The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-01

N tNANN tSN vs. IN -
aH;at thus, sfenite Adorelnus'' fseralded the
dsHn of our bohemian Cl1ristlnastide.
MPEHIA
ONE OF BRIGHAM'S WIDOWS.
Her Life Among frse Mormons, and nefens5
OF FoIygnny.
ASalt Lake City correspondent of the svra-
cuse IN. ~ Standard relates a visit to Mar
r'et Cook Young, one of Brisham's widows,
who lives in Lion house, ' one Of his resi-
dences, talking its name FROM n statue of =
lion crouchirg over the main entrance. Very
soon this Indy appeared and iAyited me to
her work-roops on the first floor, whore she
was engaged IN making clothes for her
grandchildren. She wore q plain dress, and
her general appearance was nos Inviting.
Hcr cOuntenance lighted Mp somewhat ut
the mention of ler early home, near Utica,
N. ", and of her visit to her friends East
during the centennial year. Her BROTHER,
Capt. Edward s. Cook, is Il prominent poll
tician and farmer, residing Mt tiilbort's Mills,
a few miles east OF Fulton. In answer to
the question how she came to be one cs the
MoI1nons, she answered that whens bstS ten
years old she was curious to heap about
them, and in after years listened to their
speakers ard believed in their doctrine. At
the age OF eighteen she became infatr afed
after hearing one of their leading. apostles,
who Went East to proselyte, and she, with a
few Others, resolved to join them. In 1912
she went to Nauvoo, and met with II. warln
reception from Joseph Smith, he having
heard in advance of this particularly bright
Young lady becominga convert to the Nor
mon faith. The following year she became
the third I'VE believe) wife of Brigham
Young, who was then the lieutenant OF the
founder and apostle of the Church of Jesus
Christ of the Latter Day Saints. She re-
and prosecutions while in Nalvoo.
Life there was made so unpleasant
that they resolved to move further
west, and in the spring of&1sl7 brigham
Young, accompanied by his little band OF
about 100. started for u place of safety.
When within 600 miles OF here all traccfof u
road was al, an end. He followed a trapper's
trail for 400 miles, and pushed on to the
valley OF G~reat,Salt lake, where he was soon
Joined by of Saints from Missis-
Eippi. The party of 400 now commenced
the erection of n fort, inclosing ten acres,
Everything, Mrs. Young said, looked forbid
ding. The whole valley was SO barren us to
produce little beside u species of bunch grass,
while the ground was covered with myriads
of crickets, which were food for the resident
Indians. Here in this desert wilderness the
site of Salt Lake City was surveyed and n
town laid out In the early history of this
town, when the need of moisture was seen to,
be so great. Mrs. Harriet Young was among
the first to propose irrigation. She entered
into the working plans of the colony with
such ability she was commissioned by Brig
ham ioung to lead a party TO his possessions
in Southern Utah, where also was estabk
lished a system of irrigation.
When questioned as'to her present belief,
Mrs. Young said that III no manner had she
changed. She believed the Mormon church
was founded on. the rock ! asked If they
believed in the Bible. YES" she said. sas
far as translated correctly: but we, also bs-
lieye the book Of Mormon to be the word of
God Our religion claims the privilege of
w%orshiping God according to the dictates OF
our conscience, and we allow all men the
same privilege. We believe in being honest,
true, chaste, and virtuous, and in doing good
to all men, At the Use of the word svirtu-
Gus" she saw q look of incredulolsness come
over my countenance, and upon this she
warmed with the subject and gave a lecture
mother, She said: aUtah has long. enjoyed
the reputation of being the most immoral
spot in the United States, chiefly through the
Misrepresentation OF newspaper reporters and
| gossip-monyers, our territory has been re-
gar6ed by most Christian people as a very
hot bed of lust, n modern Sodoln. 1t is said
our bad reputation is SOC thoroughly estab+
lished that we are to ka disorganized as 0
community and outlawed to all intents and
purposes. Now, whatever OF truth there may
be in this charge I know can not apply to cur
people. Probably there is no sect so strict in
\ Its laws bearing upon this subject as our own.
"A wife, even though slleybe one of twenty
with but one husband, as was the-oaSe with
myself, would rather lose her life than yio-
late her sealed VOWS to her lord and hus-
band" She had lived here from the first day
they had pitched their tents, and she knew
whereof she affirmed when she declared there
was little orlno coming together outside of
lawful Wedlock among the saints. But she
believed 1t was a common practice afnong
the gentiles, as the very numerous houses of
designation on many streets proved. She
had heard 1t limited that the territorial
legislature was about to enact laws
regulating TO a certain extent sexual purity:
on n legal basis in regard to this requisition,
and, instead of regarding the Illicit amoure
SO commonly practiced rough the world
as triting affairs, outlaw them so far as pos-
sible, even to the death penalty. Particu.
larly let the legislature strike at the political
privileges of the people w~ho..depart from
strict morality in this regard. Let the law be
incorporating aud uafniling. She hoped
the church. and people could show to the
world that Mormons appreciate the purity OF
the sacred tabernacle of humanity not less
than the most fastidfOus. ESQ on TO the
end of the chapter.
There is much to admire in the ability ani
apparent honesty Of, this fraction OF a Wifet to
the late distinguished head of the church
She was frank to admit that the great end .a
her own life and that of I'LL Mormon wive,
was to bear children for the church IIal
husband was good and kind to her, and sht
believed this was true of the other nineteen
He left ct his death sufficient means for theil
maintenance and for their half hundred ant
more fatherless children. / learned that the
amount left for her support was 500 pc
month, in addition to her PRESENT home.
t5
THE EDITOR OBsTHE CENTURY.
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