The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-02-07
MORMONS IN MISSOURI.

/ 'S' WV wy VI ~. .'ii' AttOGulHPIN
he accompanied n large band of hi.
followers to Independence, bought {
large area OF ! IT 9
/ vigorous prop OF or
/ principles, for this purpose establish
ing a printing Office and starting the
publication OF u weekly newspaper,
l'stkA -tis.p n stS-s~,..,, ts,'s,'rss,ss' s''si
, . month y. periodral, a7be siorssns
and Eueniitg star" Having seei
his colony well on its way to pros
perity, Smith returned to X rtland
The VI rmon settlement at In
dependence, as has always been thri
custom, was largely characterized b,
a spirit of industry, sooriety, orde
and clean mess, in these respect
being vastly superior to their "Gen
t'le' neighhors, who at this period
were of the usual frontier imprOvi-
dent, rough and non progressive
c ass. 1t is not strange that bicker-
ing soon arose among people so con-
>tituiionally antagonistic. As the
Mormon settlers were, as a rule, at
that time, chi, fly from the northern
states, the suspic on was spread
that they were "abolitiunists,n al
through from a careful survey Of the
facts am constrained TO b. W that
they did not allow this "moral"
question to affect them in the least.
In fact i'll their entire history, the
Mormons have been ready to vote
with any party and for any man,
who would promise them to work
for their sought for ends. In troot
Of this see particularly Forl's Hlator,
of Illinois.
But the old proveib says, "Giye a
dog an i'll name, and you may a. wrl.
nang him" The very word "aboli-
ZIONIST" acted as red rar to the
people OF jackson county, and the,
organized a systematic course uf
persecution OF their Mormon neigh
bors. They whipped and tirred ana
feathered the bishop, conf caiea
their printing press, burned some o.
Their houses and committed other
outrages, until the hapless IS lint,n
were obliged to flee across the
Missouri .s,!ls liysfio 10. J9S Jmsn; 70 W9@Gssn WGsn aqh
III the open Wilderness, in the dead
of the winter of 1898.
In their flight from Independence
the Mormous had been forced to
abandon nearly everything, and they
found themselves almost esitute
and among strangers. a spirit OF
was aroused i'll their be-
matt, in which direction, young
law! er OF Liberty, \. W. DJniphan,
Who wards became very nUtru
'it'"Sh VI Sul 0tdN'' was an 'tttlN I
leader. An agreement wa entered
INTO between the leading citizens OF
Clay county and the Mormon leaders,
that the latter should not regard Cay
county as a section OF Il on Whvr,iu
they were to locate permanently but
should mold themselves in readiness
o remove when the "Geutilesn
h,uld deem i, best. Uhd,r lhis mu-
,ual rstanding they remained
. here for three Years, conducting
themselves as law abiding citizens.
In July, 1884, the prophet Smitn,
accompaniei by 100 persons, mostly
young men, aud priests, deacons,
teachers and officers OF the church,
visited their brethren in Clay county.
a vigorous organization was effected
At this time. In 1888 Smith made
another visit, and Instituted BODY
of II apostles among whom was
Brigham Young, on many accounts
the most famous and able man con-
II, cted with the history os Nor
monism.
The people Of Jackson county were
chagIined at the hospilabe treat
ment given to the Mormons by the
people OF Gay county, aud endeavor-
ed to induce them to expel them as
they had done. They finally sue
ceeded in working up somewhat of
sentiment in this direction. In 1886,
A. w. Doniphan was elected repre-
sentative in the Missouri legislature
from Clay county, and with the ad-
vice and con-ent of the Mormon
leaders succeeded in having a bill
passed setting aside Caldwell county
as a sort of Mormon reservation.
According to this agreement the
Mormons bade a friendly adieu to
their Clay county friends in the
summer of 1886, and departed for
their new home. They Immediately
established the city of Far West, at
a point in township So, range 20,
about eight miles southeast of the
present city of Cameron, and the
same distance southwest of Hamilton.
The first house ON this town site was
built in August 1886, by man
named Domsby, and the second was
put up by John Whitmer. Before
winter some three hundred buildings
had been erected, with stores, work
shops, school houses, etc., and the
Far West assumed the air and pro-
portions of thriving and prosperous
village. The town was laid out in
blocks four rods square. The streets