The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 9, 1899, Page 25

I'nis Paper not to be taken § the Librar from L+ e B 621}0 Curz’oua HAlameda’s @z'voroc; Club and COhecr Yhases of 77/:172—’3 Freakish 7/(1:‘117‘0 » Crusade Against Wafi‘t’-— in the end the bachelors dis- Men’s Club winter. The epidemic of cked by each of some ter world had > of each othe from dom: g list of d announcement chmidt had been wife for a legal separation. the captain's male friends had 1. He had been gh the divor sympathized with t and_during their matrimonial troubles had taken referring to his and to his m by e matches which are h pride in ne life as idea s one of thc mony. his earthly career in a most atrocious while the organization was still virtually christening the a deed of blood, the r hold fast to his ideas are car g out his plans to the best of their : 3 : eature in°the gruesome story of Von Schmidt in connection with his ideas as exp d in the objects of the Divorced Men's Club the fact that although he was the loudest ir denouncing matrimony he found life unbearable without the companiorship of his wife and tooK her life in the mc cruel and brutal magner because would not lister to hid prayers for.for- giveness and return th him. Despite s statements that a\.woman's love was not worth hay he could not quench the spark that smoldered within him, and when his wife lay dead ¥ he plunged into his own blade that was still dripping with her life’s blood. The progr of the club w. not in- terrupted by the death of its founder Stanley Stephenson, an ex-City “Tr t s elevated to the position of president. Th ere pledged to the most profound v, and it - accident that was, ¢ v by the mer: the tence of the organization be- came known months after it ‘had prang into life. While the. membership stated to be in the neighborhood of member should recite in detail the cir- cumstances - surrounding his divorce, and a badge suggestive of the most or- iginal and unique family fallout would be designed. The story related by Secretary Ward Battles carried off the palm. As recited to the writer by Mr. Battles, his expe- rience is a story in itself. “My wife and I had indulged in one of those ‘love spats’ so common in most families and had not spoken for a week. I was fool enough not to appreciate the value of. a woman’'s silence then and so originated a plan to break the spell. FY g a hook in the floor under my wife's bedroom, I ran a long cord over 1t; one end of which was passed through a hole'in the floor of my apartment. On the ‘other end of the string I tied a couple of coal,oil cans. That night af- ter Mrs. Battles retired I set in motfon the machinery calculated to bring about a.family reunion. Pulling the string gently, I raised the tin cans from the cellar floor and lat them drop. There was a terrific rattle and .bang. Pretty soon' T heard my wife moving about. in her room. She raised the window and I-distinguished a faint ‘“Who's there?’ . “There was no answer, of course. When I thought it was about time for her to be dozing again I gave the cans another rattle.. She screamed this time, apd, running into my room, shouted FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JULY 9, 1899. they have had expcriences as lively are varied. President Stanley Stephenson enjoyed married life for many years, and the white-winged dove of peace hovered over his household until he got into pol- itics. At first his wife objected to his staying qut nights, then she positively ordered that he remain at home. Be- ing a man more easily led than driven, he lost no opportunity to attend a pub- lic meeting or other nocturnal function where his wife could not go. Failing to curb his desire to associate with his fellow-politicians, she forbid him using tobacco. This, he thought, was perse- cution, and he would have no more of it. He took the matrimonial bit between his teeth and no power could Lold him. His wife sued him for a divorce and he did not raise the slightest objection. Joseph Maristaney, an Alameda capi- talist, had an expensive experience while he allowed his heart to-be a tar- get for the darts of Cupid’s bow. He has figured in the divorce courts more times than any member of the Divorced Men’s Club. He has been married sev- eral times and divorced as giany, and it took him a long time 4¢ find out that a large slice of his property went with each successive wife. It was only after the Divorced Men’s Club was created that a missionary from the organiza- tion pointed out the hopelessness ©f his search for an ideal wife. Now Mr. Mar- istaney