The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-18
Story of BRIGHAM Youno.

a remarka BILE story of the lives and
experiences of the ten wives whom
Brigham Young, the Mormon chieftain
VINO inaugurated the practice of polyg-
amy, kept in the famous bee hive house,
was told yesterday by Mrs. Ann Will
kins, confidential servant to these ten
plural wives.
Mrs. Wilkins has kept her own coun-
sci since she quit service at the bee
hive and only consented TO talk now
that President Smith has made a full
confession OF his own polygamous ca
reer. Mrs. Wilkins SAYS Brigham
Young now has lO,0O7 descendants.
Here is her story:
Il am the only person living who was
servant In the famous beehive house
In which Brigham Young, president of
the Mormon church, kept the of his
tWenty-six wives. During my service
of two years in beehive house as con-
fidential maid l had an opportunity to
observe the remarkable conditions
which prevailed in this American
harem.
Story of Beehive House.
For forty-four years l have kept my
lips sealed as TO the story of the ives
of these ten wives and now for the ll.sr
time tell the story of the inner work.
lnes of the polygamous home of this
chief of the polygamsts. At the head
Ann Agell, the second Wife of the pres
ident. She was the boss of the house
hold and all the other wives did as she
said for them TO do, and she never
asked advice from them. Her word in
the household was law and second only
to the word of the lord and master of
the ten women.
The favorite Wife of the ten was
Mrs. Mary Ann Angel. The second
favorite in the household was Mrs.
Emily Free. These two women We're
rivals for the goog races of the presi-
dent. one cook was employed for all
the ten wives and their children. In
order to insure absolute secrecy as to
what transpired within the walls of the
Beehive this servant was a deaf mute
girl named Jane Mud.
Called to Scrap Room.
While at times the wives auarreled,
and also their respective children had
their little differences, these rows never
occurred in the presence of servants
Of visitors. President Young had pri-
Vate room, remote from the Others
which was called the scrap room,' and
when trouble would arise between the
wives OF the children he would call the
persons interested for q session in that
room, where he sat in Judgment on
their respective cases. His decision
was always final, and there was no APP
peal therefrom.
The president taught the children to
call their own mother, mother. and his
other wives, aunt. Such terms of en-
dearment as mamma or ma We're not
permitted. AS there We're twenty-six
of these wives few of the children be-
fore they We're fifteen years old were
able to recognize their various aunts
by sight or to call off their names
Mary Ann Angel Favorite Wife,
There was a large general sitting
room where the wives would often con-
gregate at night, and II was during
these occasions that President Young
would single out Mrs. Mary Ann Angel
and make love to her before the other
wives. If it happened that she was not
present his preference would be Mrs.
Emily Free. AS the president had more
than score of wives he tried to be as
impartial as possible by dividing his
time between them, but observed that
Mrs. Mary Ann Angel got the lions
share of his domestic calls. 1t was re-
markable what influence Brigham
Young had over these women. So far
as | could see he was a king man, but
he gave his wives to understand that
he was their lord in all the word i'm
plies.
Mrs. Angel was moterual cousin of
Levi p Morton of New York -