Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-11-12
MistsIlanp.
Correspondence of the New York Evening Post
LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS.


The Mormon country is larger, per
haps, than it is generally supposed to
be. 1t takes in the whole of Utal
Territory, numbering at present somt
eighty thousand inhabitants, not in
cluding the Mormon population of the
present season, estimated at sever
thousand more. Utah at presen ex
tends from the eastern slope of tn,
Rocky Mountains to the silver mines
of the Sierra Nevadas, distance o
over one thousand miles-a country
in extent greater than that of al
the New England States.
EMIGRATION.
The emigration across the plains
this year is greater than ever before
This moving population is composed
chiefly of two classes-one of miners
the other Mormons some of the form
er stop in the mining districts of Col
orado. some are bound for the Ban
mock gold Mines of Utah, others are
pushing their way westward for Neva
da and California, where some will Ell
gage in agricultural pursuits.
CHARACTER OF THE EMIGRATION.
The other class are mostly foreign
ers from the old countries of Europe
brought over by Brigham Young anC
the Church." and are of course good
Latter Day Saints" These people
it is scarcely necessary To say, are OF
the lower aud poorer classes, mostly
English, born in the coal mines of Eug
land some are Scotch, Welsh, Irish
Swcdes, Danes, Italians, French, Swiss
a few Germans and still fewer Ameri
cans, except that class before enumera
ted, which includes ali the official.
and smart" men of the Church
with the exception Of the great CHIEF
and his officials, such as Bishops Or.
son Hyde, Hunter, Phelps, Hebcr Kim,
ball, Geo. 4. Smith, historian, Elias
Smith, editor of the Desert Meas, and
some fifty others, fuur-fiths of whom
are natives of New York and the New
England States. This may account
for their prejudice against the Yam,
KEGS"
Without intending any disrespect
to the emigrants who come over, OF
for what they call their religious be-
lief, | only state what everybody
knows to be true who has visited Salt
Lake. aud that is, that the class of
foreigners who adopt the Mormon
faith for the sake of getting their ex-
penses and that of their families paid
to America, and thence to the land
of the saints" are paupers, uneduca-
ted, with nothing 10 lose but every
thing to gain, so that almost any
change would be for the better.
The social condition of these people,
after they have arrived at Salt Lake
and been initiated, sworn allegiance
to the Church, sworn to do and be-
lieve all that Brigham Young tells
them. been put to work-whether me-
chanics or laborers in the field, or
picking granite blocks in the stone
quarries in the mountains to build the
Temple " and Tabernacle lis that
Of the most abject slavery.
FAITH IN BRIGHAM YOUNG.
Old women have been known to go
tottering out of their cabins and touch
Brigham's clothes, believing it would
restore their eye-sight. AS may be
supposed, it is only this class of peo-
pie who can be so degraded as to be-
lieve in such blasphemous stuff. To
the honor Of the American character
there are very few American Nor
mons.
DISSATISFIED MoRMONs.
The leaders give out that their dis
ciples are very happy and contented
people, but this is far from being true.
| have talked with many Mormons
who express the greatest adherence
of the way in which they were living,
but said they had got there, had uni
ted with the Church, and there was no
means Of getting away.
APPEARANCE OF THE CHILDREN.
What first attracts the attention OF
visitors to this city are the swarms of
dirty, ragged, idiotic-lookiug children
running about the streets.
OLD PEOPLE.
The number of old, decrepid women
and men hohhling about on crutches
and with stafls eXcitcs onr sympathIcs
Women eighty years old, with half a
dozen grand aud great grandchildren
hanging To them, are common. Ma
ny Of these old people are stationed
along the streets selling apples and
peanuts.
Another pitiful sight is the great
number of young married women
from fifteen To eighteen years old
who are seen in the streets and al
church with an infant in their arms,
aud child tottling along, hanging Il
their skirts. These women are poor
ly and cheaply clad, their dress being
generally goods OF Mormon manufac
ture as they buy nothing which they
can produce themselves. This rule
does not hold good with the "chiefs
aud officials" many OF whose houses
are furnished with the richest rose
wood furniture, pier-glasses. medallion
carpets, pianos and luxurious couches
THE CITY OF SALT LAKE
contains some twelve thousand inhabi
tanis 1t is situated about twent,
miles from the lake, OH a valley a.
smooth and as level as the lake itself
This valley is nearly surrounded 10y
mountains. The Wahsatch range
which is a spur ofthe Rocky Mountains
extends along the east side from
Utah Lake, a distance of sevent.
miles. On the west are the Oquirrl
mountains, and southwest the Ceda
mountains, extending up to LAX
Utah. Out of Utah lake runs the riv
er Jordan, emptying into Salt Lake
This is beautiful, stream of cold
clear, fresh water, running through
country ofgreen grass and thickshrut