The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-28

Snow, whose children are scattered from
one end of the world to the other, must
bow to him. Even George Q. Cannon.
who has established a family village on
the outskirts Of Salt Lake City. must ac-
knowledge his supremacy. He Is the POS
SCISSOR of perhaps the largest family III
the country.
It is an enviable thing in Mormondom
to have So many children. Mormons oe-
lieve the first recorded command OF uoo
BE fruitful and multiply and replenlsn
the earth"-is the foundation OF all Cos
pel. the keystone In the great plan OF me
universe. Millions Of spirits are wal ing
in another world, they believe for TAD
ernacles of fiesh,' which they must as
sumo before they can attain the nlshsse
glory In the world to come. 10 one VINO
is Industrious In obedience to this COIN
mand is to come the power OF rounding
world of his own and becoming goa over
it-just as, in his belief Adam founoea
this world and will belts god in the end.
So this aged man, who is living on his
ranch. still surrounded by his twelve
wives and many of his children and
grandchildren, is regarded with venera-
ton by the Mormon colony which mas
spread throughout the southeastern part
of Idaho. He Is. d. high priest IN ms
church, one who IS supposed to be III
communion with God,l and whose volcs
carries authority whether he speaks on
religion or business.
Members of the family who. have ie-
l,
stretch Of country fourteen miles long py
two miles broad. They have dozen
ranches, one for each wife, and IN the
center Is the town of RicksV1lle, over
which the father rules Hike a patriarch u
old. He visits each iof his families at
times, and is always welcomed by the
children. Once a year a reunion Oh all
who can reach the place is he'd.
Kicks is a giant in form and strength.
Whence he came or who We're ms
parents he will not tell.zAll that is known
, Is that he heard the teachings OF the
Mormens in a foreign land long ps1oie
the Civil war, and landed in ST. Louis IN
1912 He was an earnest convert, ana
when he Joined the followers OF joseph
Smith, near Independence, MO-, ne was
soon marked for a leader.
He was among the fighting men OF
Missouri mobs from driving the Mormon
people out of the state. He was mem
Der Of the Nauvoo legion. that spienole
body Of city militia with which joseph
Smith defied the whole state OF llhnols
Firally, when the Mormons were drive,
into the wilderness, after an Illinois nor
had Jailed the founder of their rellslon, NJ
! became pioneer, following the part,
led by Brigham Young across the grea
trackless plain.
On his way to the epeomised land" II
the valley Of the Great Salt Lake, ne was
q leader in the party, a guard against tn'
Indians who constantly threatened IN.
travellers. He was already husband ane
father many times over. for when ne ar
rived in the promised land he had nVt
| wives. He settled eneari Salt Lake, ane
after the doctrine cof polygamy was TOT
mally announced be showed his ialtn II
It by taking seven more women INTO Hi'
family.
When he had established his wives and
children in such c6hnforfs as was poSsipis
In the bleak valleys softthe great BASH
Kicks was called upon TO show his faiti
in his religion by sacrificing all tnat M
had accomplished. Brigham Young, WIZ
the eye of a ruler, aspiring to create az
empire, had seen tie great possibilities o.
the narrow, mountain Guarded valleys t.
the north in Utah and Idaho. and had se
out to bring them within the domain Of
his church. Just as he called men as mis-
sionaries to carry abroad the gospel OF ms
faith, SO he called men to be pioneers II
Selling this virgin country.
With two or three score of emigranl
families who had come from Europe ne
would place about score Of famllies VINO
had become seasoned and start them cut
to found new cofonies. The church guar
anteed to keep tEasm from starving, but