The circle banner., 1924-07-04

III 1876, as a bride, decided 70
- stay in Ogden until my hus-
band had learned to certainty
that he was to be superintendent OF
its schools, as | did not care to take
the long journey twice.
"Why not?" asked my husband,
"Coaching isn't hard; I've tried 1t
in the White Mountains"
81 think you'll find stage Jour
ney here altogether different" |
replied. 81 never tried the White
Mountain variety of coaches; but
l have the Western, and | assure
YOU it is not an experience one
cares to repeat frequently. | am
quite comfortable here at the hotel,
with the Beardsleys, who are old
Akron acquaintances, and will
wait until / hear fom you"
After Mr.. Rolfe left, | visited a
friend at Camp Douglas-the wife
of Captain, later General Gilbert
Carpenter. An army post near a
city is apt to be full of life, and the
center of social activity. Such was
not the case at Camp Douglas in
September of 1876. Almost all the
officers, including the husband OF
my friend, and most of the prlvates
had been called out to fight the
Sioux after the Custer Massacre.
Scarcely enough men for. guard
mounting remained at the post,
and the women remained in con-
slant state of apprehension for the
safety of their husbands. An air
of funeral gloom pervaded the
place. I had an opportunity of
there seeing what an army post is
like in wartime.
Here, because of my friends
limited quarters, l shared the room
of young woman who proved to
be one of the numerous nieces of
Brigham Young, and from whom
I gained an inside view of Mormon
life, her mother-a Virginian-be-
ing the third wife of church Of
ficial.
On my return to Ogden, I found
a letter from my husband awaiting
me, stating that he had secured the
desired position, and requesting me
to come on Immediately. The let
ter ended with the confession that
the writer had discovered the diff
ference between staging in the
White Mountains and the Rockies,
the later being so different that he
dreaded to have me undertake it
the more that | must travel alone.
At that time the Utah Northern
was built to Franklin, for which
place l left the day following the
receipt of the letter was in the
car, and curiously watching the
passengers who followed me, when
l noticed a middle-aged man and
woman enter together. The wo-
man was refined in appearance and
we'll dressed. She seated herself
in the rear of the car. The man
looked like farmer, but he had
the air of authority that indicated
he might be person of Importance.
He took the seat behind mine.
In some unexplained manner, we
drifted into conversation, according
to the unconventional Western GUS
tom, and I found this stranger well
informed on everything pertaining
to Utah, and an interesting talker.
One topic lead to another, until we
were discussing the all-absorbing
question of polygamy, on which |
had very strong opinions, and was
perfectly willing to express them,
with the self confidence of one who
had never studied the subject.
l said l had seen large Mormon
families, where there were two or
more wives, and the children were
not properly clothed, to say moth
ing of the wretched houses they
called homes. 1t did not seem right
to bring children into the world to
suffer the privations endured by
many Mormon children, especially
in the country districts.
My new ACQUAINTANCE agreed
with me in this, and added that the
time might come, when polygamy
would be a thing of the past in
Utah. Then he rose and went for
ward into another car. No sooner
did he leave than the woman | had
seen enter the car with him at Og-
den, hurriedly came and took the
place he had vacated, and without
ceremony, took up the thread OF
conversation where the man had
dropped it.
"That man who just went out, is
my husband" said she. II am from
| New HamDshire. and he is from