The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-20


PEN pIoTURE-H1s LAST THREE wTvEs-wHAT
BE THINKS ABOUT POLITICS, RAILROADS, TEL
EaRApHs, AND MrNNa-Ms VIEWS OF GEN.
TILE CRTTIcBM.
"a correspondent of the Cincinnati CONNER.
cial, writing from Salt Lake City, gives very
interesting account of an interview with the
Prophet President of Utah, Brigham Young.
We make some extracts from his letter:
THE ABODE OF THE PROPHET.
At ten minutes before the musical town clock
struck ten, we we're on the way from the hotel,
walking along the stream and shade-tree bor-
dered avenues, under q sky exquisitely' blue,
and famed by en- atmosphere that seemed just
to have been unwrapped from the original
package. Brigham Young's famous presiden-
tial mansions or harems, the Lion and the Bee
hive houses, stand in the centre Of square
about ten feet from the pavement, and are sur
rounded by beautifully embellished grounds OF
twenty acres the whole block being inclosed
by q high wall of boulders.. The Lion House
and the Beehive House stand side by side, and
look like ambitious country villas, three stories
high, adorned. by wilderness OF gables; A
carved hon surmounts the portal OF one, and
beehive that Of the other. In front and along
the entire square the payementls margined
with row Of vividly green locust trees half
grown. To the left Of the mansion q Inrge
branch Of the network Of small streams, that
I line the streets and irrigate the gardens of
| the CITY, tumbles out into the street in rocky
| channel excavated Under the wall of boulders
and neatly arched over. -. - :. -
On the opposite side OF the way the square is
Residences Of leading fleece; Mornons, each
house peering through an exterior of juicy
trees and shrubbery. Brigham's houses are
painted in light and cheerful colors, and have
the aspect Of being most sedulously 'kept
up." Their privacy is rendered absolute by
meagreness Of windows, profusiop Of shade
trees, opacity OF blinds and curtains, thickness
and height Of the exterior wall and bristling
strength Of the entrance gates. OF the extern
sive grounds adjacent we were permitted TO
catch no glimpse, on account. doubtless, Of
the extreme largeness Of the Prophets family
and their custom Of promenading there after
partaking of the grand breakfast, which is the
one Democratic meal to which the whole
household assemble en- nadsse.' =.
THE NTfBilR. a9
: Passing through the iron gate Of the Bee
hive House we found our intercessor waiting
We were conducted into Brigham,s Office o
large apartment handsomely furnished, and
found ourselves shaking hands with strongly
built man of sixty-eight, who seems ten years
younger. His manner was gravely. cordial,
and he motioned us to chairs with the routine
air of one whose station demands that he take
daily "public bath" Of visitors Of all de-
greee. ,:.I.4
The auditors took seats in semi-circle,
while the Prophet deposited himself with due
deliberation IN cushioned armchair. While
the conversation ran on empty generalties, q
few moments were afforded, to take glance
around the apartment which serves the double
purpose of private Office and audience-room.
On one side of the wall near the ceili6g is row
Of bust portraits in oil, presenting Brigham,
his counsellors and apostles, in all the proprle-
ty Of neatly dressed hair, commanding, or at
least striking facial expression, in oil the plen-
itude OF fine linen and full dress broadcloth.
Brighams picture would seem to make him ont
vigorous. handsome man Of forty, and justly
bestows on him presence to impress O fem1-
nine admlrer no less than its own sex. The
array OF pictures has just the same shade Of
gloss and like peculiaritiea Of color and treat
ment; so they are probably the recent work Of
the same hand. Maps Of Salt Lake City, Utah,
and that part Of the United States west of the
one hundredth degree Of longitude, hang else
where on the walls. The room contains seve-
ral large desks made Of expensive woods, highly
vanished, and two large tables Of beautiful
green
books and documents The floor is richly car
peted, the chairs large and luxurious. Three
or four carved bookcases, all closely filed, are
disposed in different spots next the wall.
PEN PICTURE OF THE PROPHET.
Now for q glance at Brigham himself as he
sits gravely upright in his chair, with his
large, broad feet making decent right angle
on the soft carpet. He-is- clad Q suit.
greenish cassimere-coat, vests and panta-
looms all Of the same piece all made roomy
and comfortable, with no pretensions what
ever to stylish build. The vest is cut 80 as to
reveal broad expanse Of white linen shirt and
heavy but tasteful watch chain, leading from
vest button-hole to the left vest pocket. A
crisply clean parti-celored silk pocket-handker-
chief is tied around his neck, and fastened in
q comely knot, as if freshly adjusted there
BY the last new bride. The occasion of this
addition to his ordinary costume ls trif1ing
disorder of the throat, incurred in preach
ing the funeral discourse OF Heber Klmball,
and following his remains to the grave. u
YOU chance to get near enough, you will
occasionally notice that he wheezes little
after speaking. His hair is still thick, and re-
tains much Of its original golden color. It is
neatly combed back, and it's tendency to turn
in under the ends increases o little. The
blonde face is good looking one in whole and
in detail, but far from easy to construe. The
forehead is broad, moderately high and well
marked in the perspective region over the
brows the eyes are keen IN their glance,
though light in hue and not naturally lus-
trous; the n use is good, strong, straight sort
of nose, aud has been handsome aquiline,
with sensual nostrils. The mouth can hardly
retain much Of its original form and expression.
Authority has remoulded and compressed it
until it is more like seam than q mouth.
When he speaks, the words seemed to be calm
" weighed by the brain, clipped by the teeth,
and finally squeezed through the left half Of
the almost lockedup lips. The jaw is the one
undisguisedly animal portion OF the face. It is
heavy, purplish in it's fulness Of blood, and
inclines to take on the double chin. The throat
is thick, the chest deep, the shoulders broad,
the arms rather short, the legs yeomanllke in
stoutness and the whole figure that of we'll
proportioned large man nearly six feet In
height, who has passed his prime and COM
menced to descend little. The predominant
expression OF his face is broad sort of
shrewdness. A profound knowledge of human
nature, combined with quick, solid intuitions,
and rare oapacity-a capacity Of iutelligently
dispatchine important work with rapidity and
no bustle-have placed Brigham Young where
he is. and made his little empire in the desert
one Of the wonders CT the world. For man OF
sixty-eight he is well preserved. Hardly q
gray hair is perceptibe in his head. But when
he walks across the floor there is sugges-
tion of old age, with its coming fabblness
and want of supple sinews.: His step lacks
elasticity, and his complexion the freshness
of vigor and ripe robgstitude. The Prophet
is going down hill. He is no longer young,
nor middle aged. Plough he has taken two
-. L, L. l,an