is one of the club’s most enthu- siastic members. Baron Alfred Baroteau, the club steward, who prepares the refresh- ments for the organization’s social ses- sions, married a rich widow some years his senior. She undertook to rule him with a rod of iron from the very start. The iron burned into his soul, but he stood it like a martyr. It was always understdod by their acquaintances that the .widow had done most of the love- making before the marriage, but could not win the Baron until she volunfeered to pay the heneymoon . expenses, and then he surrendered his heart at once. In after years she reminded him of this. \}' W A The Divorce Club Making Merry, With Their Ex-Wives’ Pictures Turned to the Wall. When he was forced to defend him- self fr his wife’s ch of ind set forth in detail divorce, the wi changed. He 16 ier of the home. foe to matrimony of womankind. He at he would devote his days earth to the injury of both. The s with which he p d to 1o divorced m > whom rth his ideas wherever paramount nbject. the club covld s ble Gttt member of s an ex. ers of matrimony. to be cautioned again wome the state of “single ble: ness’ to be painted in the rosiest hues. Prompted by a feeling of sym- pathy for Von Schmidt and a feeling of resentment against womankind on ac count unhappy exp riences, of the captain cxpressed themselves in hearty accord with his Ideas. It was thus that the Divorced Men's Club sprung into life. Von Schmidt was honored by being named its first president and- Ward Battles was elected secretary. Althoush the club’s founder closad mes of but comparative- them have become public egular meetings are held room on Park street, *h no gl 1 of sunshine can y. The furniture is a round and a few chairs. It here that the members congregate to discuss the welfare lights S mankind, according to their committe watch on re ‘supposed to 1y outsider who ted of being matrimonially in- reports to the club. » considered with the and means of ep ing a pc victim from Cupid” clutches are talked over with all sin- cerity and with the greatest s y. After exhaustive consideration the chairman appoints some member to in- terview the suspect, dissuade him from his mad purpose and point out to him the horrors of matrimony and the dan- gers of the di The club i that much goud missionary work has been done in this line and that the war against mar- riage will b2 continued until Cupid will find no field for labor in Alameda. The emblem of the Divorced Men's Club is a miniature coal ofl can. It has no particular significance in connection with the objects of the organization. When the mater of selecting a badge or other indication of memibership was brought up it was decided that every that burglars were in the house and begged me to protect her. T nretended to be asleep, of course, but she shook me until I had to wake up. Then she asked forgiveness for the way in which he had treated me, told me she would never get out of humor again an? we' kissed and made up. “Everything would have gone along ail right in my family if T had had sense enough to remove the evidence of the joke next morning. Mrs. Battles found the tin cans and the string when she went into the cellar and ‘got mad- der than eve A few days later she sued me for divorce, alleging cruelty, and my tin cans were the principal items in the complaint.” None of the members could equal Battles’ story, and so the miniature tin can was adopted as the emblem of the Divorced Men’s Club. To be a divorced man is not the only qualification for membership. An ap- plicant must bind himself by a solemn oath to remain single for the rest of his days before his name will be consider- ed. Men are wanted who have not only been freed from irksome nuptial ties, but whose matrimonial experiences _have made future love for womankind an impossibilit; When a new member is elected a complete record is made of the history of his married life and the domestic dfseord that led to his diyorce. This record shows that some of the members It was too much for a spirit so proud. His blood boiled, and one day when his fe went calling he.locked her out of his ‘house. She sued for divorce and the Baron did everything possible tor help her sécure it. Speaking of the club and its objects, Secretary Ward Battles says: “When we started out we had little in view but sociability, but we found such a great field in which to labor that we decided to advance the welfare of mankind by dissuading our friends from getting married. “We have among our members some of the best-known men of the city, such