The Portland daily press., 1865-08-23
PoLYaAMY IN UTAH.
Some Interesting Facts.

Mr.. Samuel Bowles writes to the Springfield
tMass.) Republican, from Utah: ~
"The marrying of two or more sisters Is very
common; one young Mormon merchant IN
Salt Lake City has three sisters for his three
wives. There are several cases of men marry
ing both mother widow and her daughter or
daughters; taking the Eold woman for the
sake OF getting the young ones; but having
children by all Please to cipher out for your
selves how this mikes things. More disgusting
associations are known--even to the marrying
of a halfsister by one Mormon Consider,
too, how these children ofone father and many
mothers-thc latter often blood relations-a
likely TO become crossed again in new mar
RIGGS, in second or third, if not the first gene
ration, under the operation of this polygamous
practice; and it is safe to predict that a few
generations Of slch social practices viii breed
physical, moral and mental debasement Of
the people most ffightful TO contemplate. Al
ready, indeed, are such indications apparent,
foreshadowing the sure and terrible realiza-
ton. infBas baf iatgeq4s0s 1I6IisesV q n
Brigham Young's wives are numberless; at
least, no one seems to know how many he has !;
and he has himself confessed to forgetfuIness
in the matter. The probability is he has from
sixteen to twenty genuine or complete wives.
and about as many more women sealed TO
him for heavenly association and glory. The
Ae~eSSA
high seats in the Mormon heaven, and know
ing no surer way there than to be tackled ON
to Brieham's angelic procession. Some of
these sealed wives of his are the earthly wives
Of other men; but lacking faith in their hus-
bands heavenly glory, seek to make a sure
thing OF it for the. future by the grace of gra-
cious Brigham Down East, you know, many
a husband calculates on stealing into heaven
under the pious petticoats of his better wife;
here the thing is reversed, and women go to
heaven because their husbands take them
I along. The Mormon religion is an, excellent
institution for maintaining masculine author
ity in the family; and the greatness of a true
Mormon is measured, indeed, by the number
of wives he can keep in sweet and loving and
especially obedient subjugation. Such man
can have as many wives as he wants. But
President Young objects to multiplying wives
for men who have not this rare domestic gift.
So there is no chance for you and me, my dear
| Jones, becoming successful Morfnons.
In many cases, the Mormon wives not only
| support themselves and their children, but
help support their husbands Thus clerk, or
man with similar limited income, who has
| yielded to the destinations and desires of three
| or four women, and married them all, makes
his home with No. /, perhaps, and the rest
| live apart, each by herself, taking in sewing or
washing, or engaging in other employment, to
keepup her establishment and be no charge to
her husband. He comes around, once III a
| while, to make her avisit, and then she sets
an extra table and spends all her accumulated
/ earnings to make him as comfortable and her
| self as charming as possible, so that her frac-
| ton of the dear sainted man may be multi
| piled 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 expense but his own clothing
| Is not this divine institution, indeed
- Brigham Young's younger children, as seen
in his school, to which we were admitted, look
sprightiy and bright and handsome and some
of his grown up daughters are eomely and clev-
4 er; but his older sons give no marked sign Of
| their fathers smartness. The Oldest, Brigham
,Jr, is mainly distinguished for his size and
strength--he weighs two to three hundred
| pounds, and is muscular in proportion dc
has now taken one Of his wives and gone to
England with her on business for the church
The next son, John, is poor and puny-look-
ing fellow, with several wives and an inordi
nate love for whiskey. Brigham's dynasty will
die with himself. TiT 4 9M VT q 9l6F4Tltis
There is no more love lost between the sol
diers and the Mormons than between the sol
diers and the Indians. ID The boys in blue re
gard both as their natural enemies and the en-
/ emies of Order and the government; and tht
feeling is cordially reciprocated. ga IS 80
There is proyost-guard of soldiers In Sal
Lake City, but the rent of the building which
/ it occupies is about expiring, and according Il
Mormon way of getting rid of an, uncom
Portable presence, none other is now to be hat
in its place. Every building singularly nap
pens to be occupied or engaged just now /; ant
the Mormons have evidently hoped to thu
drive all these standing menaces, and 'seduc
ers of their women as they add the soldier.
all are, out of town and into camp, two mile
distant. But when Mr.. sColfax suggested t,
two or three of the elders that such a 4resul
could only be interpreted at Washington as
compact and contrigance to .embarrass the sol
sdiers and defy the government, they seemed t.
be melted to anew and original line of thought
win be able to find some unoccupied building
that had not been before thought Off