The true northerner., 1871-05-26
A Curious Report of MOrmonism.-A
Visit to the Happy Family.

Visit to the Happy Family.
Even Mormonism finds a defender
outsid of its own limits. A correspon-
dent of the Chicago Times, writing from
Salt Lake City, asserts that the Mormon
women are perfectly contented under
the polygamous system. He writes:
Z" | received formal invitation from
a gentleman high in authority among
the Latter Day Saints to dine at his
house with himself and family, consist
ing Of eleven wives and more than
thirty children. | was prepared for n
very solemn and sedate feast. The hour
finally arrived, and with it | arrived at
the mansion of my polygamic friend.
Your correspondent has been about the
world some, and mingled in various
sorts of society without any distressing
degree of diffidence. But when he was
ushered into the spacious and elegantly
furnished drawing-room of his Mormon
host, and was introduced eleven times
to Mrs. Brown, the wife Of Mr.. Brown,
and every time Mrs. Brown was dis
tInct individuality, he admits to slight
perturbation of spirits, and feeling of
supreme and excruciating awkwardness.
Still, the introductions by Mr.. Brown
were genial, free-handed, and in no.
wise calculated to disturb equanimity.
But the change from monogamic
civilization was so novel and great that
for few moments it was hard to col
lect ones manners and proceed to gen.
eral conversation. However, the novelty
of affairs soon wore off, and the eleven
Mrs. Browns and Mr.. Brown and a few
invited guests were rafting away on all
sorts of interesting topics. They all
were jovIal, lady-like and evidently hap
py as any wives you ever saw. Thirty
three children were soon introduced,
and proved themselves as we'll behaved
and in conversation as polite and proper
as any juveniles | have ever seen. Gen
orally the children of Salt Lake City are
as bright and as well advanced in their
studies as you find anywhere.
Dinner was announced. The dining
room is spacious and well-furnished.
The doors and window-casings are of
mountain cedar, stained and striped
with gliding. The table is supplied with
china andsilver. About seventy persons,
including children, are soon seated and
after grace has been said roast turkey,
beef, mutton and boiled ham are served,
together with a general assortment OF
vegetables and their cOncomitants.
"The Mormon women are, taking
their own words for it, perfectly satisfied
with the system, and they certainly
commend it in most Jealous and earn
est manner Seated at that table were
ladies as well educated and accomplished
as you will find anywhere. At the head
of the table was the patriarch of the
family.
1.-The offspring in polygamous families
are physiologically quite superior, and
mentally exceedingly sharp. On Sun
day, | observed boy taking down, III
shorthand, the sermon of Elder Orson
Pratt. Upon inquiry, | learned that
the youth was John Q. Cannon, son ot
Elder Geo. q. Cannon, and that he was
only l3 years of age, could report With
enviable correctness, and had just fin
ished reading Cesars Commentaries in
Latin. Upon this | sought and made
the boys acquaintance, and found him tc
be a fine student, ambitious and dill
gent. And many other of the Mormon
youths whom | met evinced equal ad
vancement in intellectual pursuits.
"The Mormon people, numbering in
the territory of Utah more than one
hundred thousand souls, aggregate as
much of honesty. virtue and industry
as any other one hundred thousand hu.
man beings on the face of the earth.
AT one mission where | had the
pleasure of visiting | met the six wives
of my host and twenty-six children
The six wives had lived together hap
PLY and harmoniously, rearing THEN
children together, for eighteen years
and they all assured me that they would
not exchange places with any other
| wives in the world -