The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-22
The Mormo1ls IN spartanburg.
Gorr.enondence Mew, and C0,tr1er.

10y Iuc mUfulUilS III SpdI tduUuA6 81 ="
Correspondence News and Courier.
+. SpARTANBURG, January Sit is won
derful how this question of Mormonism
is beginning to agitate our whole country.
It is giving our lawmakers at Washing
ton some trouble, and the preachers are
talking about it from their pulpits, and
the Editors have their suggestions as to
the best methods of dealing with the
evils5 The Southern people have consid-
cred the matter only in the abstract until
lately, when,in certain sections, they are
forced to meet it in more practical way.
Near Chattanooga two of the elders were
shot down, but that did not end the work
of the elders. 2 Chattanooga G is still their
stronghold in the South and that is where
the president for the Southern States has
his headquarters. In the summer of
1882, bellows It was1aa Mormon elder,
a6r two, visited. the northeastern part of
our CountyasSome littlenotiee was taken
of this by the local press and the peorle
were disposed to consider tia joke. Lu.
ring the Summer and Fall Of last year
their visits were more frequent and they
.are-noR. becoming more eaggressi2e. They
have the true missionary spirit and are
Wiling tospreachamhereyer permission is
given. - 8 80 ss3 :
SomBEofsthea citisenaaabout Parris's
Ford on Pacolet, twelve miles North of
town, have, from time to time, mentioned
the fact that these elders were coming
amongst them and they feared that. they
would do harm. ; Their suspicious were
increased, no doubt, BY reading Joaquin
Miller's Mormon story, published in q
County paper last year, aud some sof our
citizens would not have been surprised to
see one of these elders travelling around
with coffin after him as did the leading
character in Miller's story. A few of
themszaalkaaaaahoutedriEilg the. elders
from the County by force @and causing
their converts stoE fofipv, unless; they
behaveds themsely yt8. This being the
feeling Of the people, your correspondent
thought the subject worth looking into.
The "Gentiles" could give no informa-
ton, except that the elders put up with
one James S. Russell, and m.ie frequent
visits to the nsigGeorhae9. They said
that RUSSELL had Increased the Mormon
population by mopipgeabont twenty FIVE
.indianssfrom Rock Hill and giving them
houses on-his land. That:is aboutall the
information they could give: A note WAS
addressed to, MI, Russell asking for an
interview. iii r1 THIS he cheerfully granted.
James s. Russell, the first convert to
,Mormo4ism in this, County, l. think, was
bornnear Rock Hill in York County.
He had only q common school education
and, hisfeading is limited. He islabout
4O'yesfs Old, and married 6 Miss Burnett
of this, County. When he was a-yeuDg
manhe.traaeled areiihdl laad took pictures.
The people of Union County may re.
member him, for he was about Wilkins:
Vile some, time. in this County be, was
indicted fot Illicit tafic in whisky about
the time of Kdkfux excitement. OF late
years he has been quiet, w-abiding
citizena theiowner Of 9 farm and he il
dG dSlPg bIs aeGsb 8 Ss Sle A
MIR. Russell was disposed to talk very
effeeiyabout Mormonism and seemed to
have no sort }of malice against those who
opposed this new religion. He says the
Church atSalt Lake has sent mission aries
to- saH athe Southern States. In South
Carolina there are only four, with head.
quarters at Whitaker Station, in York
County. To that County and one corner
Of Spartanburg they have confined their
operations up to this time. They have
twenty to twenty. five, converts in York
and four in this County. The elders
travel on foot and are. not allowed to
receive collections, from. their conglega;
tions. They bear their OWE expenses,
stayinr wherever night pyeItakesse them,
if permission il givef. ffsa charge is
made for,lodging They. always pay for it.
The president of the Southern work
resides at Chattanooga. HE visits all the
State Conferences, which are Acolnpoeed
of elders and all the membership. S1t
was such conference as this that was
broken up.at iRoeb chill some dime ago
by indignant citizens4 There is family
of Gordons about Whitaker that. have
united with these Latter. Day Saints In
this County, James S.sRussell and his
wife aud Hamps Robinson and his wife
are the only converts up to this time.
Russell says he moved two, Indian fami.
lies from Rock Hill to cultivate his lands.
He has known them since he was child,
and says they are quiet, industrious peo'
pie. They are Mormons.
sss5,The elders will preach in any place
where permission is given. They would
even come to Spartanburg and let the
new light shine in the Courthouse, or
any other place. They are anxious for
controversy, and, as Russell says: 'They
glory in arguing about their Church and
doctrines, "a They teach that plurality,
of wives is authorized by the Old and
New Testaments as well as BY the book
of Mormon. They receive the protestant
Bible as the. Word Of God, but'the3 claim
that the Mormon Bible is of equal weight
and authority.
When Russell was asked if negroes
wefsadmitted to their Gbarcb,I he said !;
Nos God d;nsver makesa revelation TO
negroes ii Alf&of oufpmembefs are ex-i
pected to preach, if necessary; but one
to whom no revelation comes cannot
preach. . We bapiize the negro. when he
asks it, but that does notentitle him to
membership with the Saints" This doc
trine will make Mormonism popular with
certain of our citizens of the "Ariep
stripe. The names of the elders in this
State are Cragun, Bingham, Humphrey
and Willy. They are all-sents out from
SaltIake. North Carolina and Tennes.
see each have about twenty five mission.
aries. Humphreys grandparents lived