Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-24
A MORMON coURTsHlP,
How q Second Wife is Mo0si and
Won.
A Case Where Husband and Wives and
Twelve Children All Love One An
other Dearly. and are Per-
fectIy Happy.

SALT LAKE CITY, February 10.-The
superintendent of the great cooperative
store has told me how he contracted. a
polygamous marriage, and will try
and repeat his story, as nearly as can'
Just as he gave it to me:
"You see, / was Mormon in Eng
land before l came here. I'm fact, was
born q Mormon. In 1866, when l was
quite a'lad, came to Salt Lake City
and got a position in the store. Brig
ham Young took fancy to me and adj
vanced me very rapidly, and in few
years was cashier, at salary Of 500
a month. About that time / met my
first wife, hers If the child of pOlyga-
nous marriage and q staunch believer
in pOlygamy.
After a short COurtshipv
in which there was romance enough to
make it interesting, We were married.
You can readily understand that at the
time / was more interested in making
myselfa position than in anything else.
don't mind saying that | was, If not
opposed to polygamy, at least not an
advocate of il, ana never deemed it a
possibility that would marry a second
wife. We had two children, and my
wife did everything to make our home
happy. She was successful, too, and !
have never forgotten il, either.
"Ore evening we were ar Il party,
and saw there the pGe:tiest 99a most
attractive girl ever saw. was dead
struck upon her before knew it, and J
went around trying to get an introduce
ton to her. didn't urc=Cd, but fiually
came to MY wife ard asked who that
girl was. She says: 'Thst'e Belle Wells,
daughter of General Wells, the Mayor
ofSalt Lake. Well says |, Il want an
introduction to her Ny wife Gays:
She's my oldest and best friend. | will
secure the introduction she did, and
Miss Wells inside such an impression on
me as no woman had never done be-
fore.
"Eut it didn't stop. We didn't see
each other for some days, but ] was
really very much distressed, and she
y az, too, for several days atterw9rd.
Mrs. wells, herself one OF
Five Wives.
and Bellies mother, came to the store to
see me. Whats the matter with you
anu Belle :? says she. told her Moth
ing that ! knew Of We'll, she's sick
and wants to see you 'Al! right says
|, j will 90 aud see her. | went up to
the house and found Belle in bed, very
pale and sick looking. Now, you could
bave got bets of a thousand to one right
here in Salt Lake that Belle Wells
would never marry in polygamy. She
was opposed to it,"
What did you say to Belle ask
ed.
DWELL, forget exactly. | said: You
sent for me" NO, l didnG ssud for
you,' she replied. We'll, you wanted
me to come said /. Yes, did, very
much,' she replied, and in less than ten
minutes we had arranged to be mar
ried,"
Glow did you ask the question:
III really don't remember; but | said
said if she wanted to try it, why, | was
willing. So l went down stairs and met
General Wells, and said to him: Gen
ersl, if you are willing, Pm going to
marry Belle All right says he, you
can have her or any other daughter I've
got, or a. many of them as you want.
4 only want one of them says /. 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 toll 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
well. went back to Belle and told her.
She asked me to tell my wife. / said l
would, and she would call on her the
next Gay. After supper at home that
day | says to my wife, abruptly: DO
you remember that Miss Wells you in
trOduced me tO% She said she did.
Well says !, Il am going to marry
her."
"Well," / asked in brcathless interest,
what did she say?'
"She said that she had expected that
| would marry again, aud while she
would not attempt to deny that the
news was q blow to her, she was glad II
was to be a woman she liked as we'll as
she did Belle Wells. Then she said she
would call on her, told her Belle was
coming tomorrow. The next afternoon
Belle came while was at the store, ana
the two women had long and satisfac
tory talk"
40 you know what passed between
| them?"
"NO, any further than that they were
both satisfied with it.
at was in the fall
We Were Engaged,
hut 1t wasn't until April that we were
married. / furnished two houses ad
joining each other just alike, and WI
occupied them"
"Did your first wife go to the wed
Ding"
Certainly"
"And to the receptionw
"Ies. She saw the house was in ordel
for Bellies coming"
"Are the two women good friends?'
Like sisters"
(Which do you love best?"
Both alike. When my business en-
deavOrS bore fruit gave my first wife
house before gave Belle one. l gave
them both alike. I've fixed them Sc
they'll have $500 apiece if should
die"
"How many children have you got :"
six by each wife"
"LOve them all alikee"
That's easy to do. Pm happy-in
ny family. Come around and dine to-
night; you will see all the children and
nv first wife. Bellies in the East now"
ONE HUNDRED YEARS HENCE.