Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-01

governors themselves have taken brides
10 overlook. the religious eccentricities Of
the followers OF Joseph Smith.
me began coming to Mex
lco ABOUT ten years go, when the United
states government decided to enforce
the Edmunds law by imprisoning poly
sahlists. Seeing that the practice of
MAINTAINING q plurality of wives was
doomed in the United States. the Nor
mons began looking around for some spot
Mhefe a safe haven could be established
lhey finally settled upon the arid dis
.rlclS or Mexico and lost no time III NOV
ing tnither with their goods and chatteIs.
from the outset they were compelled
10 race hardslips and obstacles that
would nave thwarted Il less resolute peo-
PIE put by their u~ndaunted courage and
persistent labor they nave made the
deserts blossom like the garden spots of
the earth. They have colonies or settle
menus at DItz, Jaurez. Pacheco and other
piacs IN northern Mexico. In latter years
they nave not confined themselves to the
working OF supposedly useless ground
ana they now possess some of the most
FERTILE agricultural land in the republic.
AS a result they hay nearly a monopoly
on agricultural products and supply all
the northern towns.
customs differ slightly in the various
settlements. some of the Mormons MAIN
tanning one large establishment in which
Abt StllliS laElftlA me I'M
other sections separate residences are
provided for the different wives. The lat
Ter method is the more popular in the
.n'cklE settled districts such as Diaz and
Facheco. The residences are generally
one or tWo-storS houses, adjoining one
a1''thef. although some of the more
wealthy members of the sect have elab-
crate dwellings,. Each m of the
colony is known as brother or sister. If
q pfothef happens to hav a marital un-
p~leasantneS with one of his wives he
seeks consolation at the home Of another.
rs 50 on until he has made the round Of
US iadles comprising his family. The
whole religion, as ROW practiced in Mex
lco. Is founded on sensuality.
Inc Mormon belief in the hereafter is
u~eiilcatlon 81 the dead in proportion to
rs number n times the deceased has
peeh joined ~ Wedlock. \ Woman can
De sealed OF united even to one WHO is
uead II the elders deem it necessary that
the deceased become sanctifien. There is
element of errorism in the system. In
order to reach the cnjoymcnts Of tha
hereafter Z woman's life must BIZ such
as !" warrant her being called by her
husband to join in the assembly of The
glorltied. IT IS polytheism. tie leading
spirit Or the after world being Adam, and
the heXt III rank being Jesus Christ, Mo
manned. Joseph Smith ana Brigham
Young, and 50 en- through numberless
'ail'S tiidt are more ulftlcult OF enumera-
tlOn 1han a row of losses in q Chinese
temple.
AS c~olonists. however. and setting
aside polygamN. the Mornons are a dill
gent and Industrious people, naturally
ciafnlsh and devoted to their own inter-
estS. Inc Whole Mormon sect live under
a sort OF communion. Being good farms
efS, lhelr Well cultivated acres form some i
oI the choicest farming properties in
MEXICO. The approaches to their settle
ilehti are We'll guarded. Well laid roads
lNal afford an excellent example for
lnelf cruder Mexican neighbnrs. Their
houses are all built on the American plan.
ana while plain. ad nnDstrntatipus. the
mormon towns remind one of the inter
lof agricultural communities OF the
state. The colonistS are both economical
and shrewd, knowing Well how ID drive !
good bargains and all Of them are pros
porous. Iflcy have schools of their oW1
as Wei as temples of worship. and their
are better educated than those
Of their ~neighbors.
"lhe Moffnons lave missionaries in all
paftS OF the world, and their ranks are
D2ing constantly recruited by new con-
Nelts. 1t is from these, who are mostly
girls and women, that the more wealthy
class select their wives. The native born
mormon women are VIGOROUSLY hOmelN, /
put the reverse is true of the converts. |
as 1t is Well known that the missionaries
are specially instructed to labor for the
conversion OF beautiful women"
J