Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-15
Mingled With the MsrmOns.
Correspondence NeIO Orleans PicGywne.

September 9, 16S1.-DeGT Pc: Just
one thousand miles west of Omaha, on
one of the greatest railroads in the world,
the Union Pacific, the traveller alights at
Ogden, Utah, and after eating fine sup
per, takes the branch railroad for Salt
Lake City. OF course he is on the alert
to have a view of Mormon, real live
one, and when he asks the handsome,
polite conductor to show him one, he
blandly remarks, 81 am a Mormon, so is
the engineer, likewise the baggage mas
ter and the brakesman."
The picture of Mormon, drawn in
the travellers imagination, is fierce
looking man with a grizzly beard, and
fiery, untamed eyes, who thirsts for
clotted gore; but he is much surprised
to see what quiet, peaceable people they
are.
Well, after two hours running along
the shores of the Great Salt Lake, the
train stops at the north end of one of
the handsomest little cities in America
the ''Stake of Zion" Salt Lake City is
situated at the foot of spur of the
Wasatch Mountains, at an elevation OF
4,300 feet above sea level, and has a
population of $4,000 souls. The city
occupies slightly descending terrace,
and is laid out in blocks Of ten acres
each. All the streets are 132 feet in
width (which is nearly as wide as our
Canal street., and the sidewalks measure
twenty feet. Street cars run over all
parts of the city, and the electric light
is used very extensively. Indeed the
streets and shops are rendered as bright
as day by the Brush patent, which would
be quite comparison to the miserable
two feet gas burners of New Orleans.
am almost ashamed to admit that
New Orleans, our own dear city, is far
behind all the cities of the North and
West in point of public spirit and enter
prise. The largest building in Zion is
the Tabernacle, which can seat $4,000
people The acoustics are so perfect
that a person standing at the opposite
end from the pulpit can almost hear a
pin drop on the floor.
There is building being erected now
which will take five years to complete,
and will cost upwards of seven millions
of dollars. 1t is the Mormon Temple.
The money is all subscribed This
morning bright and early, the writer
called on Brigham Young, Jr., the eld-
est son of the late lamented President OF
the Mormons. He is a man of about
forty-five years, and disposed to be very
pleasant in his manner and conversation.
In answer to few questions he gave the
following bit of information: "In 1847
Brigham Young and LOT families
journeyed from Ohio to the present
site of the city, a distance of nearly
three thousand miles, and three months
were consumed in making the trip,
amidst the greatest hardships and perils.
Trappers' trails were the only guide, and
most of the train wagons were drawn by
men. Joseph Smith, the Mormon
Prophet, who was murdered in Car
thage, Ohio, in 1874, and who was the
founder of the Mormon religion, had
sent band to explore the Rocky Noun
tains, with view to find place where
the Saints could locate and enjoy an i'm
munity from NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Salt
Lake was selected as the most suitable,
and Brigham Young, the newly elected
President, carried out the plans Of the
murdered Prophet. In 1848 he returned
to the East, and after six months of hard
work succeeded in bringing 800 more
families from Ohio, Illinois and Mis-
souri, The city was then laid out,
government organized, crops sowed, and
the foundation of the future religion set
on firm footing. My father had eight
wives then, and did not increase the
number until several years afterwards.
His residence was called the
Beehive, and all business pertaining to
the church and city government were
transacted in his private Office. His
eight wives lived here until his family
grew so large that he had to erect an
other building. Polygamy has always
been an Objectionable feature in the eyes
of the Gentiles, but l assure you there
are only about one half of our brothers
who practice it. The other half are sim
gle or possess but one wife. l, myself,
have only three wives. There are no
people in this country who are more mis-
represented or more ill-used than the
Mormnns. We are honest in our con-
victions, and practice no deception on
any one. We have courts, judges and
policemen, but they are generally idle,
as you see. 1t is very rarely that any
of our commandments are broken, and
peace and prosperity rule the
whole State. The word Nor
mon is derived from the name of
the Saint who lived 1900 years before
Christ, and who appeared to the Prophet
Smith in the spirit and directed him
where to look for the plates upon which
the Book of Mormon was written. /
had forty sisters and brothers
when my father died, in addition to sew
enteen celestial mothers. My fathers
estate was reckoned at two millions,
mostly real estate and mines. / believe
it is generally stated that our religion is
on the decline since my fathers
death. The statement ts un-
true. Why, only last month, we had
an addition of six hundred and fifty
people from Kentucky. Our church
population is increasing all the time
Only one eighth of the inhabitants of
this city are Gentiles. Good morning,
sir"
Now, when the stranger is going
around to view the sights, his attention
is naturally drawn to the large number
of women and children. The women
are, without exception, homelY, although
some of the girls are pretty, and the
natural conclusion is that they have lost
their last chance IN the East, and have
come to Utah to realize woman's greatest
hope-marriage. 1t is a very common
sight to see one man walking down the
street with from three to six wives, and
each wife carrying babe in her arms.
All the elders of the church have private
burying grounds of their own. Brigham
Young has eleven children and seven
wives buried beside himself, all waiting
for the last trumpet.
Although the Mormons claim to be
quiet and law-abiding; although they are
prosperous and happy and exert no direct
influence on other religions, they are
disgrace to the American people. Nor
monism is nothing but religious cloak,
and a shabby one at that, for the protec.
ton of those men who wish to indulge
their basest passions without stint or
compunction of conscience. They have
agents and missionaries over the entire
world, and proselytes are continually
arriving to swell the population of Utah,
and add to the ignomlny Of our grand
country.
To say that Mormonlsm stinks in the
nostrils of the civilized nations of the
globe, would be but drawing it mild. To
say that polygamy is to be tolerated in
this country, is to admit that women are
only slaves, as in the Eastern harems.
and that men are only beasts. 1t is an
infamy and dishonor which should hs
wiped out and totally obliterated from
America. Congress should pass such
laws and the press and people should see
that the government carried out those
laws to eradicate the evil. Every Nor