The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-27
lOUNG'S IiAREM.
A Directory of the Prophets Wives and Chill
drcn-What the Nineteenth Wife Says

i Mrs. Ann Eliza Young, the last and recent
lily divorced wife of Brigham Young, told TIT
story of her life at Denver, Colorado in
Ipublc lecture last Wednesday evening. Tn,
Denver Ne,ns, which reports the lecture Il
length, says her manner was quiet anC
straightforward, creating very favorable i'm
Iprcssion. Subjoined are the more interesting
IpOrtiOns of her lecture:
Her parents were born in New York, hel
father Joining the Mormon Church at %, and
Iher mother becoming convert'at IL years
They had five children, she being the young
est She was born Sept Is, 1914. in lS4e
she cmigratcd to Salt Lake. She had never
known anything but the Mormon religion
from her earliest years; she believed it TO be
true because her parents so believed it. AT
the age Of eight years, she was baptized by
Immersion and again when III years old, al
Tier she was received into the endowment
house. The endowments, or secret rites OF
IMormonisn, are a sort OF allegory in blank
verse, paraphrased form the Scriptures and
iNilton's Paradise Lost. There are rooms
| fitted up with scenery adapted to the perform.
ance Of drama representing the creation OF
Imam. his fall, the coming Of Christ and the
priesthood of Joseph Smith. In the perform
lance Brigham Young takes the partof Eloim
Tor the head God, while other prominent men
(rcprcscnt Jesus, Satan, Micnael, and the
IApostlcs Different degrees Of the AaroniC
land iIeichlzcdek priesthood are conferred,
at each stage of which the candidate is re
lquired to take oaths Of sccrcsy, accompanied
with barbMouB penalties, should they dare To
violate them. They are also given new
name by which they will be known ia the
kingdom of God. The entire ceremony is
profane and of little interest to the outside
world, except where the candidate takes a
solemn oath to bear eternal hostility to the
Government of the United States and aycngc
the murder of The prophet Joseph smith"
In this ceremony the women wear IA long
robe which j. placed on the right shoulder,
i, gathered at the waist with strings and
flows tn the floor; there is an apron OF linen
covered with green silk and embroidered
with fig lcave=--the nearest approach to the
paridsical apron that Is consistent with our
climate The men wear cap Of linen SINH
lar to those worn by stone masonS, The Ia
dies cap, are OF Swiss muslin, with u vail Of
the same, which has pretty effect The in.
tcnscly funny appearance of the men i'll this
costume is Irresistible. This is the custumc
IN which the MormOns are prepared for the
grave
One of the most interesting portions of this
lecture is that which treats OF Brigham
Young and his family Brigham was 70
years of age last June He has nineteen
wives: fifteen of these are his own for time
and eternity; the other .Our are proxy wives,
beng widows of Joseph Smith The chill
dren of their union with Brigham are credit
cd to Joseph smith and go to swell his king
dom. All plural wives are known by their
maiden names. to distinguish one from the
other. The following is a correct list Of
Brgham's wives in the order of their mar
rlagc Mary Ann Angel, Lucy Decker, Mrs
Augusta Cobb, Harriet Cook, Clara Decker
Emclnc Free, Lucy Bi.low, Zena ID. Hunt
ngton, Susan Snivcly, Margaret BIerce, Mrs.
Twiss, Emily Partridge, Martha Baker, Eli
"a Burgess, Eliza r. Snow, Harriet Barney,
Amelia Folsom. Mary Van Cott, and Ann
Eliza Webb, the nineteenth and last. Brig
ham has two large houses, called the Bee
Hive and the Lion House. There is one wife
in the Beehive and six in the other. The
rest are scattered throughout the city and
Territory. His three eldest sons have follow
ed the pOlygamous example of their father.
, He has - living children; the most of them
are grown and married There are % girls
and lG boys in his family. His son John W.
ha, rcnounccd polygamy by discarding his
| first and second wives, and retaining his
/ third. Seven Of Brigham's daughters taste
the sweets Of plural marriages. Two OF the
seven call Hiram b. Clawson husband, two
are allied To George Thatcher, and two Ia
Mark Cuxall, the second is the mate oi
Thomas Williams. Amelia Folsom is the
only wife Brigham lives with at present. He
has forsakcn all Cor her. Upon this favOrtt
wife he lavishe- all the care and attention the
most devoted monogamist could possibly be
stow upon his companion, At present he is
erecting a mansion for her that will cost a
least 100000. Brigham loves her better
than ali Others he is afarid of her, and thi:
is where lies her success over him Ameli'
uses The yilcsi language in her common con
vcr.ation.