The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-09-06
BRIGHAM YOUNG.
Death of the Mormon Prophet Brief
Sketch of His Life.

Sketch of His Life.
Brigham Young, the Mormon saint,
whose death was recently announced,
was born in the town of Wilmington,
Vt, on the LIST day of June, 1901.
He was the son of farmer received
but little education, and learned the
trade of a painter and glazier He was
a member of the Baptist church, and is
said to have preached occasionally. In
1882 he joined the Mormons at Kirkland,
Ohio; was ordained elder; became one
Of the twelve apostles, and was sent to
the Eastern States in 1886 to make
proselytes, in which he was very sue
cessful. After the death of Joseph
Smith, in 1874, Young was one of the
four aspirants for the Presidency, and
was unanimously chosen to that Office.
His choice met general approval, and
soon after his rival, Sidney Rigdon, was
accommodated After the tragedy at
Nauvoo, Young set out with his follow
ers in 1916 for Salt Lake, which, he
persuaded them, was the promised land
He founded Salt Lake City, organized
the State of Deseret, and applied for
admission into the Union. This was
denied by Congress, but the Territory
of Utah was organized in 1850, and
Young was appointed Governor. In
1854, on the appointment Of Governor
who was not q Mormon, he defed the
authority of the Federal Government,
and in 1857 President Buchanan sent
Alfred Cumming, whom he had appoint
ed Governor, to Salt Lake, backed by q
force Of 2, 500 men. This brought mat
tiers to a crisis, and the Mormons sub
mitted, In 1852 Young proclaimed the
celestial law of marriage sanctioning po-
lygany, which he declared had been re-
vealed to Joseph Smith in 1913. Smiths
widow and her four sons at once de-
nounced this as forgery and headed
schism. But the personal power of
Young was such that he had little diff
Guilty in establishing polygamy as an in
stitution Of the church.
In height Young measured about 5
feet 8 inches, would weigh about 200
pounds, had light, curly hair, slightly
tinged with gray, horid complexion,
prominent but compressed mouth, show
ing great decision, and in outward APP
pearance was 8 man of character.
His fortune is estimated to be high SIS
six millions. In his answer to Ann
Eliza he claimed it was only $500, 900;
perhaps twice this sum would be nearer
the truth. In round numbers his fam
lily consists Of sixty-fve persons. He
has built houses for many of his wives
and several of his children, but up to
the time Of his sickness deeds had never
been given to any of them, though it is
probable that they are all executed.
In some respects Brigham Young was
remarkable man. He has figured in
his time and generation as character in
the history of the United States and in
the development of the country lying
west of the Missouri, and the compile
ton of the railroad across the American
continent has certainly been advanced
ten years by the fact Of his existence.
He has added many of the rites and
ceremonies and institutions now connect
ed with the church that were unknown
in Smiths time, and the missionary
branch is not exceeded, if equaled, by
any church In Europe or America
What effect the death of this really
remarkable man will have on the church
Of which he is the head, and more still
on the peculiar heresy Of polygamy, Of
which he was the particular prophet,
priest, and king, cannot now lie deter
mined. 1t would not be surprising,
however, if with his downfall came also
the downfall Of polygamy, and that, rid
of this clog, Mormonism took its place
among the permissible beliefs of the
religious world.