The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-17
POLYGAMOUs MARRIAGES.
How They Are Made-The Records of a
Double COurtship, as Related by the
Husband
Salt Lake Letter, in Chicago News.

tive store has told me how he contracted
polygamous marriage and l will try to re-
peat his story as nearly as 1 can just as he
gave it to me. 1t is after dinner in the old
Townsend House. and in the very same room
occupied by Artemus Ward many years ago.
The Superintendent sits in an armchair and
talks while l lean forward interested more
than can tell. Our cigars are unlit.
You have asked" he says, about the
courtship for a second marriage, and whether
the sutton works over his old loye-letters,
improves on his old methods, and whether,
being a married man himself, he proceeds
more boldly, or, in the light of a new affec-
tion blushes, stammers and hesitates as in
his callow days. Well, 1 am going to tell
you my own experience"
He is an Englishman, and pass the claret
jug, which he lifts, and then begins.
you see 1 was a Mormon in England be-
fore L came here. In fact l was born Nor
mon. In 1866, when quite a lad, | came to
Salt Lake City, and got a position in the
stores. Brigham Young took a fancy to me
and advanced me very rapidly, and i'll few
years l was cashier, at salary OF 500
month. About that time | met my first wife,
herself the child of IA polygamous marriage
and d staunch believerin pOlygamy. After
short courtship, in which there was romance
enough TO make it interesting, we were mar
ried. You Can readily understand that at
the time 1 was more interested in making
myself position than in anything else.
don't mind saying that was, if not opposed
to polygamy, at least not an advocate of it,
and l never deemed it a possibility that
would marry second wife. We had two
children, and my wffe did do everything to
aid me and make our home happy. She was
successful, too, and L have never forgotten
it, either.
"One evening we were at party and
saw there the prettiest, most attractive girl l
her before L knew it, and 1 went
around trying to get an introduction
to her L didn't succeed, but finally
l came to my wife and asked who
that girl was. She says, That's Belle Wells,
daughter OF General Wells, the mayor of
Salt Lake. Well says |, 4 want an intro
duction to her My wife says She's my
oldest and best friend. | will secure you the
introduction She did, and Miss Wells
made such an impression on me as no woman
had ever done before. H
But it didn't stop. We didn't see each
other for some days bntI was really very
much distressed, and she was, too for few
days afterward. Mrs. Wells herself, one OF
five wives and Bellies mother, came to the
store to see me. What's the matter with
you and Belle? says she. l told her nothing
that L knew OF. We'll, she's sick and wants
to see you All right says 1, 1 will go and
see her. l went up to the house and found
Belle in bed, very pale and sick locking.
Now, you could have got bets of thousand
to one right here III Salt Lake that Belle
Wells would never marry in polygamy.
She was opposed to it"
what did you say to Belle?' 1 asked.
well l forget exactly. | said: You sent
for NJ 4 iAyNif icl,o
piled. We'll, you wanted me to come said
l. Yes. did, very much she replied and
in less than ten minutes we had arranged to
be married"
"How did you ask the question:
81 really don't remember, but I said If
she wanted to try it, why, was willing. So
l went down stars"
did you go into the ecstacies of newly-en-
gagged lovers-kiss each other shyly and then
ferventlY, and that good sort of thing?"
Now you never mind. Invent down stairs
and 1 met General Wells and said to him,
General, if you are willing, Pm going to
marry Belle 'AH right says he, you can
have her or any other daughter Pve got, or
as many of them as you want L only want
one of them,' says l. You had better think
it over about Belle says he. This is only
an infatuation between you and will die out,
and you don't want to make any mistake at
this stage l told him, No, it wasn't any
infatuation; it meant business from the
start He says, Go ahead. Belle is Eighty
and perhaps tickle, but she is a lovely girl at
heart, and perhaps it will turn out we'll I
went back to Belle and told her. She asked
me to tell my wife. l said would, ana she
said she would call on her the next day. AT
ter supper at home that day ] says to my
wife, abruptly, DO you remember that Miss
Wells you introduced me tor She said she
did. Well, says I, Pm goingsto marry her. u"
well" asked in breathless interest,
'what did she say?" E
"She said that she had expected that
would marry again, and, while she would
not attempt to deny that the news was a
blow to her, she was glad that it was to be a
woman she liked as well as she did Belle
Wells Then she said she would call on her.
l told her Belle was coming tomorrow. The
next afternoon Belle came while l was at
the store, and the two women had long
and satisfactory talk"
DO you know what passed between
them?'
mo. any further that they were both
satisfied with it,"
Did you see Belle often afterward?'
Yes, nearly every day. l took her and
my wife to the theater together, to church,
and TO every place. and called on her at
frequent intervals, but we kept postponing
the wedding all the time. 1t was in the fall
we were engaged, but it wasn't until April
that we married | was figuring for some
business advancement, and was building
some houses. When everything came off as
[ hoped, we were married. 1 furnished two
houses adjoining each other just alike, and
we occupied them"
''Did your first wife go to the wedding?"
Certainly"
"And to the reception?'
eyes, She saw the house was in order for
Bellies coming"
Are the two women good friends?"
Like sisters"
(which do you love the best?'
'Both alike. When my business endeavors
bore fruit gave my first wife house before
gave Belle one gave them both alike
I've fixed them so they'll have $25, 900 apiece