The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-03-25
FROM HERE TO CALIFORNIA.
FHE IMPRESSIONS oF a NEW YORKER
TO WHOM nj TRIP rs NEH.

W
Notes NJ de In IA Eiue Plush Car-Feeiin-s
Inspired by n Piute-An Out Of the Car.
SAN Francisco, March 17.-It should not
be forgotten that many Of tho Mormon people,
perhaps q large majority Of them. are better
or than they ever were before. Suppose q
Mormon agent in Wales goes to a man who Is
working hard for n bare subsistence, and says
$500 here. what do you suppose would become
OF your family II you should lose that right
arm2 can take you to a place whore you can
have land, like your neighbor on the hill, and
whore you can provide comfortably for your
family" Tho man takes the chances, and
hnds the fulnlment moro than the promise.
Any change for the better is a big change for
him. He does got some ~land-maybs not
much, but enough to live on-a piece Of the
earth. and It is his own. He has to pay back
his passage money, and he pays for the land
on q note with big interest, and tithes perhaps,
but he could stand u bigger squeeze and yet be
better of than he was before. He might have
got elsewhere more land for less money and
with greater personal freedom, but he didn't
know where nor how to do 1t, and you couldn't
expect him to know.
Why anybody should have wanted to graft
polygamy on this Is not worth inquiring about
here. The Gentiles say that polygamy is by no
means the worst feature Of the system. They
say Of the Mormon as a voter that he is not an
Independent voter: that he willingly casts his
vote at the behest OF the Church. solid. In the
Territory. Notwithstanding the disfranchise-
mont OF all women and OF known polygamous
Normons, the Gentiles are In an almost hope
Less minority. In the city Of Ogden the Nor
mons are the more numerous Of the whole pop
ulation the voters are not far from equally
lividsd on q full vote. In Salt Lake City, with
10000 Inhabitants. the Mormons arc by far the
more numerous, though the Gentilss have
snce como within 500 votes or 80 Of the Nor
mon vote. In the country the Mormons are in
ereasing faster proportionately than the Gen.
tiles; In the cities the Gentiles are increasing
faster proportionately than tho Mormons The
hope OF the Geniiles 10 In tho railroads. the
mines. and the general growth that should at
tend an attractive country, and these are all
helping. though 1t is hard to buck against the
natural growth on the other side plus an oc-
casional solid influx via Castle Garden. The
Gentiles' hope is gradually getting . broader
foundation. but l should say that q still moro
hopeful outlook is oward the time when the
individual Norman shall discover that though
he is better OF now than he was before. yet he
ts entitled to a still greater share Of what he
produces; when an enlightened self-interest
shall discover to him that he Is entitled to keep
all he gets, less whatever taxes he pays by
bNS VI taS hSo0k ~ Vi thO
Commonwealth. 1 think the ground has boon
broken in this direction. but the road has not
been staked out. Mormonism Is still in the
main a Homogeneous mass. The present slow
ing OF tho movement. it seems 10 me. Is due to
the fact that the leaders realize that Uncle Sam
Is getting Just a little tired. He minds his own
business and hates to mix In anybody's affairs,
and is inclined to let the family that has moved
Into the woods do about as they please. But
when you como to clear away the woods. or the
family overiows into the surrounding country,
the sense OF the country is agin 1t. and Uncle
Sam says you mustn't offend your neighbors.
With their religious beliefs. as such. he has no
concern whatever, but he says you can't keep a
NUISANCE on your premises.
The Mormons call 1t persecution. The Gen.
tiles say that ii your neighbor In the States had
two, or three wives, under one roof, or in two
or three houses on the road that your children
bbsd to to follow on their way to school. you would
you would think that that was beyond question
law here Is enforced as far as. it goes. but there
Hnst be remote parts Of the Territory that
nave NOT been very closely covered.
The Zion Cooperative Mercantile Institution
Us q big store. with an immense anc most
SSahr ael fl; stock: from Jerseys to shoe findings.
Bone OF the Gentle stores employ Mormon
clerks and bid for customers with big stocks
endloW prices. and catch some Mormon trade.
question Of Mormonism regard business as
are other Gen ilos who, while they Would DICE
ripe dollar from trees OF, theit own planting,
Ss they have q perfect right to do. are yet
Ittie dlnerent rom any mon | ever met. Up
right, r%esoiute. intelligent. some OF them grace
'{pl and aceomplis,ed men, they are Town on
mean that they go out on the street corners
and howiabout II, but they do not hesitate on oc-
distinctness.' They are OF a wholesomns race.
Ihey get a little tired sometimes. but they
Glny pc admitted to Statehood. They don't be-
teve 1t will be. but they believe that absolute
Local authority IN the hands OF a decisive Nor
would be, a staggering blow to progress.
There happened to be but little pleasant
Salt Lake City, but the town didn't seem TO be
very lively. spent a few minutes one night
a. m amateur performance in the Salt Lake
three tiers OF galleries. and seemed the biggest
theatre ever say except the metropolitan
observe anything unusual ABOUT the children,
but Gentiles tell mo that. although Salt Lake
on account Of the mortality among children.
Onti recently 1t has been. the general custom.
rs ~ Il E sti.i TO u very ennsiderabie extent, ocall
tend a sick child. There are some Mormon
doctors now, but am told that relief Is still
policeman IN, Uniform Ia Salt Lake e' Giiy. SEE Tb q
Sentiles said they were around. all the same,
children and with Mormon teachers. In the
cities. the churches OF other denominations run
gay schools OF their own, You begin at Salt
Lake to see Indians, and the papOoses that
tre carried on their mothers backs hold their
shoulders.
Doubtless many Mormon women regard
polygamy with horror. i heard Of one woman
whose Mormon husband took another wife.
me lirst vile gathered what little truck she
mad around the house, took two OF the chill
dren. and lit out. She struck a town that had
Q little boom. no bigger than a mans hand,
away down on the horizon. But now the boom
there Is immense, and the lady has made q
parIei OF money. Doubtless many other Nor
mon women don't worry overmuch about IL.
They are Taught to believe it is all right and
can't be helped, or have grown up in Il, and
there's a good deal IN getting used to a thing;
AUD 1 fancy that the young people, for all that
the subject is one freely thought of. scarcely
siSo It up for all it means. The Gentle. women
got out OF patience when they speak OF 1t.
Az Ogden my sleeping car ticket called for a
perth IN q blue plush car. l don't mean that
the ticket contained that specification, but that
y where 1t TEL: There were two San Francisco
holstercd with. old gold plush. which is very
pretty, but ] think l like blue better, especially
thai Ahn6A nf naaa,nl, Il,,a ,hnt tnl,. NJ.