsistence of women of the time.Eleanor, who in 1873 was 22 years old , I was glimpsing the "San Francisco Magazine" when saw an ad in which one Louis Dreibelbis , by profession miner and n Grass Valley , California, and in possession of considerable fortune, was looking for a wife to share her life.
For 3 months exchanged letters and after this time they set the wedding date. Eleanor said goodbye to her job as a teacher , put her trousseau in a trunk and took a train on the way to Grass Valley .The journey was placid when the railroad on which he was traveling was assaulted by four bandits .These were intended to blow up the safe that was he was in the luggage wagon, where Eleanor's belongings were located.The young begged the boss of the terrifying band that would allow him to take out his trunk , because everything was going his trousseau.The bandit, who had a curious scar toothed in the wrist, he felt sorry for her and allowed him to remove it .The rest of the luggage of the travelers flew through the air when the safe exploded.
Upon arriving at their destination, together with the other travelers, denounced the assault .Eleanor settled in a hotel that had been reserved by her fiancé, the which unfortunately had to be absent.
The next day the young woman was endomingo and went to the salon of the establishment where the link was to be held.At that time the "bride by mail" met her future husband , miner Louis Dreibelbis.Eleanor was somewhat disappointed by Louis's age, but his voice was strangely familiar.They gave their consent and when he was going to sign In the marriage certificate the girl saw in her wrist the jagged scar that the bandit had on the train.Crying and crying she ran to her room. Louis if he had recognized her from the beginning, but he thought that she would not, fled the premises .The next day Eleanor explained that she did not remember any wedding and that I had thought about it better and didn't want to get married.Compassionate, the minister who had married them and the owner of the hotel, believing he had a trauma from the train assault, considered the link as not celebrated .
Eleanor returned to her village and explained that Louis was not what she expected and had decided not to marry.However, a few months later Dreibelbis was arrested and the wedding story came to light .Eleanor, embarrassed, tried to kill herself but was rescued in time.It is not known what happened later with the girl, although historians believe that he recovered from disillusionment and remarried.
What happened clearly illustrates the difficulties and hoaxes to which these women he trusted were exposed n in «the mail» to get married.If you have been interested in the story of this bride by mail and want to know more, we invite you to read:
–NEWS BY MAIL to the Wild West
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