The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-16

Go years old, very fat and is cousin of Joe
Smith. He was man of sandy complexion,
but is now reduced to wig Smith is the
successor of Heber Kimball in the important
Office of Mormon antiquarian In other
words he is the Mormon Historical Society.
He has gathered together great library of
scarce books, showing the origin, services,
and history of every Mormon family. We
have not probably in any part of the United
States so thorough family record as the
Mormons have kept. Had the Pilgrim
Fathers followed such system, we should
have known at the present time the name,
origin, and circumstances of every man,
mother, dog and baby that came in the May
flower. Smith is an amiable man, who cares
nothing for money, and being one of the ori-
ginal Smiths, he has in some sort O sacerdotal
character
Q. Who is the third Mormon of conse-
quence2
A. Daniel A. Wells, native of Oneida
county, N Y. He is not wealthy, like Young,
and he commands the Mormon militia. He
is tall, spare, sandy-complexioned man,
sixty years old, and was not Mormon until
the gathering of the mob at Nauvoo. Wells
endeavored at Nauvoo to maintain the peace
between the Mormons and the mob, but the
mob broke the compromise he made, and
Wells, in passion, said that the rabble was
worse than the Mormons. Wells resembles
Judge Davis, of the Supreme Court, in his
big horse sense. He stuck to the Mormons
out of sympathy, and was finally baptized and
admitted into the fold. He is great admirer
of Brigham Young.
Q. Who is the fourth Mormon in influ-
ence?
A. Orson Hyde. He is, like the majority
of the Mermons, a sandy-haired man, weigh
ing two hundred pounds, good preacher
on practical topics, and about ffty-fve years
old. He has been over the world, like all the
Mormons except Young, and can talk as fami-
liarly about PAS aud Edinburgh as about
Omaha and SanF .Acisco.
Q. What Mormon is the fifth in inAu-
ence?
A. George @. Cannon, a native of Liver
pool, in England, forty three years old, the
editor of the Deseret NeooS, fine preacher,
and man of more education than almost
any other Latter Day Saint. He is Nor
mon of the second generation, having learned
his religion from his parents, who were Manx-
men from the Isle of Man.
Q. Is there opposition to Young among the
Mormons?
A. Yes, there is always more or less oppo-
sition. Sidney Rigdon, who was one of the
earliest converts of Joe Smith, fully expected
to have succeeded Smith as the Mormon
President He was an ambitious man, rest
less of holding a second place, who finally
the State of New York He retains no prac-
tical status among the Mormons.
Q. Is there any other Mormons of conse-
quence?
A. Yes, 0rson Pratt, fifty-fve years old, is
the finest preacher in the Church, very earn
est, and tolerably popular. Hooper, the
present delegate, stands about seventh among
the Mormon people, and he is also popular
with the Gentiles. He was never q poyga-
10 Of xuifa uhn
Mormon when he first became acquainted
with her, and is one of the largest business
men in the Territory, with not less than
| 100000.
| O. Which Mormons are most married?
A. Heber Kimball had the most wives
twenty-five in number. Brigham Young has
but fifteen wives, though the contrary is
often published. He probably has scores of
| spiritual wives, who are to be with him in the
next world, but who scarcely ever see him in
this. The Mormon women are frequently
united to dead men by spiritual marriage.
Joe Smith is married every day to some one
or two women because they reverence him
and wish to be at his side in the other world.
Polygamists give no support to their spiritual
wives.
Q. Do they think that polygamy is on the
decline at Salt Lake,
A. Undoubtedly nine-tenths at the present
time are not polygamists. The temple is not
opened by Brigham Young to the dissentient
Mormons, who are led by David Smith, but
the enemies of polygamy preach all through
the Territory, and make strength daily.
David Smith is, as you know, the son of Joe
Smith, born of one of his first wives (Emma),
after the murder of his father.
Q. Have the Mormons any curiosity about
the Oneida Community, and other schools
of polygamy and socialism throughout the
country?
A. Not bit. have heard them denounce
the Oneida Community as a goddess assecia-
tion of sensualists, without any faith. They
object to being connected in the books with
the various communistic isms which have
settled in the Mississippi valley.
"A Pawtucket mar, while riding in crowded
oil thn ind