Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-10-13
poLYGAmY IN UTAH.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS


POLYGAMY IN UTAH.
,8 SOME INTERESTING FACTS
Mr. Samuel Bowles writes to the Spring
field (Msss.) Republican, from Utah:
'The marrying of two or more sisters is
very common; one yong Norman mer-
chant in Salt Lake City has three sisters
for his wives There are several cases of
men marrying mother (widow) and her
daughter or daughters; taking the ''old
woman, for the sake of getting the young
ones; but having children by all Please
{ to cipher out for yourself how this mixes
things. More disgusting associations are
.knoHn-esen to the marrying of half
sister by one mormon. Consider, too,
how these children of one father and
many mothers-are likely to become cross
ed again in new marriages, in second or
third, if not the first generation, under
the operation of this polygamous practice;
and it is safe to predict that a few genera
tions of such social practice will breed a
physical, moral, and mental debasement
of the people most frightful to comtem-
plate. Already, indeed, are such indica-
tons apparent foreshadowing the sure
and terrible realization.
''Brigham Young's wives are number
less; at least, no one seems to know how
many he has; and he has himself confess
ed to forgetfulness in the matter. The
probability is he has from sixteen to TWEEN
ty genuine or complete wives, and about
as many more woman sealed to him for
heavenly associations and glory. The lat
ter are mostly pious old ladys, eager for
high seats In the mormon heaven, and
knowing no surer way to get there than to
be tackled on to Brigham's angelic process
sion. Some of these sealed wives of his
are the earthly wives of other men; but
lacking faith in their husbands heavenly
glory, seek to make sure thing of it for
the future by the grace of gracious Brig
ham. Down East you know, many hus-
band calculates on stealing into heaven un-
der the pious petticoats of his better wife ;
here the thing is reversed, and woman go
to heaven because their husbands take them
along. The mormon religion is an excel
lent institution for maintaining masculine
authority in the family and the greatness
of true Mormon is measured, indeed, by
the number of wives he can keep in sweet
and loving and especially obedientssubju-
cation. Such man can have as many
wives as he wants. But President Young
objects to multiplying wives for mem who
have not this rare domestic gift. So there
is no chance for you and me, my dear
Zones becoming successful mormons.
/. ain many cases, the Mormon wives not
only support themselves and their chill
dren, but help support their husbands.-
Thus a clerk, or man with similar income,
who has yielded TO the fascination and de-
sires of three or four women, and marri-
ed them all, makes his home with No. l,
prehaps, and the rest live apart, each by
herself, taking in sewing or washing, or
engaged in other employment, to keep up
her establishment and be no charge to her
husband. He comes around, once in a
while, to make her a visit and then she
sets out an extra table and spends all her
accumulated earnings to make him as
comfortable and herself as charming as
possible, 80 that her fraction of the dear
ssinted man may be multiplied as much as
possible. So the fellow, if he is lazy and
has turned his piety to the good account
of getting smart wives, may really board
around continually, and live in clover, at no
personal expence but his own clothing
Is not this divine institution, indeed!
Brigham Youngs younger children, as
seen in his school, to which we were ad-
mitted, look sprightly and bright and hand
some; and some of his grown up daughters
are comfy and clever; but his elder sons
give no marked signs of their fathers
srnartness. The oldest, Brigham, Jr, is
mainly distinguished for his size and
strength, he weighs twoito three hundred
pounds, and is muscular in proportion
He has now taken one of his wives and
gone to England with her on business for
the church. The next son, John, is a poor
and puny-looking fellow, with several
wives and an inordinate love for whisky.
Brigham dynasty viii die with himself
seThere is no more love lost between the
soldiers and the Mormons than between
the soldiers and the Indians. The, boys
in blue regard both as their natural enc
mics and the enemies of order and the
government; and the feeling is cordially
reciprocated. There is proyost-guard of
soldiers in Salt Lake City, but the rent of
the building which it occupies is about ex-
pired, and according to Mormon way Of
getting rid of uncomfortable presence,
none other is now to be had in its place.
Every building singularly happens to be
occupied or engaged just now and the
Mormons evidently hoped to thus drive
all these standing menaces, and seducers
of their women, as they add the soldiers
all are, out of town and into camp, two
miles distant Bnt when Mr.. Colfax sug-
gested to two or three of the elders that
such result could only be Interpreted at
Washington as a compact and contrivance
TO embarrass the soldiers and defy the
government they seemed to be incited to
q new and original line of thought; and
the probability is that the proVosteguard
will be able to find some unoccupied
building, that had not before been thought
of.
LIFE COMPARED TO CLOCK.
Onr brains are seventy-year clocks
The Angel of Life winds them up once fol
n 4 Al \ L L