WIVES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.
There have been many statements made and many speculations indulged in, as to the actual number of wives , which the much-married Brigham Young has taken to his bed and board and to his capacious bosom. The matter is now fully settled by the details entered into, in connection , with the matter, by the Salt Lake News Letter. That journal settles the fact that Young has espoused twenty-nine wives, twenty-seven of which are probably living. He want-ed to many another, but the lady de-clined.
His first wife was Ann Angell, a fine name for the wife of a prophet.—He married her legitimately in New York, and she has borne him five children. His second wife was Lucy Seely, who was the wife of Isaac Seely, when she became the "pluralty" of Prophet Brigham. She has brone him only eight children. He obtained her at Nauvoo. He next espoused her sister, Clara Decker, who has blessed the prophet with two little prophets. Harriet Cook was the next object of his affectionate yearn-ings, who is reported as ill-natured, jealous and the devil of the house-hold. She has been known to assail with her taper flngers the few capil-lary attractions that adorn the crani-um Of the Prophet Brigham. She does not care a fig for Mormonism and Young does not care much for her. She is "the plague of his life." Wife No. 5 was Lucy Biglow, said to be beautiful and intelligent. She has no children. No. 6 is a blonde of the brick dust tinge, and her maiden name was Mary Twiss. She has a freckled face, low forehead, pug nose, and loves the prophet devotedly.—Martha Bowker stands No. 7 on the list. Her love for the prophet is un-requited. Harriet Barney won the matrimonial prize as wife No. 8. She is represented as a sad, sweet woman. She was formerly the pure and spot-less wife of a devoted husband. No wonder she is sad. Wife No. 9 was the position assigned to Eliza Bur-gess, of Manchester, England. She has blessed Brigham with five Young additions to his family. Eilen Rock-wood, a New England girl with con-siderable personal beauty, was select-ed as his 10th wife. She is sickly, and, as a consequence is of little im-portance in the household. Susan Snively is the 11th light. She is of New England origin and devotes her-self to knitting warm stockings and mittens for the prophet. Jemima An-gell folded her wings as wife No. 12. She was a widow, and is rarely visited by Brigham. Margaret Alley became his 13th wife, but she died, in 1853, leaving two children to the care of her Brigham. Margaret Pierce ac-cepted the position of wife No. 14.—She has several children, but she and the prophet do not live happily.—When Mr. Campton joined the Mor-mons at Navoo he had a very pretty wife. Brigham coveted her, and she became wife No 15, leaving six chil-dren to the care of her real husband.—Wife No. 16 was Mary Biglow, the sister of wife No. 5, Mormonism did not agree with her and she left. Wife No. 17 was Eliza Rody Snow, a poet. She lives elegantly and dresses ele-gantly, His 18th wife was Zena D. Huntingdon Jacobs. Amelia Part-ridge became his 19th wife. She is said to be beautiful and the mother of four children, Mrs. Augusta Cobb left a comfortable home, children and friends in Boston to become wife No. 20. Wife No. 21 was the wife of the late Joseph Smith. Young did not want her, but gave her a place to strengthen his hold upon the Church. Wife 22 was Clara Chase, who died a maniac; she left four children. Eme-line Free was made his 23d wife, and was said to be the most beautiful of all, and really the idol of Brigham's heart. He abandoned her, however, for another, and married wife 24, who with 25, 26, 27, and 28, are unknown or unseen, if they have not, like wife 16, "taken up their beds and walked.” The last female addition to the Young family was Amelia Folsom, as wife 29. She is only about twenty-five years of age. The prophet won her affections only after a long and de-voted courtship. She was to be his last and only darling; but he has since sought to marry Miss Sauna Urnsenback who indignantly repelled his advances.
In the sad history of all these mar-riages there is an evidence of that im-plicit faith which every woman evin-ces in the fidelity of man, Every ad-ditional wife seemed to be convinced that all the preceding ones were to be abandoned, and she alone was to be last and only one of all. In no case did they appear to anticipate that the prophet was to one day weary of their charms and seek for new ones elsewhere. The blow in each case, it seems, fell with almost crushing ef-fect, especially upon those of the higher order of intellect whom he had induced to become his victims.
