The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-09-30

The Mormons m they werc and - tl.sy
are MISUNDERSTANDING tableware in
IN Faith--Ihe Almightys Dollar
the sAAmiShty' Notor OF the
Church. and other Facts.
For the Miner, by a Special Correspondent.
The paradise of the Saints was not only dis
tressingly quiet but also f~earfully dry when I
left there. In fact there had not been known
such remarkably dry weather for many years
previously. No water coursed in many parts
Of the city where before had been copious, linn
pid streams; and rs q consequence OF this
ireGrth of the elixir of life clouds of dust arose
almost every day that made the sale of goggles
to drivers and pedestrians a no less lively than
lucrative business. Added to all this misfor-
tune and discomfort, was the fact that consid-
cradle areas of timber and brush on the noun
tains were on nrc. 1t was literally a scene of
a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night -
and as the smoke descended, and penetrated in
one direction and another, 1t hung, at times,
for hours, like q heavy, funeral pail oil over the
valley. And, again, the lake was diminishing
in superficial area very extensively and rapidly.
Parts of 1t were uncovered, away out for miles
from the old line of the shore, that had not been
bare within the memory of the Oldest Mormon.
AIN N"hsAN - c"A 4 W0b ~ j
about five times greater than at any correspond
lug period during the preceding decade. Great
piles of 1t had been accumulated to be used in
smelling and for other purposes. Enterprising
spectators had scraped some of these piles
together with a view to selling the salt by the
bushel to those too much in q hurry or disin.
clined to accumulate it themselves. 3 It was
said, but 1 will not vouch for the truth OF the
assertion, that there was q small quantity Of
gold in nearly oil the salt that had been gath
cred. presume 1t is of that kim that may be
characterized as & "
{ PIcKLED GOLD.
There is a large quantity of this precious metal
IN the Tribune office where st. F. mot Patrick
but Prescott) ''saus it away" in the safe, daily.
And, by the way, l may say that the Iyfoaaae is
doing quite a tiourishing business not only In
vigorously combating the untenable and beastly
teachings of the Mormon leaders but also In
laying up wealth.
I was shown u letter, by one of the editors of
the Tribune, that had COM to that Office from
the first wife of a Mormon. 1t was heart-rend-
ing to read it, and when I said SO, the editor
remarked:
"Oh! that does not surprise us. We are in
receipt of many such letters nearly every day.
They are sent here from the households of the
highest as well as the lowliest Mormons. The
Tribune has come to stand in the position of a
confessional. The women seek advice, in some
instances, and in others send facts for the guild
ance of the editors that they may know where
10 strike with the most telling effect. If we had
room to publish all the letters we receive, and
just as they come to hand, the sensation pro-
duced would prove quite startling" Letters
to the Salt AXE Tribune from Mormon Wives ,
would, no doubt, command an extensive sale.
No thanks Mr.. Lockley! There is a bonanza in
it and, therefore. let us ave The letters in full.
In talking with another individual, an Eng
lishman, who had been a Mormon and aposta-
tized, he said:
There is no more religion in the hearts and
minds of the Mormon leaders than there is in Q
wild beast. All they are after is
MONEY, POLITICAL POWER AND WOMEN
The idea they do not drink intoxicating bever-
ages is a false one. Many of even the highest of
them guzzle large quantities of beer, and some
more particularly those In the country imbibe
diluted alcohol which they buy under The pre-
tense 1t is for medicinal purposes. I remember
when our party came out here: we had a mis-
sIonary along who could not oe induced (at
least openly, as far as we could find out) to
touch a drop of spirituous liquor while in Europe
but, 10 and behold! when we reached Ogden
when he had netted the prey and there was no
chance. for retreat-he abandoned all disguise
and got gloriously drunk. W. thought 1t was a
misfortune,' at first, but we afterwards found
it was a nabit he INDUCED in when at home.
The same hypocricy runs through all their
dealings. l was in good circumstances once, In
England, but I sold my place and came out
here expecting to do better, under the represent
tations made to me by the Mormon agents in
europe. Often l have given the elder a pound
when at home. The most of US gave him moth
ing less. Do you think they help me now that 1
am poor? Not a bit of it, no more than If I was
IA dog. Now as to labor. Workmen are paid III
home-deal, coop or Enoch Order scrip but when
they seek cash for it the discount inflicted is
sometimes eXtortionately heavy and this does
not occur between Mormons and Gentiles but
among the Mormons themselves. There is a
great deal of dissatisfaction among the poorer
Mormons, who ere commencing to see they
have been grossly deceived and that the Church
is nothing more than a
~CORMoRANT.
There is Mr.. Watt, the first convert who was
baptized in England and who was for q long
Time in Brigham's office: his testimony Is of like
character, and he has seeded from the ring be-
cause he found the Church, as it is called, a
delusion, a snare and a fraud. Now as to the
coop stores: you might suppose that goods are
sold cheaper there than wi but such is
not the fact. Many things can be purchased
cheaper in the Gentle than in the coop estab-
lishments, and if it was not for GENTLE compe-
tftion the coop prices would be a great deal
higher than they are. Look at the Mormons'
children. Can you fail to see that vastly more
than u majority are growing up in a woeful
state of ignorance, and this because the leaders
in the Church oppose free public schools even
while thew know the parents are too NOR tn nav
the rate demanded for tuition in the Mormon
secular establishments; and I tell you when a
man starts in to raise all the children he can,
and has plenty of material to work upon, and
is successful, it costs something to educate his
little ones. The morality of the Children is below