The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-16
Personal Mention Of People on the
Other Side of the Rockies.

DAYS. Mr.. johnson is selling New Orleans
Molasses and Vermont Maple Sugar. He is
enthusiastic In reference TO the Western
country and Its prospects along all the lines
ofIndustrial and commercial development.
His own success has been phenomenal. His
goods seems to be In demand wherever In
troduced, and the increasing trade Ia all for
which Mr.. johnson could hope. BE thinks
there is q good opening in the West for COM
petent young men Of energy and Integrity.
The demand for this class Of men Ia good, and
the pay Is all that any one could wish. He
hopes to make bis pile In q few years that
will enable him to come back home IN South
Carolina His headquarters Is at Lo
Angeles, California, about q thousand miles
nom Salt Lake.
B. G. JoHNsoN's OPINION Of THE MoRNoNs.
or course 1 ask ed him what be thought o
the Mormons. II I Set down his words OF
praise OF them, their vanity would be fstter-
. ed. he had had much dealing With them
and b had never dealt with a more honor
able or q more honest people.
Being asked about the standard OF their
virtue, be said 1t was as high and as good az
that OF any people with whom he had ever
met. AS good, ifnot q little better, than that
OF the Gentiles.
In reply to question about the women, he
said that they were as good as any others
Polygamy had been abolished for years. and
no new plural marriages. were being cele.
brated. He thought that the old marriages
were respected at least to the extent that, az
o rule, the'husbands were taking care OF all OF
their wives. -.
The Sheriff Of Utah was born q Mormon.
asked him II the husbands Of the plural mar.
riaees which occurred before the manifest
against polygamy were taking care OF all
their wives. His reply was: " believe they
are. and 1 feel like saying ami the man who
doesn't do 3d."
~ WOMEN Voting.
While I was in Salt Lake City the school
election took place. The Mormons or church
people were on one side, and the anti.Mor-
mon people on the other. The parties were
called American" and "Nor.Partiaan." The
'rNon-Partisan" or Mormon party swept
everything, and elected all their candidates
The "Americsn party" was ably led by the
daily Tribune, which mode q vigorous fight
in opposition TO the Mormons or to the
.Nop- Partisans."
I bad never seep a woman at the polls. 20 /
concluded that I would 20 10 a polling pre-
ciDct and zee women exercising the right OF
suffrage. The women In Salt Like City vote
at school elections. I had not long to wait.
The ballots and the envelopes were on 9 little
table In ope'side OF the room. from which the
voter made bis or her choice. Offering to
vote the manager of the box ask ed the name
of the proposed voter. Being told. be in turn
asked the keeper of the poll list II It was
there. After an answer In the affirmative
the voter dropped the envelope in the box.
And the deed was done.
One OF the on LOCKERS, or attendants on the
election made bimaelf known to me. and
after an Interchange OF c~ivilites. lie intro.
duced me TO one OF the stately female voters
who was beautiful in face, graceful In car.
riage, pleasing in speech, musical in voice
and charming In manner. Her name is Miss
Sheppard, and abe is the prettiest woman
that I met In Salt Lake City.
NAUGHTY Pee PIE.
On the journey, people, their habits, and
their religion came often under discussion.
By various pious, patriotic and we'll meaning
persons the following conditions were re.
garded With horror:
l. The South's cruelty to the negro in using
force TO make him work.
2 Cruelty Incident to the employ ment Of
children in cotton mills.
8. Wickedness OF the plural marriages
among the Mormons.
4. immortality OF Catholic priests.
IS THERE AM GOOD IN ANY OF uss
With all these fearful bills OF Indictment
standing against people that are unknown to
their accnsers, I could not help from wonder.
Ing II there was any good in any of Us.
From my point ofview:
l. Law.sbidipg and industrious negroes
who do not teek 10 tramp ON white peoples
corns, are we'll treated.
2. Cotton mills properly managed are g
godsend 10 honest people, who must work or
starvs.
8. So-called plural marriages. by Mormons
are better and more desirable than the man.
ner Of plural marriages by Gentiles, who.
when they marry more than one wife, must
send the first one from beneath bis roof, and
possibly into the street. I do not believe In
divorces and the man who marries again
after throwing his first wife into the street, is
not more 10 be respected than the Mormon
who takes care OF the first as well as the
second or the third wife.
4. Accusations against the morality OF
preachers ofany denomination Is Obliged TO
lower public respect for the clergy of any and
all denominations.
SWEARING Fer VARIOUS PURPOSES.
But aside from marriage now. One man
testified that II was sgainst, the rules of the
Mormon church for any man TO swear In the
presence Of a woman.
On the train was q fa~mily-husband. wife
n three little children. In speaking OF
the Mormons she said that she did not like
the Mormon preachers because they vouId
swear In the presence of women. She object
ed TO them. too, for the further reason that
they would play the fiddle OF a Saturday
night for young peoIl e 10 dance. She did no,
like TO hear a preacher on Sunday morning
after he had fddled for dancers until the
midnight before.
Her remarks about swearing broupht In
my mind a remark by the Spartanburg Her
aid. namely; physicians use whiskey fol-
medical purposes. Preachers use profanity |
for religious purposes" or words to that ef-
feet.
THEIR DoUBL
On the road l saw various persons thai re-
me OF men and women at home. OneI