The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-10-07
"a Frse-Spoken Young Mormon
Woman.

Il r .
| A larger and finer orchard than ordina
~ attracted my attention, and rs the gat'
stood invitingly open, I walked forwar,
to where two women sat beneath tret
preparing fruit for drying, and proposot
to purchase dozen or two OF peaches
Fruit In plenty was offered, and NIL pay
refused, and while took . profi6red seat
the younger lady. u bright. lively, volublt
woman, entered at once into conversation
by asking what State I had como from.
How do you know I am not Ut.f
manr asked.
oh, knowed you was q Gentle the
minute you stepped In Mt tho gate. anu
you bet everybody knows 1t the minute
they SEQ you, was tho reply.
Further conversation showed that the
lady had quite q history. She told me
her father came to Sclt Lake twenty-one
years ago, and she was tho third white
child born In the place.
But / couldn't see 1t In my way to mar.
ry Saint, not much; though was raised
In It and do believe in the religion. NIL but
that '-.s .r i-sHr ,.-.. .. ...f
Is your father Mormour vcnturcd
to ask. I4--i 81 'r ,T.... I'll
%. yes, and got four women; only one
wife, mind you, that's my mother; but
four women, who call themselves his
wives. never was raised To know any
thing else. but when I was nineteen father
married mo to Gentle. cause he could
not help himself, reckon. My husband
was raised next door to me. anil went To
California and staid five years, and rs
soon as no came back he WIS married.
I'd staid an old maid thousand
years hfore I'd taken pluralist. Plu-
rality Is all well enough for the men, but
common.scnse shows that II don't suit tho
women ..
why, then. do some of them hold up
for It p 80 =, f.r. -.
We'll, they think they must to get sal.
vation; it's n part of their religion, and
sometimes they get along pretty well.
We never had any trouble In fathers fam.
ily. The children all growed up just like
brothers and sisters, and treated each other
sO.| Father always taught me to respect
his other women. and did so. But, law,
I've seen such sights in other families!
Why, I've seen our noighbor's women just
pull the hair out OF each others heads.
There's so many men. when they get n
young wife. will lot her abuse tho old one
and encourage her to do 1t. "
"I've seen the man stand by and say,
Go In, kill her IL you can.' Now. there
Is Ephe, Roberts, right over thero-p0int.
ing to stone house near tho mountain
he brought real young wife from New
York, now goin' on sixteen years ago,
and she worked awful hard. l tell you
why, Two known her to do all her own
work when Epho. had three hands and
the threshin'- machine Mt his house, and
sometimes worked out in the field, oound
wheat and raked hay, which you know Is
awful hard work on delicate. New York
woman-ain't rs If she'd been raised to II,
LILO we folls,-and after MI, just last year,
Ephe. went and married another woman,
n real young one, not over twenty; and,
don't you think. this spring she knocked
Maria-that's his first wife-down with
tho churn dashcr and scalded her. Ephe.
stood by, and Just said, Go In Luce; kill
her II you cam It all started about n
churn, too. Both wanted to use 1t Mt once.
Maria had It, and her butter was little
slow n-comin', and they got tmad, and Luce
struck her, and then snatched tho kettle
right of tho stove. and then poured hot
water on her feet, so she fell down when
she tried to run otlt. And what was the
result, fin,llyp Well, Maria leit him; OF
course she had to or be killed.
ats vcry nice. though, for tho men: /
had dozen chances to marry old Nor
mons; but, law! wouldn't give that for
nll of 'cm. Why, Just turn things, and
let woman have two or three men. and
SEQ how they'd like that! There wouldn't
be no mnrdurin' done in these parts--O,
no! And I reckon, a woman has rs fine
feclins' rs u man. tell you. If my hus-
band ever Joins 'em. or tries to get another
wife, on that day I'll hunt another Cen
tile; you bet!" ...> > ..h
The testimony OF "this Witness" pro-
fessionally speaking. was certainly plain :
nor did she trouble mo tn cross-examine.
but gave her views freely. / note one
singular fnct In all similar cases: During
n long residence In. Utah ] have never In
n single instance talked ten minutes with
q young lady Of polygamous family that
did not manage In some way TO tell me
that she was the daughter Of tho first or
legal wife, If such was tho case. Ifsi.ent
on that point, It may safely DO presumed
they are of polygamous mothers. And In
more than one instance hayo known
them to falsely claim Legitimate birth.