Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-12-20
MORMON CONVERTS.
\ Train load OF PItiabIe objects on
Their Way to Sait Lake.
nenyer News

+ WAS Tue ulcSSAAt WHICH was StNb over
the telephone wire into the Tribune
office one night recently. A reporter
of that paper was Immediately dis
patched to the depot and was well
repaid for his visit. On one of the
numerous tracks stood a train await
ing orders TO pull OUT for Cheyen
ne The depot officer, Mr. McLain,
led the reporter TO two of the forward
cars. where a sight was presented
which was anything but pleasing,
and an odOr encountered which
agitated the stomach and caused ii to
alternately heave and swell and con
tract in anything but delightful
manner.
Look at EN-, said the officer, as
his nose began to elevate; mice lot,
eh3 These two cars beat any emf
grant train | ever saw. Ph-e-wW
and he beat a precipitate retreat
The reporter WISHED TO follow, but
curiosity prompted him to remain
The two cars were Of the emigrant
style, with hunks, hard seats and the
accompanying odor Occupying the
hunks and seats, awake and asleep,
lying, sitting and standing, were
men. women and children. Scattered
promiscuous,y about them we're ten
cans and pots, blankets and holsters,
I old oil-clothS, sachels and rude
/ hampers The human contents of the
car were attired in a careless manner,
and all bore an air of aegiige mot of
/ the poetic. Oriental kind, however,
hut of the squalid, observation-disclosures
months order. 1t was sight which
wildly brought to mind the scenes OF
a crowded tenement in "a filthy city
On the floors of the cars We're coffee
grounds biscuit crumbs, and refuse
of every kind from the lunch table
These scraps added to the aroma,
The travellers were converts on their
way TO Mormondon, and were good
specimens Of the victims of proselyt-
ing agents who are now working IN
every State of the Union.
where are you gong3' asked the
reporter OF big, long haired follow
who was pulling at the stem of very
rank pipe Taking his pipe from las
mouth and spiting against a win
dowpane, perhaps under the impress
sion the window was opened, he an
swered:
"Stranges, with the broad accent
on ,hea, were going to the Garden
of Eden y
"Can that be possible2'
"Yes, sab. We're goin' othe lane
o milk and honey and breadtruit
We're goin' to live alongside the Jor
dan. We're saints, we are
"No?'
1--WE are Day Saints that,
the right name, isn't IT, NlneryaY
turning TO a woman who was not en-
titled to the name, so far as appear
ancos went Yes Latter-Day Saints
We're tired O toilin' and swea,iu
and workin for nothin' hut Twin,
We re goin' to settle down where the
best things in the land Will come
i'm to us without effort,
'Mormons, ch} Where did yol
, come fromg'
ooh, from the south--mos of IA
, from Tennessee, Kentucky and Vir
ginia
How were you converted to Nor
monismg
ooh, an apostle came along oui
way and taught us the tenets of the
church and told as of the good thing.
that are waiting for us IN Utah, IT.
the true church, and is located right
in an earthly paradise where there Is
, little to be done, and that mostly by
, the women The reporters sympath
2 les went out to Minerva who vas
then engaged IN arranging her bunl
preparatory to turing in.
what did the Mormon missionar
les promise youf
oh, plenty OF land, and houses
. and cows, and lots of Scandinavian
, girls to choose wives from. Minerva
was not allowed to hear the last re
mark I'VE get everythingfor moth
ing, and are sure Of salvation wheI
. we die, they say
as that alll"
"Bess yer eyes, no. We are prom
! ised more'n that, but we must keep i
secret
"Have you Joined the church yett
mo, not exactly We've made
/ promises and vows and things Of tina
sort, but we won't be anointed unit
we reach God S chosen people they n
in Salt Lake, where the gorgeous tenn
z pie is, you know"
The reporter left the enthusiastic
: convert 90 Mormonism aud made al
observation trip through the two cars
/ He found that the party consisted o
seventy-eight men and women, beside
4 a few children. The women predomi
+ mated, and nearly all were young
r. I though byno means comely. Yer.
. few were married, and were evident.
5 on the lookout for husbands. Tn
, married women were the only unhap
/ / DIV PERSONS in the cars They per
1 haps realized that they we're gong T.
} a life Of slavery and degradation, ant
! more than one had tear-stained eye
and wore a look Of abject misery
, The reporter addressed one Of these
but could not engage her in converse
/ ton. Her story was plain Tn
| women loved her husband, am
! rather than abandon him she deter
( mined to bear the shame and accom-
pany him
TIE party came from the South
AZ i. ~. az j