The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-12-04
Two Wives for Fifty Years
nORMON MARRIED GIRLS ON SANE DAY AND
LIVE MA PPILy WITH THErf HALF CENTURY

4 make up his mind that he could be
happy with either were t'other dear
charmer away" lie sought his bishop
for advice.
Marry EN- both. my boy: marry
\ EN- both. was the counsel OF the
shepherd OF the flock to which young
Woolf belonged.
4 lie took the matter before the young
women In the frank way that was the
fashion in those days.
Il love you both. my dears, and both
OF you love me. Shall we get mar
ried?"
7 The remarkable part OF It Is that
the girls were satisfied with this ar
rangement. According 10 their re
ligiOus convictions the matter was
right and proper The two young
women were good friends. and they
We're not jealous of one another
The trio made a pilgrimage TO lions
central city. and there the two girls
were united TO the one man they loved.
and the astonishing thing in the story
is that they lived happily ever after"
There was none OF the usual prob
Y lens Of the eternal triangle" TO vex
this happy little family. The two
wives had but one home and the
NnWNi4 anu NdlltU lot the
Z inevitable row. but IL did not come
The wives did not quarrel. but dwelt
together as happily as sisters They
shared the duties OF the household
and the affections OF their husband
with equal serenity. and Cupid, who is
neither Mormon nor Gentle. and cares
nothing for creeds and customs. looked
at the happy family and congratulated
himself on the good job he had done
Lucy Ann bore her husband twelve
children. while Harriet presented him
with ten. All the neighbors say there
We're no feuds in the family. The lit
tie half brothers and sisters played
together and hardly knew that they
had only one father and different
mothers. n one mother was sick the
other nursed her and looked after the
little ones. caring for the one brood
as tenderly as the other.
Seventeen OF the children are alive
now. and IL is said that there is not
black sheep in the flock They are
scattered all over the Western coun
try.
Most OF the children and about sixty
grandchildren attended the golden
wedding last year TO congratulate their
father and their respective mothers.
On Thank giving day Of this year
Il Is expected that there will be a
large delegation OF the children and
grandchildren present al the old home
II the whole number could be present
the family table would have 10 be the
largest on record. and II would take
time 10 figure how many turkeys
would be needed There are 10 grand
children and twenty-six great grand
children.
Mr. Woolf has prospered az hus
band. father. farmer and stock raiser
He is a man honest in his convictions.
His parents became converts TO the
Mormon faith I'm 1913. and in the fol
lowing year they moved from New
York 10 NauvOo. Ill, then the head
quarters OF the followers OF Joseph
smith They reached Nauvoo just be
fore Joseph Smith met his death. and
Joined in the exodus 10 the unknown
West. Although Absalom Woolf was
only Il AT the time. he drove three
yoke Of oxen from Council BLUFFS 10
I Salt Lake City.
| II was while crossing the plains that
he formed the acquaintance Of the two
girls who after ward became his wives.
though at that time none Of the three
dreamed they would become entangled
in the most peculiar little three cor
uered romance that ever was.
Mr.. Wooif was one Of the most IA
NOUS Indian fighters in the West dur
| ing his early manhood. lie was
scout and a courier and took part in
the bloodiest battles that were fought
with the redskins during the years Of
the settlement and pacification OF
Utah. In the southern part Of the
Territory the Indians were especially
troublesome. and Mr.. WOOlf, having
been elected peace officer, was con
siantly on the warpath.
But after the Indian wars We're over,
and when the combined family OF the
two mothers became too numerous 70
be contained in a single house, Mr..
Woolf built another dwelling near the
/ first family home The two families
separated then. more as matter OF
domestic convenience than because
they could not live together in unity.
Mr.. Woolf now makes his home with
his wife Lucy Ann. When the Nor
mon Church issued the Woodruff
manifesto commanding its followers
to abandon the practice of polygamy
Mr.. Woolf rebelled. for he had mar
ried his wives in good faith and re-
scented the idea Of putting aside one
OF them. but finally he gave heed TO
the advice of his ecclesiastical super
iors and. by agreement with his wives,
the home of Lucy was selected as MS
future place OF abode. Unlike many
others In his condition. he has re
I ligiously observed his promise TO live
in monogamy Nevertheless, the two
women visit with each other. attend
each other in illness, and no two SIS
tiers could display more consideration
for one another.