Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-10-25
IN MORMON-LAND IN 81
The Graphic Story of a Wedding
Journey so Years Ago,
Told Last Evening Before the Wo.
mans Club, by Mrs. B. D.
Harris.

| Inc woman CluD was entertained at
its meeting at the Brooks House last
evening with the graphic story of the re-
markaDle wedding journey taken by the
late Broughton ID. Harris and his wife
in the spring and early summer of 1851
The story was written by Mrs. Harris
| and in her absence was read by Rev. H.
II. Miles. The territorial government of
Utah had then, 1851 just been organized
| with Brigham Young as governor, three
| justices OF the supreme court and
| Broughton ID. Harris, then a young man
| of only q, secretary and treasurer Mr.
and Mrs. Harris visited Washington to
obtain their final instructions from
| President Fillmore, and his secretary of
| state, Daniel Webster, and then began
their journey by stage and steamboat
| across the continent to st. Louis. From
| st. Louis they went up the river by boat
! to Council Bluffs. From Council Bluffs
| the journey was across the plains" by
mule and horse team. The party consist
! ed in all of II men, women and several
| little children. The vicissitudes of the
! journey were many, incident to swollen
! streams, the worst of roads or no roads
| at all, and danger from hostile Indians.
| This journey was g. days long and il
| was a time Of such hardshps as not
! many a young bride and groom of today
| would care to encounter Little was
! known then Of the real character of Nor
| monism beyond the fact that the colony
| in the promised land In the Salt Lake
valley had been established i'm 1871 Par
ties of Mormon emigrants were seen on
| the way, and here and there the trail
| was strewn with relies of previous jour
neys. broken and abandoned wagons,
! household effects and the graves of little
children with pathetic inscriptions.
Arrived finally at Salt Lake, Secretary
and Mrs. Harris were taken into the
comfortable home of Mrs. Murray, the
sister of Brigham Young. The position
of the Federal officials during the sum-
mor was one OF almost constant excite
mont and apprehension While the eX-
istcnco of polygamy had been stoutly de-
MED. II was only too evident that the
practice was prevalent and there were
heartbroken first wives and their chill
dren on every hand. Many special at
tentions were paid to the government
officials by Brigham Young and his chiefs
in the hope to win their favor to the
Mormon cause, or at least to insure their
silence. Mrs. Harris's position may be
best understood when 1t IS said that she
was the only woman not n Mormon then
in the territory OF Utah. Many were
the agoni2ing condolences bestowed upon
her by women who had been betrayed by
their husbands into the Mormon life
Tho number OF Brigham Young's wives
was an unknown quantity, but Mrs. Har-
ris relates seeing him driving out with
"a
Of carriage built expressly for the
convenience OF his home treasures"
on one occasion Mrs. Harris was asked
to take tea AT the home OF Mrs Heber
c. Kimbail No !. OF the scene on her
arrival at the fashionable Salt Lake hour
of o'clock Mrs. Harris says: Il can
not even now. though 50 years have
elapsed describe my sensations when l
was ushcrcd into a room where sat six
young women. three of them with in
fants In their arms. and found they were
all Mrs. Kimbals, and about the age of
Heber's first wife's daughter, whom |
had met before"
The Mormons were hard pressed for
money. and Brigham Young made n de-
termined EFFORT. to get possession of s2i.- |
600 OF United States money which Mr.
Harris had carried with him to Salt
Lake city. II was only through the |
brave determination OF Mr.. Harris that
the money was protected and saved |
The summer was one OF undouhted dam !
ger tn Mr.. and Mrs. Harris and TO the |
judges and other Federal officials The |
situation became uncomfortable. and Sec
rotary and Mrs. Harris and the Judges !
determined to return to the East Every |
possible means was used to induce them |
TO remain. Chief Justice BrandehiIrv |
n charming. cultivated gentleman and n |
bachelor was given the privilege Of Sc |
Letting as many wives from the young |
girls OF Jtah as he desired. Secretary |
Harris was offered any office within the /
power of Utah to bestow. He should be |
sent TO Congress as their delegate. In |
iact any honor he might desire should be |
his. The interview was long and exhaus- |
i've, and finally, when every argument |
had failed, Brigham humbled himself i'm |
the dust at their feet and offered to black |
their boots. Incredible as this may seem |
II was literally true. The last supreme |
effort having failed the saints sadly de- |
parted This was at n final interview |
with Brigham Young and his apostles
The journey back was begun on the |
18th OF September. 1851 and 80 DAYS were |
consumed in reaching the Missouri river. |
MT Harris had in his charge the s24 900 |
or government money. and $4,000 besides. |
entrusted to him by Salt Lake merchants |
These funds were safely transported to 1
st. Louis and deposlted-the government |
money In the sub-treasury there and the |
money OF the merchants in the banks |
II was in the home Of Mr.. and Mrs. |
Roswell Field, the parents of Eugene and |
Roswell Field then I'm babyhood, that Mr.. |
ana Mrs. Harris found a warm welcome |
Ihe story as told by her is admirably |
done from n literary point of view with |
charm of simplicity and naturalness. |
Al the urgent request of her children |
II has been put in print for private dis
trihution only hut II contains the inner
history of a critical time in our history |
winch can be gained in Otbpr