Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-04-23
BEAUTIES OF POLYGAMY.
A Striking Illustration OF tie Celestial
Order of Marriage.
Salt Lake Anti-Polygamy Standard.

Salt Lake An,i-Polygamy SIauoard
The following was related by the wife
of noted United States explorer to u
gentle lady of this city, who will voueh
for its genuineness: while travelling
in Southern Utah we came to small
settlement, where we we're detained for
a day or two by inclement weather.
We found shelter in the humble, but
neat and hospitable home of mono
gamist saint, whose family hated poly
gamy, and through whose influence we
were permitted glance at some OF the
beastliutss that characterizes the pecu'
liar institution. Only short distance
from the dwelling of my friendly enter.
tanners there stood q miserable adobe
hut, could not conscientlously call it a
house, where lived saint with three
wives, all of whom had families. My
hostess made some neighborly errand
an excuse for paying them a visit, and
permitted me to accompany her; but
before gong she made me acquainted
with the relationship existing between
the three women who were living with
and had borne children to the same
man.
"The first and second women were
sisters. The latter had been widow
with one child when she married her
sisters husband. When this child had
grown to be about 16 years old her step
father had also married her, but after
q few months she left and was sealed to
another man as plural wife, by whom
she had two children. Then he died,
and she had returned to her first nus.
band, bringing her children with her,
the eldest of whom at the time | am
speaking of was girl about Is years
old, and my informant stated tor u fact
that the old wretch had thoughts of
marrying her too.
"When we entered the hut the scene
that met my eyes totally beggars de-
scription. Imagine one low, smoky,
filthy room serving as liying.room and
sleeping apartment for three women
and their offspring; some of the latter
almost grown up, the majority, how
ever, being little children. could
never have dreamed of such dirt, rags,
and squalor existing in Christian
country. l had seen nothing equal to
it even among the Digger Indians; in
fact, the latter were quite civilized in
comparison. But the worst of my
story is yet to come.
"The girl of whom my hostess had
spoken as probable bride of her
grandfather was sitting in a corner sob
bling and crying. Upon inQuiring the
cause of her distress, we were told
quite frankly that her grandfather had
given her severe castigation for
speaking disrespectfully about poly.
gamy, and declaring that she would
never become the wife of her mothers
and grandmother's husband. When
we left could not restrain my indigna-
ton, and said, what lovely religion
this is to make such beasts out of hu.
man creatures
"It is not religion, but the lack Oft,
that makes them beasts, quietly re.
joined my hostess, and you will find
many cases as bad as this one If you
travel far in Utah.
"But the sequel is still more horrible.
About year afterward we had occasion
to pass through that particular settle
ment again, and for day were the
guests of our former hostess. She told
me that the young girl was really seal.
ed to her grandfather, being literally
forced into it by her own mother and
grandmother under circumstances so
revolving that delcacy forbids me from
repeating them even to one of my own
sex. Even in that polygamic commu
nifty the excitement was so great that
talk was had of lynching the degraded
trio, the man and the two elder women,
but the feeling soon Oassed over and
was eventually forgotten or only re.
membered as an episode of his pecu-
liar religion"