The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-12
THE MORMON WIVES.
Their Modesty, Good Nature and Gener-
al Healthful Features.

vs.
al Healthful Features.
San Francisco Chronicle.
The tabernacle wall was undoubtedly
built by English Workmen. Within its
Enclosure is also very handsome Goth
ic church, constructed of granite, and
barely finished. There is also vast
temple going up there, which will stand
fer ages. II has been built for twenty
seven years, and hopes are entertained
that 1t will be completed five years
hence. The material is. cut granite of
the most enduring quality, which is
brought from some mountain twenty or
thirty miles distant. Before the railroad
TO Ogden was built the granite blocks
had to be transported by OK teams, but
they now come by rail. Evidently the
OF their religion. The great, temple is
not 10 be used for ordinary theological
purposes, but for solemn and awful GER
emonials, of which degraded outside
barbarians.. are not to be permitted
any knowledge of. It is
known. however, that the faithful
are to be Amounted within its sacred con-
fines, or CREASED ~ as the Gentiles term
1t. did not start out to write stereO-
tyed article on Salt Lake City. but mere
ly to lightly refer to its most conspicu-
Gus objects that attracted my attention.
There is one thing about the Mormon
women which is, eommendable. They
dress plainly and modestly. and have
none of the catch me-if you-can" airs
which Gentle women exhibit on the
streets of every city IN the United States,
with the sole exception of San Francis
CO. They do not f1irt-at least, not in
public. Nearly every saw who looked
like married woman, had 4 baby in
her arms. saw a large pasteboard card
hanging in the hotel labeled "Utah's best
crop" Being in search of Information,
and presenting that l might learn some
thing to my advantage, turned the card
over. On the opposite side were the
photographs in miniature of about 300
babies. There is no humbug about the
matter. From center to circumference
Utah has babies. The MormoAs differ
from outsiders on various religious
points, and are led about as a matter of
course.
1t is claimed that the Mormon women
carry a look of blank despair because of
the existence of polygamy in this terri
tory. That statement has been manu-
featured to order. The Mormon women
are not as intelligent as class, as the
women of American states and terrific
ries, for the majority of them, outside of
Salt Lake City, are poor European emil
grants or their descendants The country
is not developed, and educational adyan-
tages are not what they should be. The
Mormon women are cheerful, however
just as cheerful as any monogamic wife
who puts her husbands salary on her
back every month and sails down to the
matinee. It has also been claim ed that
Mormon babies are not up to the Gen.
tile standard-that they look weak, puny
and spiritless. That is another mere in
Yenti0n.. The race of people in the Salt
Lake valley may some day not be so Wig
orous as the people of some other dis
tant sections, but the distinction will
need to be attributed 70 the mildness ofthe
climate and not to polygamy- am no
friend to the peculiar institution; I alb
hor it; but don't believe it can ever be
extinguished by lying
AS l was taking stroll one evening
overheard two saints earnestly chatting
at a street corner. ITO think Of going
back to one lady! ~ was the Indignant. ex-
clamation Of one of the polygamic pair.
They appeared to regard with horror the
idea of tying a man down to one wife.
4 man was pointed out to. me on the
street as the ownerof one wife and three
breyet No. 4 was blooming girl of
IS The owner of these four women
was . man fully So years of age, ma.
tive of the state of New York, and edu-
Gated and intelIigent In Salt Lake City,
and in most portions of Utah. women
are spoken of as sladies'' A mans
wife is his slady," and his wives are bis
ladies" Many OF the dry goods clerks
| in Salt Lake City hav three wives
apiece How the deuce do these fel.
lows support so many wivesf In Cali
fornia q man who supports one does
amazingly we'll" This / said
to an old resident. WELL
he replied, sin multitude OF
cases it's the women who support the
men, Old Brigham used to preach &c
the women thai they must make them
selves useful as well as ornamental
They sew, take in washing and WORK
| generally. If they like il, what bushes.
| IS it to people thousand miles away 81
/ have seen much of polygamy; have
sojourned with thoroughly married mer
| with men who have as many wives a
many a monogamic wife has devoted
masculine admirers, have mingled
with Mormons in every part of the terri
tory; have partaken of their Hospitality
and talked and fFateFaiZed with them;
have seen their virtues and defects, anC
know their aspirations and absurd poiit
ical dreams. II is impossible, however
1 to get the whole thing into one article