Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-27
THE M0RM0NS.
Brigham Young-His Wives and
Family-Polygamy and it's
Effects.

| Benton, though with suggestion OF
gressness about the puffed cheeks and
huge neck which Old Bullion never gave.
His cheek is fresh and unwrinkled his
step agile and elastic; his curling auburn
hair and whiskers untinged with gray.
Is he "a new Ponce de Leon, who has
found in polygamy the fountain of per
petual youth?
He has grayish blue, secretive eyes,
eagle nose, and mouth shuts like vice,
indicating tremendous firmness He uses
neither tea nor coffee, spirits nor tobacco.
With an affabe and dignifed manner he
manifests the unmistakabe egotism OF
one having authority. In little ebulli-
! tions of earnestness he speaks right at
people, using his dexter foreinger with
emphasis, to point moral. He treats
the brethren with warmth, throwing his
arm carelessly about them, and asking
carefully after the wives and babies.
Provincialisms of his Vermont boy
hood and his Western manhood still
cling to him. He says "leetle, " beyend, ,"
and disremember" An irrepressible
conflict between his nominatives and
verbs crop out in expressions like 9 they
was"
He has observed much, thought much,
mingled much with practical business
men; but seems unfamiliar with the
usages of cultivated society. Yet those
who hold him cheap charlatan are
wilder, if possible, than the Saints who
receive him as an angel OF light, or those
| Gentiles who denounce him as a goblin
damned. A striking embodiment OF. the
one man power, he holds a hundred
thousand people in the hollow of his
hand. Gathered from every nation, al
ways poor, usually ignorant, sometimes
vicious, he has modelled them into an
industrious, productive, honest and no.
mogeneous community. AS class they
have improved their condition by set
ting in Utah. Owning the most desira-
Bile property at home, and well husband
| ed investments in England, he is one of
the millionaires of the United States.
He is universally popular. among the
| Saints, and rules them with utmost ease.
he is a man of brains, who would have
achieved great success in any walk of
| life. Many believe him an imposter and
atheist. But / fancy that he is that com.
bination so frequent in history, half
| decelVer ana nall tanaJlc.
He has great knowledge of human ma.
ture and rare business capacity, and is
reputed kind hearted and just in his
commercial dealings All Mormons are
required to pay one-tenth of their in
comes annually to the Church; and so
far as the Gentiles can see, Brigham is
The Church and the Church is Brigham
His inciosure of ten acres in the very
heart of the city is surrounded by wall
eleven feet high of powders laid in NOR.
tar. 1t contains his two chief dwellings,
the Liod House and the Beehive House.
In them reside the most of his wives,
though few favorite ones occupy sepa-
rate dwellings outside. The inclosure
contains various other buildings for his
domestic and business purposes, and
ample, well kept gardens, abouuding in
| flowers and fruits
Babies seem indigenous to Salt Lake,
Their abundance through all the streets
causes wonder, till one remembers that
they are the only product that doesAnot
require irrigation.
By Brighams invitation | spent an
hour in his school. Its register bore the
names of thirty-four pupils; three,
Brigham's grand children; all the rest
his own sons and daughters. There were
twenty. eight present, from fonr to seven
teen yesrs old-on the whole looking
| brighter and more intelligent than the
children of any other school | ever
visited.
With three Of the Prophets daughters
l had some conversation. Their Ian
guage is good and their manners grace
fu. One has a classic face; and an
other is so pretty that half the young
men of the church are in love with her.
Afterward | visited the ward schools Of
the city There the foreheads are mar
row, aud the average intelligence low.
Tuition costs four to ten dollars quar-
ter There are no free schools in Utah.
Though Brigham has buried eight sons
and two daughters, he has fifty surviving
children and several grandchildren. Els
wives number about thirty; he increases
the list by one or two additions yearly
The first and eldest is matronly and
well looking; all the latter ones | saw
ate exceedingly plain and unattractive
Among the present generation of Nor
mons the men are far more intelligent
ana cultlNdltu IMAM luC Wuutus
The Gentiles relate many stories at
the expense of the leading patriarch of
the Saints. He is the Grand Supreme
Court of all his people; to him they
carry their troubles for relief and their
disagreements for adjustment 1t is said
that one day a woman went to Brigham
for counsel touching some alleged op-
preston by an officer Of the church
Brigham, like true politician, assumed
to know her; but when it became neces
sary to record her case, hesitated and
said
Let me see, sister-I forget your
name !"
my namep' was the indignant re-
ply, why, | am ybur wife J
when did / marry you
The woman informed the President,
who then referred to an account book IN
his desk, and then said:
"Well, | believe you are right knew
your face was familiar
The Saints are fraternaL There are
no ministers or esquires among them.
Everybody is Brother A. or Sister b.
The Gentle women recognize and
visit only the first wives. | couversed
alone with three Mormon women on
their system. Two we're young and
unmarried. The first was an active
member Of the church, and apparently
an earnest believer in its doctrines. She
smoke Of it with great ardar, msniiesting
the desire universal in the entire com
muniiy 6or the respect and commenda-
ton opstrangers. She laid great stress
upon the honesty, frugality and hospi
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