as Stanley Stephepson, James Kellen- berger, Joseph Maristaney, A. Baro- teau, John Fay, B. Steinmetz, Bertram Hill and a great many others whose names I cannot recall. “We never intended that our organ- ization should become known to the public, believing we could accomplish more by working secretly. The public generally look upon such organizations as ours in the nature of a joke, but we are serious and sincere in what we hata, undertaken. We have done a great deal of good in preventing men. from allow- ing love to ‘'get the better of - them. Several of our.friends who thought of getting married have been saved by our missionaries,, and we do not intend to allow” the ‘work to lag.” ° = R. H. MAGILL JR. California Cafy Bachelor 00/ony Jnvulnerable to Cupid’s SPINSTERS, pray listen to me. For you who have grown old and ugly in the. cause of single blessedness; for you who have spent life’s. fleeting hours in meditation fancy free, I have a sur- prise. I have a surprise. I have discovered an Eden of Adams only. This Eden is a deep-sea harbor on the Pl W L. Pacific Coast. For one score years and ten no woman has lived within its sa- cred precinct For thirty years no child has played upon its beach or lisp- ed an evening prayer. It is a settlement of the bachelors. It is‘a home provided for the bachelors, and it is a city governed' by the bachel- ors. It is located geog: lly in the glorious State of California. Its shores are washed by the waters of San Fran- cisco Bay. It is registered on the map as Califor- nia, Gty on Do you wish to go there? If you are strong of limb and long of breath, try ling the hills back of Tiburon until you come to the little white city in the cove—then drop down upen the gay Leotharios unawares. Or if you prefer the Raccoon Straits in an open boat, and the fates be with vou and the tide, then you may make a landing the same as the artist gnd L There is a universal spirit of defiant warfare against woman at this set- tlement that bodes Cupid no good. But, then, much depends. Diplomatic caution is the only loop- hole of accession to this bachelor king- dom if the visitor be a woman. The bachelor on guard at the wharf may be pe he may be cynical and refuse you permission to land just be- cause you are a woman, and then he may be the other kind. As I said be- fore, much devends. There are several species even varieties of the among the one hundred who call this place home. There is the. genial, warm-hearted fellow who looks you straight in the eye and at once extends his hand and says welcome. There is the economical bachelor who makes you feel that he is obliged for time and eternity to evade a woman’s smile. There is the stingy, greedy and unkempt creature who es- chews manners and even abhors the use of the obnoxious weed just because it is a luxury. This is the kind who is ever saving for a rainy day, and it is said that he spends his holidays counting his gold 8.7 rehery. and building plans for the future. This is the kind who can no more be wheed- led, coaxed or coerced into letting you land than he could be persuaded to marry, and if I say this specie of bach- elordom be on guard, put to sea; he will not let you land. There is the jolly good fellow who bursts into uncontrollable fits of laugh- ter at’ the least provocation, he likes the sound of his own voice and you ir- resistibly join him in the loquacious gurgle, not because of his wit pure and sparkling, but because of his Irrepres- sible good nature that beams and bows at you until you respond. Bachelors from the bold and defiant to the timid and shrinking find shelter here. There are those who skulk along the wharf and dodge in the first open door when a woman approaches, and you may be sure- that F eye is glued to some aperture in the wall where he can observe you without your knowledge. If his kind be on. guard, then you may land without protest. He will.see to it that.you do not get near enough . to disturb -him. The coast is yours If you want it from ~California_ City to El Campo. Bachelors by preference and bachelors by necessity drift here from all quar- ters of the civilized world, bide. for a time and are gone; but none has ever been known to enter the field of ri- mony and escape the verdict whose se- vere penalty is gstracism from the community. Singl® blessedness is here a manifesto of inexorable law. The iron-clad rules that govern a colony and those that control a bach- elors’ club differ widely in their effects. Mrs. Charlotte Smith of the Woman Reserve League and her coterie may work general destruction to