The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-14
VOLUME XVIII.---NO. As.
MORMONS IN THE CAROLINAS.
HOW their missionaries" do their pcstI-
lent Work.
Charlotte journal and ODyeyre, Juu..

ChdrioHe journal and Observer, Jmic .
Among the passengers who arrived in
the city yesterday afternoon on the Rich.
mond and Danvillc train were two
smooth. faced, keen.eyed, middle.aped
men, whose peculiar dress and odd an.
pearancc attracted general attention,
ihey wore their hair in long Saratoga
bangy locks that covered their ears and
creased their coat collars. Their dress
consisted Of long black coats or gowns
that were buttoned down to the knees.
whiio their legs, or so much of them as
could be seen, were enveloped in the am.
pie ioids of baggy trousers. One wore
coonskln cap, while the other had head.
gear OF more civilized character. hi,
eyes being shaded by an ordinary sloucL
nav. Zach cne carried been through.
thc-revolution looking carpet.bag. and
waving the seductive hackman aside
| they pushed out of the crowd and strobe
up Trade street at brisk pace. Arriy.
ing at grocery store they purchased
enough crackers and cheese to make
them dinner and then proceeded to
the vacant lot near the Carolina Central
depot to enjoy their lunch. They
remained about there until late hour
In the afternoon, and in the meantime
were interviewed by several curious par.
ties. The men appeared to avoid com.
ing In contact with the people on the
streets, yet, when approached by any.
body, they showed nc disposition TO con.
ceal their identity, but conversed about
themselves and their mission freely.
Ihey werc Mormon missionaries, two of
oano oi seventeen VINO are now work.
ing for recruits in the counties adjoining
MecElenburg on the west. They gave
their names as the Rev. VIM. Dornton
ana the Kew. label BrenchwelI, and stat.
eu that they arrived in North Carolina
iast March from Utah, and since that
Tune had been holding meetings and
making converts in various counties of
the State. Themselves and fifteen other
brethren work separately, but meet ut a
certain point about once n month tn
compare notes and map out plans for
future action. So far they have con.
verted to the Mormon faith thirty.
men and women, about fifteen Of whom
nave been sent to Utah. Their best sue.
cess, according to their report, has been
in Rutherford and in Gaston Counties
Ihey have not yet done any work in Ca.
6arrus, Rowan or Afecklenburg counties,
but do not know how long they may let
these fields remain untouched. Their
work is done quietly, and their presence
IN any neighborhood is seldom ever
known excepl by but few who attend
their meetings. The apostle frat bepina
~ riding abont neighborhood stopping
at the houses for drink of water or a
meal, until he has become pretty we'll
acquainted with tho women, the weaker
ones of whom he selects as his subjects.
Informs them of meeting to be held at
certain tine and place, and invites
theE; &c attend. After they go to the
meetings the work is easy, and they nre
soon persuaded to embrace the Mormon
ialth. Before receiving them into tho
church they, are baptized, and in order
that 1t may be thoroughly done the con.
verts are stripped entirely naked by the
righteous old frauds, when they are i'm.
nlersed in the water. The hour for
these bapiisms is generally set at 10 or
IL o'clock at night, and any convenient
creek or pond in the neighborhood will
answer the purposes of 4 pool. 1t seems
almost incredible that such healhenism
can be ,Practiced here under our own
eyes and In this advanced age of civil.
zatlcn, put these MoTmon missionaries
admit that this is their mode of baptism.
and express surprise that any one should
find fault with it. They held q baptism
on Duncan's Greek, in Rutherford
County, which was reported at the time.
Speaking of incidents of their trim
through Rutherford County they stated
that on one occasion they. hailed two
white women who were hoeing cotton in
u held, got into conversation with them,
and before they quit they mad converted
the two women, took them to neighbor-
ing creek and baptized them after the
usual fashion, when the women returned
to the field and the Mormon missiona.
ries" proceeded on their way. These two
women joined party the next day and
left for Utah. The preachers stated that
they were on their way to Polk County,
and were to have left the city last night
for Spartanburg. The other members OF
their band are scattered through Ruther.
ford, Castor, Polk and several other
counties, and are almost daily engaged
in working for recruits. Their opera
lions are confined nolsly to the ignorant,
uneducated class Of people, and we are
In some doubt as to whether or not the
State suffers any loss from the depopula.
tion caused by the Mormon priests. But
l. is a shame to our civilization that such
things are permitted in our midst. and
missionaries are needed. The scft OF mis-.
s!onary, however, and the ona to suit the
cass best, Is in the household of uearly
every man in the county, or it can oe
procured at any hardware store. Itira
shotgun. Introduce few of these
priests to these missionaries and our
country will soon be effectively rid of
them.