Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-02
Brigham and his Wives.

Brigham and his Wives.
1t is noteworthy thing about Mormon
ism that while all the leading and smart
men of the Church are Americans, the
rank and file are chiefly Europeans.
Much credit has been given to Southey
for predicting some thirty or forty years
ago, that the next great religious impos-
ture would spring up and flourish in
America but he forgot to add that while
the Yankees might furnish the false
prophets, the .dupes would come from
England, Scotland and Ireland: HAmer-
ican wilds furnish the arena on which
this great imposture exhibits itself, the ig;
norance and degradation IN which the
lower classes in Europe are kept, form the
prolific sources from which it draws its
life and vitality. The Mormon converts
are chiefly uneducated European paupers
10 whom almost any change would be for
the better. ,.
A Salt Lake correspondent of the New
York Post gives an interesting sketch OF
life among the Mormons. He remarks
upon the swarms of dirty, ragged, idiotiC
looking children running about the streets
and the number of old decrepid women
and men hobblirg about ON crutches and
with stats. 1t would seem from his ac-
count of Brigham Young's household,
that the more wives man has the more
he is alone. And, indeed, what sort of a
life would that man lead who should at
tempt to live in the same house with thir-
ty or forty oc his own wives-to say
nothing of his mothers-in-law. The
Posts correspondent says: g..
ri found President Young an agreeable,
affable gentleman, apparently not ovei
forty-fve years of age, although he i:
upwards Of sixty. He was disposed tc
converse upon any and all subjects very
freely. The treaty with Japan he regard
ed at first as q failure, and the character
of the embassy which visited the United
States has served to confirm that belief
The war, he thinks, will be continued til
great part of the North and South i:
used up, or, to speak more plainly, till al
are annihilated, when the Saints will bC
the people to occupy the country in peace
and quietness. The ruin caused by tht
war he regards as the judgment of tht
Lord for the persecution of the Saints
Brigham was disposed to give any lnfor.
nation concerning his theater, temple an6
tabernacle, and about his other public
buildings. The ventilating of his prirdt'
schoolroom, where his own children, mum,
bering some sixty, are educated, appeared
to be fayorite subject Of conversation
The ceilings of these rooms tie eighteen
feet high, ventilated from the tops Of al
the windows. His own residences-thert
are several building-are large and airy
with double doors, and ceilings twenty On
thirty feet in light. One large building
is principally occupied by his wives.
"Brigham sleeps alone, and eats his
meals alone. Whenever he wants one o.
his wives he sends for her. It is not un'
common to see three or four of his wive:
at church sitting together, and generally
dressed alike. A dozen or fifteen children
are about his premises at play at all times
apparently happy enough. Brigham
Young, junior, son about twenty-five
years old-a pretty fair chip of the ole
block-has just returned from Europe
whittier he was sent On mission. Whilst
there he visited most of the countries and
places of interest, being supplied with a.
much money as he wanted to spend.
"Brigham's last wife was rather an in
teresting young lady, the daughter of Mr.
Folsom. 1t is asserted by the Mormon!
that the most perfect harmony and goot
feeling prevails among the wives of thu
harem,' but I have positive information
which shows this to be false.
"People visiting Salt Lake are watched
in their movements the same as they would
be If they were known to be murderers ol
incendiaries strangers never converse
except in low tone, SO that they cannot
be heard off the sidewalks. The spy sys-
tenn here is equal to that in Vienna Of
Paris. Men and women are frequently
found curled up under the fence inside tht
yard to listen to people passing along tht
streets. Men have been known to come
and listen under the window OF strangers
when lights have been seen at what they
considered unusual hours. To report
anything to Brigham to attract his atten.
ton would be accounted good work"