rich bach- elors to compel matrimony. By her time and eloquence she may influence Congress to impose annual bachelor PIETRO PIAGGI. fines equivalent to the support of a family. But the lgw’ that keeps Cupid at bay in Califorfiia City is the law that the civilized bachelor cannot dis- regard and still be a member of the Eveless realm. The man who marri munity will find his “occupation gone.” “‘Aye, there's the rub.” For in this port of peace there is but one ulti- matum. The man who commits the violent crime of matrimony must suf- fer the relentless penalty—banishment. ‘And what sort of man is proof against the common wants of bread and but- ter? Thirty years ago the Pioneer Fish Warehouse of . the Pacific Coast was established at this_point. Then the name of California City was plied to a site further up the bay—a site whose foundations crumbled before they were finished, and so the mythical name de- scended to this fish curing station, and G. W. Crowell is dubbed the mythical mayor of the mythical city. In thirty vears every country in the civilized world has been represented there. s from this com- “And why do you employ only un- married men?” I asked Mr. Hough, who is one of the bachelor owners of the fish warehouse. He winked y and said: they want to be hired.” “But don’t the benedicts ever apply?” “Hardly ever, but—" “But? Mr. Hough thought a moment, looked se and replied: “You know, a man who is unmarried has no responsibili- ties and he is contented to stay with and—"" ‘Because Wi ““Well, most of them men and haven't \domestic tions.” “Is that your only reason?” Now, hear, O bachelor maids: this is what he d: “If we had women over there all har- mony would be destroyed;.the men would become dissatisfled and—well— are seafaring inclina- it wouldn't do; we have had men who have been married, but—they were widowers when they came to us.” “And are contented “Just go over and see.” e . Our little boat rocked into Bachelors® Harbor on Wednesday at high tide. The little white city of mateless men is not very imposing; the buildings are small and whitewashed, and into these scampered several men. They watched us until we turned to port, then, timid and tactful, scattered everywhere. But there was one who stood his ground, and that one was Alonzo Bates. He stood on the wharf regarding us with neglected his a cynical smile. His white, beard, which runs riot _over weather-beaten face, told more than registered oaths that a bz he had lived and a bachelor he would die. He raised a shaking finger and piped out in his unmistakable Vermont tone: Ye be n’t allowed to land here.” This was an unexpected greeting, which the artist ignored by remarking, o e having a big time in the city celebrating the Fourth and that opened the avenues of his pride of nativity! “I'm right proud of Dewey,” he drawled out; “he is a Vermonter, too."” The rest was easy. 1 was famishing of thirst. Could I have a drink. of water? “I reckon you'd rather have milk, wouldn’t ye?” 1 nodded. “Then tie your bodt and come along.” Mr. Bates is long, spare of build and slow of speech. He Kkept his eyes upon nd until I asked v did yeu never marry?” visibly agitated and muttered disdainfully “Wimin’s tarnal fools.” ‘But did you never find one who wasn't?” “Men are tarnal fools, too.” “Oh, are they? When? “When they talk to wimin.” And this is what one bachelor thinks o A ~a bachelor who has saved $30,000 by rigid economy, and matrimony has not troubled him for’ many a yeat. He saves his money and patches his clothes while they are yet new to keep them from wearing out. But there are others. J. C. Caswell is not one of the miserly kind. He is a spendthrift bachelor. He is one of the Caswells of Rhode Island boatbuilding fame and for the past twenty-five years has bullt the dories and repaired the boats at California City. “Why don’t I marry? ’Cause no one would have me, I guess. There are no Mrs. Caudles over here, and I guess we Wwould make ’em mighty sorry if they came nosine around now.” And Pietro Piaggi, the bachelor cook, said: “When I get a fortune I am going back to the Alps—to my home inSwitz- erland—and if the girl I left waits for me, then perhaps—but who knows?” a As for the mythical mayor: “No, T'll never marry. You see, all of the ladies are so attractive that I can’t make a choice. 1 wouldn’t even object to pay a bachelor’s fine if the proceeds would go toward founding an old maids’ home. We are all right without the ministering angels and sewing circle small talk. We have three good meals per day and peace. ©Oh, happy commurity! ANNABEL LEE