The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S WIVES.
A Talk with Their Former Physician-How
Mormon Women Hate Polygamy.


said DR.. Bates, 'but many of his wives and
children were my patients. His children were
all born at the time I went TO Salt Lake, SO /
didn't have the honor of ushering any
of them into the world; but many of his
grandchildren first saw the light through my
instrumentality, and attended many of his
wives for various ailments In fact, my general
practice was very large, particularly among
women. as the Mormon law prevents a man
from acting in the capacity of physician in OBJ
stetrical cases. / attended few men in Salt
Mormon, and that was Mr.. Game, the present
member of Congress from Utah. | had so many
tales OF domestic woe poured into my ears by the
Mormon women that got so / felt as if | were
bearing the burdens of ali humanity. There
are so many of these women. and you have no
idea how unhappy they all are ! can say truth
fully that in all my Mormon practice never
found a married woman who was not miserable,
and the burden of all their songs was the same
old story of domestic discord and jealousy, the
curse of polygamy which they all abominate,
and which breeds constant d;ssension among
them.
'"They are all jealous; there is no exception to
that rule and many of them claim to be brutally
treated Their lives are constant stream OF
worrying, and hating, and choking back that
complain. They are all uneducated. and all
very unhappy. But to return to Brigham
Young He was remarkable man socially-a
magnetic man who drew everything
to him. and could be very agreeable
when he desired he was great reader,
and was we'll posted on current events. of which
he talked most intellgently, although he was an
uneducated man, and used very ungrammatical
language. He always liked me and encouraged
the people to employ me. think his preference
for 10 fho for Int a
ways very independent with him. The first
time / met him was in the street. when he
stopped on the opposite side and bowed to
me. thinking would cross the street to speak
to him. saw what he wanted, and | stopped
where / was and stood STILL he was finally
obliged to cross over to me, and | think he re-
spected me ever after for my resolution. He
used to say to his people of me: Employ her.
She knows her business, and she is discreet, the
last qualification being highly desirable one
among the Mormons.
II remember that one day. when his wife EN-
cline slowly dying, entered her room and
found Young sitting at her bedside fast asleep
and snoring loudly. Emeline had been an opium
eater, and died slow. miserable death She
was suffering dreadfully, both mentally and
physically, on the day of which | speak She
had loved Brigham Young, and he had broken
her heart. As l entered, the old man awoke,
and said to him: Do you know could have
cut your throat just nowp Young laughed.
What would you have done that for? he asked.
g Because l hated you SO for snoring at the
bedside Of your dying wife. How do you think
she feels about such Indifferent treatment
" 'Pshaw, Doctor! Nature will have her way;
you know that as well as ! do / didn't sleep
any last night you see."
There was nothing to prevent you from sleep
ing, am sure Nature need not have her way
at the death bed of a loved one
The hard old man laughed again
"'Now see here he said, i had the govt last
night: that's WHY couldn't SleeD'
st was not long after that that Emelne died.
Brigham was at her bedside again, but he spoke
no word of comfort or tenderness to the woman
who had been his wife, and who was fast sinking
into the valley Of the shadow. just before Eme-
line died she opened her eyes and looked at her
husband long and steadily / studied her face,
and saw all at once-affection, contempt and
loathing. He did not seem to feel her gaze, and
been his favorite wife, but he had soon neglected
her. and her lot had been a very unhappy one.
II do not think Brigham Young had the least
affection for any of his wives at the time knew
him. His nature was utterly devoid of tender
ness, and he was as coarse with the members of
his own family as he was brilliant in the society
of strangers. He at one time gave permission
to one of his daughters-in-law 20 go
East on a visit to one of her relatives,
take her children along Brigham's permission
always had to be asked on these occasions, and
his daughter in-law fattered herself that she
was quite fortunate in obtaining his promise.
Shortly before the day appointed for her
presence, when he told her roughly that she
would have to leave her children behind.
She was greatly disappointed and reminded
him of his former promise 1 can't help it. he
said; you must leave the children here. When
the calves are left behind, the cow comes home
aeainr He always referred to his wives as
cows in q way that would have made your
blood run cold. He was very foulmouthed with
his own people. l remember hearing him give
them a lecture at the Tabernacle one day on
gentle fashions when he derided the fashona-
BILE hustle in the vilest way imaginable
He liked Amelia because she ruled him; his
brute nature enjoyed that sort of thing. He
made her break her vows with her lover, one
Lew Hill, a Mormon, to marry him. and sent
Hill on a mission to Australia to get him out Of
the way. ! have always thought Amelia had de-
cided in her own mind that if sha had to
marry him she would have her own
way, and she did SO. She kept car
riage, and wore diamonds and a sealskin
hams wives, but was no beauty. as her face was
wholly lacking in expression. Through a mis-
take she was not very well provided for at Brig
hams DEATH and the last ineligible words he
uttered were: Poor Amelia After the old mans
death, I asked her one day why she didn't give
up Mormonism and go away from Salt Lake.
You know you don't believe In Mormonism any
more than do. said /.
On, SAID she, i oont KNOW II lett the
faith nobody else would receive me. People
would call me a mistress instead of wife. No.
this is the only place for me. have got to stay
here the rest of my life.'
Ann Eliza is very coarse woman, who mar
ried Brigham because she thought she would
get carriage and sealskin like Amelias,
but she never got them. You know her at
torney ran away with one of the daughters of
Brigham's house and is still living with her in
Wyoming. He is a married man and a Catholic,
80 there is no question Of marriage between
them. AS for domestic happiness among
tho Mormons, l once thought l lad
found an exception to the general rule Of
misery. l was boarding at the house of
George A. Smith, one of Brighams counselors;
in fact had lived there long time, and was
more and more surprised every day at the seem
ing smoothness of the domestic arrangements of
George A. Smiths household
Mrs. Smith was a thrifty housekeeper and
things always went WELL She was an ntelli-
gent woman Of her kind and her husband kept