, 1877-08-04
brigham Youngs Harem.

successor OF his father, caIieu iOI uS q"
NJ and took US 10 the Lion House TO
meet his fifteen mothers and forty-hve
brothers and sisters. They were not all
,resent. fsr it wsEld be impossible for the
propbet to assemble his entire family at
one time. Hiram Clausen, Brigham
double son-in-law, was present with TWO
wives. several children, and photographs
of the rest, which made UP the number
10 tyenty-seven. Daniel II. Wells, with
one or two of his SIX wives, and MAJOR
Little, a nephew OF the Prophet, were
also present. The form Of introduction
used by the Prophet was very simple. We
were conducted all around the room, and
before each wife he would say:
NV wife Amelia, or Nary or Cornelia'
as the case might be
| suppose we said, happy 70 meet you,
Mrs Young al least dozen times 1t
got TO be very monotonous, and when we
began to be presented to the Prophets S
children and grandchildren, we become
so badly mixed as TO which was which and
who was who that we postponed all mem
o,v and continued our salutations like a
parrot
Brigham Young's wives had generally a
good old motherly-in-israel look bis
first wife whom he married IN the States
in his early youth, is a venerable old lady;
She lives all by herself in beautiful
house, and is highly respected by all the
Younger wives and their children She
is the mother OF John W. and Brigham
Young. Jr All of his wives are remark
able for good sense, though they are all
old-fashioned and dress very plainly. The
Prophet SAYS Ann Eliza was the only weak
headed wife he ever had.
4 married Ann Eliza, he said, 'to please
her parents and to keep her from gong to
min. But she played false to me, went
off with strange men, kept me in constant
hot water with my other wives, and L was
clad when she ran away from me, as she
did from her first husband. Ann Eliza
would never work. She was always light
headed and frivolous.
find that all Mormon women are ac-
customed to work, for no Mormon family
ever keep any servants. When the work
becomes too heavy in Mormon family
for one wife, another wife is added. Each
of the Prophets wives, We found, oecupi-
ed separate apartments i'll the Lion House
or small houses by themselves outside.
The meals of all the families in the Lion
House are taken in the same large room.
In cases where Mormon marries sisters,
which is very frequent occurrence, the
sisters generally live together. 1t Is thus
with two of Hiram Clausen' wives, daugh-
ters of Brigham Young. Mr.. Clausen'
third wife has house by herself. Brig
ham Young's wife Amelia also has a sep
arate house by herself, and exercises
great influence over the Prophet. She i:
the fayorite OF the Prophets young
J wives.
1t is considered very fortunate thins
among Salt Lake young ladies when two
sisters can marry the same husband. Il
prevents any jealousy, and such famiiie:
seem to move on very happily. In order
| to get at the true inwardness' of the Nor
mon family relationships. We questioned
several of the Prophets small children
is that little girl over there your sis
( terri Z asked one of the Prophets littlt
/ boys.
No, sir she is my half-sister, he replied
is not her mother your mother ! | con
tinued
NO, her mother is my aunt.
Then you only have one motherP
That's all. All the rest are aunts.
And still at the hotel, when we asked
little Mormon boy how many mother
he had, he replied
-Four, sir.
What four mothers, and only one "a
therF 2
This little boy, l thought beats the or
thodox New Engianders. They boast o
their forefathers, but here is a boy VIII
boasts OF his four mothers.
We found that the younger daughter
or the Prophet are opposed to the doubl
wife system. One beautiful daughter 0
the Prophet recently married Mr. Harris
the handsome manager of the Mormon
theatre. Mrs. Harris when she married
stipulated that her husband should neve
take second wife. SO, as the Mormon
become cultivated, | find the prejudic
against polygamy increases. Cultivation
and refinement viii eventually kill polyg
amy.
During our visit the Prophet occupie,
his time talking in random, semi-philos
optical manner to grown people, an,
shaking hands in a patriarchal name
with the children.
Let's see what is your nameP h,
would say, taking hold of the grandchild'
hand.
My name is Nathaniel, sir.
/ '0h, this is daughter Mary's little boy
isn't it ? the Prophet would say, lookin,
at MIR. Clausen. 1t seems that Brigham
cannot remember his grandchildren. II,
says he don't try to any more
While we were talking brother in tn,
church called and said
Brother Brigham, called to get you
carriage for my sons funeral
Your son by Helen 2 said the Prophe
feelingly
Yes, Helen's boy; 27 years old HI
died last night
'0h, yes take the carriage, Brother
John ! He was a good boy-paid hi
tithing regularly, and took good care O
his mother. Can l do anything else ?