The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-22
MORE GENTILEs
And Fewer Mormons in the Salt
 River Valley, Arizona.


 Brooklyn Eagle.
 Within the last two months there has been a great Mormon hegira from the Salt River Valley, Arizona, and their Gentle neighbcrs say :.Amenw Not but that the Mormon has his good points as citizen. but he is clannish and conser- vative to a degree and a decided op- ponent to all public improvements. This, to say rothing of his polygamous pro- clivities. The last census taken in the little City of Mesa, which was settled and laid out by colony of Latter Day Saints from Utah, just twenty-four years ago, shows for the first time In it's his- tory, preponderance of Gentiles, ma- jority that is increasing all the time. Four of the principal Mormon families (and a Mormon family numbers any where from eight to fifteen or twenty souis) have started to Mexico to join the colonies already established at Colonia Juarez. Chuichupa and Casas Grandes in Chihuahua. and eight of the John son" families, with following of poor white converts from the South. have started overland in their great white covered wagons, pressed down and rum ming over with tow-headed children, to join a band of their co-religionists from Utah at the Colorado.
 From thence they will go on to Al- berta, British Columbia, where, each set tier may take up 160 acres for the tilling. The fact that so many are leaving this fertile section which for fruit culture and alfalfa raising is counted one of the choicest in the far West, is variously ac- counted for
 The Mormons themselves say that Brig ham Young son of the original Brig ham, who spent a good part of the last winter at Mesa, has had vision in which 1t was commandedNthat the saints should begin to separate themselves from the Genttles, going hence to some lo- cality where the laws are not so strin- gent and where they may assume entire control of every business enterprise This has ever been the policy of the Mor- mons, who are distinctly gregarious They prefer to manage their own schools their irrigation systems and their CO., operative stores as we'll as practice with out interference what they believe to be a divine command.
 At least one of the heads of families who have gone to Mexico goes with the avowed purpose of taking unto himself another wife. This Is allowable in Mex lea, if the first wife gives her consent in writing and in this case it is inti- mated that wife No. 1 is quite willing that her husband should increase his chances of becoming a god by enlarging his family more rapidly than he would be allowed to do here.
 According to the Mormon faith, the more children a man can show the high CT will be his standing in the hereafter. The universality of this belief is practi- caIIy illustrated In every Mormon church yard-when the most glowing eulogy that can be paid to the departed lies in th5 number of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren graven on his monu. rncnt. As a case in point witness q shaft in the little cemetery at Mesa where Charles $. Peterson gets credited for ehirty-two children, one hundred grandchildren and forty great grand. children.
 A still better showing will be made a little later when the patriarch B. M Johnson, who has peopled an entire sec. tfon known as Johnsontown, gets his reward. Mir. Johnson has had sever wifes in days past-three of whom were sisters, but his temper and other person, al characteristics were so unpleasant that none of the seven will now live witt him.
 Contrary to general opinion, devout Mormon wife not only sanctions a plura marriage, but encourages it. Mrs. Flakes ,Eife of Collins R. flakes president o the Maricopa Stake of Zion. is credito- with saying but recently: Collins woul, take another wife if we could afford it. while the Edmunds law has put an enC No avowedly new plural marriages in tn