Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-01


sions are not attainable, they will seek those
which are vicious and degrading" There |
fore he built this Thespian temple, which
spiritually refreshes the Saints of Utah,
and increases his personal income fifty thou
sand dollars annually.
The entire valley is walled in by green
mountains, from four to ten thousand feet
in hight, and every hue from the deep
blackish green Of the pine on the foothills
to the dazzling white of the snow upon the
SUBMITS Many of the mountains, inter-
sected by narrow canons, are torn and fur
rowed to their very hearts, and sometimes
cleft asunder from head to foot. Utah,
the name of an Indian tribe, signifies g those
who dwell in the mountains, and the Nor
mons. almost mile above the level Of the
sea- in view Of some of the finest scenery in
the world are indeed, dwellcrs among the
mountaln-tops.
The great basin extending from the
Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevadas,
seems to have been Il vast inland sea. The
immediate valley in which Salt Lake City
| lies is much its best portion. Little or
nothing is produced without irrigation; but,
| by the application of water, the soil is very
productive. Sixty bushels of corn to the
acre is a common yield, and the small
grains do much better. Settlements of the
Saints extend hundreds of miles in all di
rections. Almost every valley in Utah is
dotted with little dwellings of adobe, or
sun-dried bricks, herds of cattle, fiocks of
sheep, great stacks Of hay and barley and
thriving young orchards.
Probably eight-ninths Of the Mormons
are of foreign birth. Many are English,
while Norway and Sweden are largely
represented. In spite of their heavy, en-
forced contributions TO the church, the con-
ditiom Of most has been greatly improved; i;
for the leaders are men Of rare sagacity,
who steadtastly inculcate industry, frugali-
". temperance and peacefulness.
Not more than one man IN four or five Is
a polygami>t, OF pluralist, as the Saints
more delcatelv term it. Brigham claims
to have adopted the system by special in
junction from the Almighty. and exhorts
them to per>evere in il and defend it with
their lives. and even against the authority
Of the Government Of the Cnited States.
The women generally acquieSce in it; but
regard it a. Il sore trial, TO be compensated
only bv the happiness Of eternity. Two or
three sisters have often the same husband );
some men are married to a mother and her
daughter. and some TO their halt-siSters.
When possible each wife occupies >epa-
rate house or room; but poverty sometimes
compcS three or four to live in the same
apartments. ! think they never bring in
the mother~-in-law Even Mormon grace
would hardly suffice for that
The Gentle women recognize and visit
ONLY the first wives. | conversed alone with
three Mormon ladies ON the subject. Two
were young. and unmarried. The first was
an active member of the Church, and ap-
parcutN ana earnest believer in the doc
trime- She spoke of it with great ardor,
mauitc,t,ng the anxiety universal IN the
F community for the respect and commenda-
tiou Of strangers. She laid great stress up
on the honesty, trueality and hospitality OF
the people, the kindness and Justice of the
leaders in all their dealings and the spe-
cial favor and protection OF the Almighty
which their history seemed TO imply. But
to my remark that liked everything |
saw in their practice except polygamy, she
answered Inrenou~l y:
We'll, I don't Ike ,hat, and don't
know OF anybody who does
The second. though reared in the faith
and uomiuallv one Of the Saints, had stead
ta>tly refused all offers OF marriage. She
regarded the leaders rs charlatans declared
She would die rather than we'd in a COM
munity where plurality of wives was tole-
rated and would leave the Territory but
for family ties.
The third was the wife Of a prominent
Saint. | had already formed her acduain-
tance in public, and now | encountered her
accidentally for ten minutes in Gentle par
lor Again and again | had heard her
husband aver that the women not only ac-
quiesccd in polvgamy but often urged their
comsorts to take additional wives After
some general conversation she asked
What l. the most noticeable thing you
find among Us?
The peacefumes- of the rival wives
The fact that they not only refrain from
breaking each other, heads, hut generally
seem friendly, and often affcctionate'
That Is from strong religious convic-
ton Nothing else could produce it. be-
lieve our women are better, more patient
= than any other in the world. No body
knows the severity Of the trials they have
to endure.
our people have treated us with the
greatest courtesy. and shown us much which
excites our sympathy and admiration. They
have exhibited little of your home-life but
!. that little only confirms my previous belief
: that to give another woman the sacred name
Of wife, Is the greatest crime, the last pos
siblc outrage d man can commit against his
own wife. and the mother OF his children
The lady replied in painful earnestness
3 with clinched teeth and every muscle tense
.Certanly il Is! would rather see
my daughter in her >hroud than married
with the possibility Of my experience"
The first wife deems herself superior to
the rest, sometimes refusing to associate
: with them, or TO recognize the legitimacy
Of their marriage
= Are YOU Mr.. --'s only wife,"
= asked a Gentle of Mormon sister.
Il am" was the reply; though seve-
raj other women call themselves his wives ~
We We're told of one poor fellow, with
a pair OF wives in single house containing
but two rooms When he brought home
his second wife, the first Indignantly repu-
dated him, and would no longer even speak
with him. Soon after the second wife al
so refused to serve him further and there
the poor wretch was, sleeping alone upon
the floor of his cabin, and doing his own
cooking, washing and mending, while his
conSorts were at least agreed in hating him
cordially,
But the wives are sometimes very amia-
bic, even toward each other We dined at
the house of leading Saint whose consorts,