The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1886-09-22

$1,000 S'' '''iNS'S aiiboA Va lIlNili ijuob
middle life-a good appearing and
highly intellectual body Of men. The .
benedIctlon was pronounced by John !
L. Cain, their congressman.
l went, prejudiced against them; /
| came away feeling that the COM
mon members at least were as good, .
sincere and honest as other people.
as to the pietv OF their leaders, |
have doubts.
There is bitterness of long standing
here between Gentlles and Mormons,
each party abusing the other.
On Monday we went through the
Tithing House, also the Mormon
publishing house purchasing some
of their books as curiosites..
We called on Mrs. Wells, editress
OF the "Woman's Exponent a
middle aged, educated lady and wife
of one of the apostles, now a mis-
sionary IN England, which was
preferable, she feelingly remarked,
to having HIM remain here and 60 to
the penitentiarv, Mrs. Ere d Evans,
of Butler, bad kindly given us a letter
of introduction to her aunt, Mrs.
Susan Young, one Of the widows of
Brigham Young. Tins proved 4
| passport to the ''Inner circles" Mrs.
Wells accompanied us to the Lion
House. the former home OF Brigham
and his wives, the house IN Which
he died and IN which most of his
children were born. 1t is large
three story building with gabled
roof. We were conducted down a
long hall and INTO plainly furnished
doubled room and there met Mrs.
Young, who gave us a kindly greet.
ing. She is 70 years old. a KIND lady,
well informed, a good converSa ton
alist, whose favorite themes were
the Bible and their religion. w hIle
here Mrs. Eliza K. Snow Smith,
aged Sc, came. She is the widow
of os. Smith, the prophet, and
known as the poetess and authoress,
and is sister OF Lorenzo Snow, one
of the apostles now in the peniten-
tiary tor being a polygamist. This
lady has travelled IN foreign lands. was
scholarly, brilliant and entertaining.
During our three hours talk with
these old ladies we found them firm
believers IN the Bible and polygamy.
They came to Salt Lake in IS47,
then a desert. and had witnessed
wonderful changes, saying God was
| with them, that formerly, when
. MormonS had control, their city wa;
t a city of purity-no saloons or other
| places OF vice. Now railroads anC
E Gentlles had come, bringing thei
b, advanced civilization, synony
E nous with wickedness. We wer,
E given several books of biography
r poems and hymns and took ou
leave of these entertaining, kind
e hearted old ladies and of that histor
Z zeal house, hardly knowing what t
f think of Mormonlsm. That thes
d ladies are sincere in their religion
o belief. is to my mind a question be
= yond the pale OF doubt.
5 We visited the graves of Brlghar
d and tour of his wives. Each wifi
d has tombstone. Brgham's grav
n is sealed and has iron railing aroun
l. 1t.
" L. c. NJ. l., in large letters, ap
- pear as signs over many busine!
= houses, meaning ''Zion's Cooper
~ ative Mercantile Institutions. Tt
gentileS say it means geologic
W Collection Mormon Idiots" "Throue
the Tithing House the Mormon
l. pay one-tcGth OF their earnings
~ the church, amounting last year
L over million.
: The Moimons say they were e
:, lied from the States and are pers
> Gated because OF their religion; TIL
they crossed the plains in IS47 wi
OK wagons and hand carts. com,