A Visit to Brigham Young.
A Salt Lake correspondent of the N. Y.
Evening Post writes:
I found President Young an agreeable, affable gentleman, apparently not over forty-five years of age, although he is really up-wards of sixty. He was disposed to con-verse upon any and all subjects very freely. The treaty with Japan he regarded at first as a failure, and the character of the embas-sy which visited the United States has served to confirm that belief. The war, he thinks, will be continued till a great part of the North and South are used up, or to speak more plainly, till all are annihilated, when the "Saints" will be the people to occupy the country in peace and quietness. The deso-lation caused by war he regards as the judgment of the Lord for the prosecution of the Saints. Brigham was disposed to give any information concerning his thea-tre, temple and tabernacle, and about his other public buildings. The ventilating of his private school-room, where his own chil-dren, numbering some sixty, are educated appeared to be a favorite subject of conver-sation. The ceilings of these rooms are eighteen feet high, ventilated from the tops of all the windows. His own residences—there are several buildings—are large and airy, with double doors, and ceilings twenty or thirty feet in height. One building is principally occupied by his wives.
Brigham sleeps alone and eats alone.—Whenever he wants one of his wives he sends for her. It is not uncommon to see three or four of his wives at church sitting together, and generally dressed alike. A dozen or fifteen children are about his prem-ises at play at all times, apparently happy enough. Brigham Young jr., a son about twenty years old—a pretty fair chip of the old block—has just returned from Europe, whither he was sent on a mission. While there he visited most of the countries and places of interest, being supplied with as much money as he wanted to spend. Brig-ham's last wife was rather an interesting young lady, the daughter of Mr. Folsom.
It is asserted by the Mormons that the most perfect harmony and good feeling pre-vails among the wives of the "harem," but I have positive information which shows this to be false.
Brigham is friendly disposed toward the overland mail companies. People visiting Salt Lake are watched in their movements the same as they would be if they were known to be murderers or incendiaries; strangers never converse, except in low tones, so that they cannot be heard off the side-walks.
The spy system here is equal to that in Vienna or Paris. Men and women are fre-quently found curled up under the fence in-side the yard to listen to people passing along the streets. Men have been known to come and listen under the window of stran-gers, when lights have been seen at what they considered unusual hours. To report anything to Brigham to attract his attention would be accounted good work.
19th Century Mormon Article Newspaper Index
