The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-13
INCIDENTS OF MORMONISM.

INCIDENTS OF MORMONISM.
WAS introduced last evening, at the
residence of friend in the city, to lady
of Intelligence who was for twelve years
t. wife of Mormon, and who resided
from 1857 to 1869 in the Mormon CAPT.
tai. Although her husband had un-
bounded faith in most of the tenets of
the religion he protested, he never ac-
cepted the doctrine of plurality of wives.
His wife was a Mormon only in name,
and upon the death of her husband, in
1869, she left Utah and took up her resi-
dence with sister in indianapolis, where
she now resides, being in Rochester
merely on visit to friends. am not at
liberty to give her name, but obtained
from her number of interesting remi-
niscences of her life in Salt Lake City.
Her husband was a civil engineer, and
was converted to Mormonism in England,
by Brigham Young, in 1874. He came
to this country in 1856, and married my
informant in Piqua, Ohio, the next year,
when they emigrated to Utah.
81 knew Brigham Young" said this
lady, land l shall never have any but
kindly recollections of him as a man.
Our house was one of the few he visited,
although our circumstances were limited.
He liked my husband, who had contrived
a very ingenious apparatus connected in
some way with the gas-works, which
pleased Brigham very much. The sec
ond day after went to Salt Lake heard
Brigham preach. Twas not used to hear
ifrin 10
fools in the pulpit, and using similar ex-
pressisns more vigorous than pious, and
so was not very favorably impressed
with his sermon. l got used to that style
of preaching, however, and went quite
frequently to the Tabernacle. Brigham
once in my presence told my husband
that he had a nice wife picked out for
him, and that he had better take her at
once and bring her home as company for
me. replied that if my husband at
tempted to copy after him young, and
took a new wife every little while, he
would find that part of Salt Lake City too
warm for his comfort. Brigham laughed
heartily at this, and said l wouldn't be
the right kind of wife for Mormon
prophet to start out with. l was bold
enough to say that if the Mormon Proph-
ct had had just such wife to start out
with the Mormon religion would have
been the gamer. For moment there
was a grave expression on his face that
frightened me, but it cleared away, and
he said quickly. and rather sharply: We
won't discuss that; we won't discuss that
l had many social chats with Brigham
Young in my house after that, but theo-
logical matters were never mentioned.
He evidently knew | was not orthodox,
and often wondered that there was no
pressure ever brought to bear on me to
make me SO. know of many person
who had to take the choice of being more
ardent in the cause or of seeking other
quarters. But l gave in passive ad-
herence to the religion, contributed all
could afford to its support, and mingled
with the Mormon families exclusively.
My husband was orthodox enough for US
both, guess.
In 1859 younger sister of mine Wis
tied us. She lived in Chicago. She is
married now, and has the distinction of
having refused the hand and harem of
Brigham Young. He met her at our
house, and only three days afterward
asked her to become his wife-his twelfth,
l think. She refused the honor with con-
siderable indignation, and was in such
terror lest Brigham should seize and force
her to marry him that she asked permits
sion of a party of tourists, who were on
their way east after trip overland to
California, to accompany them back,
which she did the next day. The Nor
mons had everything their own way
in those days, and often tremble to
think what might have befallen the girl
in thus defying the head of the church.
believe if it had been John D. Lee, or
Orson Pratt, or Bishop Hyde, instead of
Brigham, my sister would have either
become sealed or would. never have
left Utah. And / think now that it
was more consideration for US than any
scruples he had that made Brigham sub.
NIT to defeat so calmly. l knew that
Folsom woman long before she got to be
Brigham Young's favorite wife. She
married him after left Utah She was
ignorant, coarse and the most dlsagreeable
person ever met. From all can learn,
after she became Mrs. Young, Brigham
neglected the personal wants of his other
wives. 1t was all Folsom's work if he
did. He made daily calls upon his wives
all the time lived in Salt Lake City, and
they we're the best provided for Of any
of the Mormon women. knew them
all, some of them quite intimately, and
never heard one of them complain of
neglect of any kind. remember one of
his wives had one of the worst behaved
children l ever saw-a boy, then about
seven years old. He would tear his clothes
totatters, break everything that was break
able, curse and swear, and fight anybody
and anything. Brigham Young was his
father, of course, and saw the Prophet
one day deliver such chastisement to
the young hopeful, in the open street, as
he must have vivid recollections of to
this day, if he is alive. The punishment
was inflicted at the request of the boys
mother, who was unable to master him.
"Do think Brigham Young knew of
the Mountain Meadow massacreP What
| have read of that murder is all | really