The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
A WALLED MORMON CITY.
CORRECTTOYTTLLE. THE HOME OF
THE PROPHET THOMPSON.

the region west Of the Mississippi River. This
country had been surveyed by the Gevcrn-
ment at the time. and the town had received
its queer name because 10 was situated at q
correction line IN the surveys. IL was a Nor
mon settlement. one OF the little communities
OF Latter Day Saints who had not followed
Brigham Young and his people across tho arid
plains ten years before. but had made their
colonies in the fertile prairie In the region Of
rainfall. The town was built In n manner un-
usual In modern construction, being SUR
! rounded by n wall. From ten miles n way. over
The prairie billowing green with the high grass
of midsummer. we could see the walled city.
the only sign Of human occupation In view.
rising above the plain like q scene translated
from the Holy Land. As we came nearer the
corn and grain fields laid out in rectangles. the
gardens and orchards without the walls. could
I've seen. and the poople, at the hour of sunset.
driving their live stock within the gates. wht"h
we're closed Mt night against Gentiles and
%prowling Indians.
'The walls and the houses within were built
OF sun-dried brick: made OF clay mixed with
prairie grass or straw-a material not SO good
rs the New Mexican adobe bricks, which en-
dure for centuries. but sufficient for the pur-
nose. The walls were higher than a man
could scale except with n ladder and thick
enough to have stood a considerable lombard
ment from artillery, and upon the top was tho
beginning of n coming of split sandstone. As
we came near the gate at the edge of dusS IL
sentinel hailed us from the wall aud demanded
our errand. We asked to see the prophet.
Tho npson, the spiritual and temporal head Of
the colony, and, after some delay. he appeared
on the wall.
There was a short parley. and then. our
business being with bin and satisfactory. tho
GnrsS Eere %i fhhFI1w The o tSwn f The 1 houses Sc we're we're
quilt In q circle against the wall. all facing the
s;o p at6o inc nss Il .r ,ns ,f sen nignt wh hire The
roofs Of the houses were about four feet lower
than the wall. making a go I'd standing ground
DEFENDED 9eh, n G"e eg WHrste an u en HasH II with some ii
Guilty we made way for our team among, the
and lying thickly together. to the door Of The
prophets house. Our coming attracted IIttle
attention among the people OF the town, Here
from a house door or a woman lifted her eyes
from her work to look, but no one ZANE near
AT the prophets house the evening meal
was spread Of corn bread. stewed beans and
no meat or butter on the table, Thompson be-
ing. after the s%tricter practice OF the Nor
N miiiE a w yese prdcnred f rom ,n ano GIestf house, q prscbb but
none of the prophets household partook Of it;
During and after the. meal THOMPSON talked
with us freely and with no apparent reserve.
He was a tall. spare man, whom took to he
about 30 years Of age. polite, and mooth OF ad-
dress. but Notwithstanding his seeming frank
ing, of distrust. His real character. was re-
cunning. daring and utter unscrupulousness.
With the thought OF being defenceless In mis-
sbjj% eMonla in mn watsh sysry man Go 'h EoP Bidai and
and in which the, rohbinG or even the killing
Of a Gentle would be- REGARDED by many OF
Torrance, i felt none too easy and when bed
time came | would cheerfully have swapped
on the prairie at a good distance away.
Here in this little community Thompson gov;
f fEee Mo & T faith at and the ' re ehls esa''t that
he proclaimed from time to time. He was
sFsF5tHipe a9 3Ss5 implied s5fn se8ei Fl in eI$IleHs
Pooh. Bal. and Mikqdo in one and High Priest
i iotG tb the }a hs5Enin and He / w nnbl pen@itf & af to ginPee
through the latest number. It was a queer
sheet. devoted mostly to Mormon matters. re
which he may have coined himself. Nero
helm. I remember. was his word for supreme
a aeWs as shf It G Srinted Of 90 the he' o n8T $ tso World S haa
been doctored In the interests Of Mormonism.
e core a ine wit" WITH this cardinal feeture in n the
faith proclaimed by the Mormon leaders: that
ct son Iirss Togld the tsst1 Hnised q s seees. and ,hsn tho TO
world, in the copy that | read there were re-
printed certain prsfePts from Joseph Smiths
Mormons. in which it was recommended that
1t is not good to drink wine or strong drink
drinks or tobacco-the, former, being meant
for the washing, of the body and the latter for
tne neHlDR OF bruises dUu SICK rdItle, man =
proper food Is herbs and fruit: that for beasts
case, Of famine and severe cold. flesh should
''These precepts also disclaimed the neces-
sity for infant baptism, but stated that tho
when they, were ! years old. They declared
also that the dead could be b~aptizsd BY rroxy
Franklin and many other men have been. vie
baptized into the Mormon Church.
We retired early to our bed Of straw spread
with blankets on the floor, and in spite OF all
misgivings our sleep was undisturbed until
the n.ks sG ~. Is t Gt the isrI live ss s11iS in W;9b iq f6s . SrDs
glimmer Of light the plantation bell in its
frame above TIE council house was rung. and
call. At sunrise tie stock was driveh out TO
and end'u after T" them hem p the men N and older Children Children
fled out at the gates to their work In the fields.
a housetop above the gate. a natriarchal nG-
ure in steeple-crowned hat and long linen dus-
tasks and seeing that ali we're pres.
ent or accounted for. The Mormon rank and
were a commonplace, stolid-looking peo-
them. even the children were. serious
and staid in manpeIri Al were submissive to
the power of life and death, among them.
NJ coinpa9ion and myself were well pleased
through the. gate TO the outer world. All
about IN the, fields and orchards the Mormons
", and scarcely raising their eyes at our pasa-
ing, beyond them, among the tall grass. tho
r nitfnre the os T nesee AND AND the nIsn nSrSS %jt Se r Il hsr dis. a
ant reality in the background.
"CorrectionvillS. doubt not. Is there to-day.
but OF the wall and people that ] saw probably
not a yestlRe, remains. The Mormon COM
munlty went to pieces while ! WAS away in
The army. going in a manner that might have
been predicted by one KNOWING the situation
and the man at the head. II was revealed 10
/ thompson that it was the will nf God that
every man in the, community should deliver 10
The prophet his share IN the common land nnd
hat every man, on a certatn day should bring
II the middle Of The town. where tho receipts
we're To- be burned. This having duly been
,ouIi sell into money and S6sconded wifi, lie
nroceeds. OF the deluded people a part. helped
Utah. where some Of them and their descend,
lnts are TO-DAY, others lost heart in the
ImonG the Gentiles around them"
Canada's Cup Defender.