Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-08-12
Mormon Items.
BRIGHAM YouNG's HAREM.

ugees at Provo, thus:
II We found Provo overfowIng with thu
refugees, living in all sorts of habitations
some camping out in diminutive tents o
calico or white sheeting- in lodge:
of willow twigs, and still Others under the
shade of roofs made of strong willow blan
kets or carpets stretched upon a frame
work of poles. A few of the more wealthy
have erected board shanties for themselves
which in this climate, and during the Sum
mer season, are very comfortable. Cover
nor Young has covered an entire block with
this sort of provision for the accommoda-
tion of his domestic institutions" l had
| very little opportunity for observation, as
found myself within the precints of the
Prophets home sanctuary by accident, and
was not warranted, therefore, in pausing
for inspection. Such glance as obtained,
however, showed me that Brigham is a
man of some taste, and that his spirituals
are generally fne-looking women-some
of them, indeed, quite pretty, and all Of
them, SO far as l could Judge, intelligent.
l suppose 1 saw in the shanty quarters
some thirty women-but whether they
were all Of them wives of the Prophet, or
whether these constituted his entire house,
hold, of course 1 am not informed. The
general impression here seems to be that
he has nearly or quite fifty wives. He on
ly claims to have forty children living,
having had forty-seven altogether. This
doubtless, is the highest figure he can
claim, as the "Saints" consider large
number of children subject of pride and
boast. These wives are all their own serv-
ants, and the nurses of their own children.
To see them sitting under the overhanging
caves of the shanties just at dusk, with
their numerous children hanging around
them, all crying, chattering or teasing at
once, was certainly suggestive of found
ling hospital.
was curious to know whether these wo-
men were happy in the strange life they
led, and glance at their faces impressed
me with the conviction that theirs was the
happiness of stolid listlessness, an existence
inwhich all the higher and holier sentiments
of refinement and affection had been sacri-
feed upon the altar of fanaticism. They
seemed to me to be virtuous, s,-willing per-
haps, and resigned, but nevertheless unhap-
py victims Of self-inficted tortures, by
which they hoped to merit sanity reward.
To few of them, perhaps, these remarks
would not apply. Some of the younger
females appeared thoughtless or reckless,
but the elder, who were educated in circles
where woman was queen rather than vassal
slave, wore their chains evidently with in
ward murmurings. Among the latter |
fancied could distinguish her whose name
had been secret .ly communicated to be by
a mutual friend as one whose eyes had
long since been opened to the degradation
of her condition, and who was looking for
ward with earnest anticipations to the hour
when she can safely claim protection and
abandon the association with polygamy.
TINE WIVES AND ETERNITY WIVES.
You are aware that what constitutes pol
ygamy here is not exactly what would con-
stitute that crime in the States. Here
each successive wife taken after the first is
a Spiritual" and the process of uniting
her to the husband is called "sealing.
The first wife only is married. The mar
rying can be performed by almost any mag
istrate, a judge, a justice of the peace, a
clerk of the courts, etc. Sealing, however,
can be executed only by the First Presiden-
cy, and by two of the Twelve Apostles,
who are specially endowed by Brigham
with authority for that purpose. Former
ly the process of sealing was performed by |
Brigham alone, but during the "Reforma-
tom of 1856, the cases became so frequent
that it was foend necessary to divide the
labor. At first there was no charge for
the performance, but now, am told, the
payment of SO is required for each "spir-
itual" seal.
By the process of sealing a wife is uni
ted to man, and the Mormons express it,
for slime and eternity" but by the pro-
cess Of, marriage only for "time." There
fore. after the first wife has been united by
the civil ceremony of marriage, the eclesi-
astical ceremony of sealing is often perfor-
med in addition in order that she may be |
possessed for eternity as well as time.
PHOTOGRAPH OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.
On Sabbath morning, June 9th, Brigh-
am Young delivered sermon to the Saints,
in the Bowery, at Provo. As he rose, ev-
cry eye was turned upon him at once, and
the stiffness of the grave pervaded the
place. The power which Brigham holds
over his people is almost incomprehensible.
They hang upon his lips with reverence
and awe, catching and treasuring his light
est word as though it were pearl of ines
timable value. Having repeatedly wit
messed evidences of this worship of the
Prophet, l was dismally disappointed with
his personal appearance. ] had imagined
a fine looking man, upon whose expansive
brow dignity and power sat enthroned, a
man whose presence would inspire respect
for his genius, even in the scoffer or unbe-
lever. Nothing of the sort, he is man
a little above the medium height, some
what inclined to corpulency, with dull,
bullet-looking sort of a head, sandy COM
plexion, and an exceedingly sensual-looking
mouth. When walking in the wind he
usually wears great pair of green goggles.
With these upon his nose we wonld natu-
rally take him for country schoolmaster,
who had welded the birch, years enough
to acquire chronic back-ache. Without
them, he looks thewilful, unrestrained, and
vulgar man of the world, who has just lost
a heavy stake at rat-fght.
pAGuERREoTYPE OF HEBER G. KIMBAIL.
Amonn the hrethren whom mat of