1838 – 2 November, p. 4 – Mormonism in America. The literary world has of late years been inundated with travels, sketches, notes, and heaen know what, in which we are informed that American gentlemen “chew tobacco,” and American ladies “drink rum and water;” but the truly remarkable fact of a NEW RELIGIONS springing up and making thousands of proselytes, even in the first twelve months of its existence, has been passed over in silence.

In the village of Palmyra, in the western part of the State of New York, an idiot, said to have been dumb from his birth, suddenly gave out, a few years ago, that “one fine night” he had a visit from an angel, who told him to arise from his bed and follow him. He did so; and was conducted by his visitor to a remote and retired spot, where lay a large flat stone, having a ring in the middle of it. This stone was about five feet long, three broad, and eight or nine inches thick. On arriving at the place in question, the angel commanded the idiot, whose name was Joe Smith, to take up the stone by the ring. Smith, as well he might, hesitated to comply with such an order, when his companion told him to take it up boldly, for, if he only had “faith,” God would instantly give him strength to perform the herculean task. Having prayed inwardly for some minutes, Joe took off his coat, and was making preparations for the performance; but the angel reproved him for his want of faith, made him replace his coat upon his shoulders, and told him that even “if the stone weighed ten thousand tons, divine assistance, through saving faith, would enable him to lift it.” Joe became passive in the hands of the angel, grasped the ring, and found, to his astonishment, that the stone weighed as nothing in his hands! On removing it, the idiot discovered that it had served as a covering to a box or chest of the same material, under which were deposited “twelve golden plates or tables,” engraven all over with mystical characters. Upon the upper plate lay a “pair of spectacles” made of freestone (save the mark!), which the angel commanded Smith to place astride his nose. On doing so, Joe’s “tongue was loosened,” as he himself states, and his intellects instantly became like those of other men. He saw through the freestone, and the engraving on the golden plates became perfectly intelligible to him. The angel then commanded him to associate with himself “twelve other men,” whom he named as “Scribes,” and to interpret to them the writing on the plates. When the work was completely written out, they took it to a printer, who demanded 500 dollars to be paid in advance for his share in the business. Hereupon the conclave, by dint of pawning, borrowing, selling, and “finding,” raised the stipulated sum. The book was left with the printer, and the authors were desired to call at the end of a month, when the work would be completed. They now went and “voluntarily” made oath before a justice of the peace that they had written from the dictation of Smith, who, until the time of the angel’s visit, had been dumb and an idiot from his birth, and that they had seen the twelve golden tables and the stone spectacles; adding, that “no one except Smith could see through them.” At the expiration of the month they returned to the man of types and demanded their books. The disciple of Caxton met them with a long face, and told them that the whole of the first sheet (16 pages) had been thrown down; and that the manuscripts not being preserved, he had not been able to fulfill his agreements by the stipulated time; but that, if they would write it over again, he would of course print it at his own expense. The Prophets were astounded at this intelligence, and, as they had kept no copy of their work, despaired of replacing the inspired writings; hereupon the printer, by way of removing the difficulty, advised them to “take another look at the golden plates.”

The despairing Mormonites took the hint, and returned with 16 pages of fresh matter, which the printer immediately composed.

On the publication of the book, the printer worked of and published the 16 original pages, which he pretended to have lost, and which were altogether different from those they had brought him the second time. This created a terrible sensation among the scribes, who were now called upon ty the perfidious printer to produce the plates.

Twelve golden tablets, each of the size of a large tea-tray, are not very easy to be procured; but the angel was good enough to step in once more to their aid. The conclave made oath that the angel had taken the tables to heaven, on the completion of the work: the stone spectacles, however, and the stone chest, were produced in evidence, and multitudes of persons were found to be noodles enough to believe the absurd story. The writer of this, traveling in 1830 through the State of New York, fell into company with a drover, whose uncle had been choused out of 8,000 dollars by these fellows. Multitudes had joined them, selling all their property, and throwing the proceeds into the common stock; and they have several establishments, one of which is in the State of Ohio, where they herd together after a most edifying fashion. Of course, chastity is not among the number of their cardinal virtues. They profess a hearty contempt for all “unbelievers,” and are noted for the promptitude with which they consign to “everlasting fire and brimstone” all not of their own persuasion.

The poor drover above alluded to, not being himself a Mormonite, and having anticipated coming in as heir to the “old feller,” could in nowise keep his temper when speaking of the “new revelation.” He consigned Mormon, Joe Smith, and all their followers, to perdition after a most unseemly fashion; libeled the angel who had shown Joe the box, and observed that “the angel was sharp enough however, for he took good care to carry off the gold; he didn’t leave that behind him.” “Now,” continued he, “that old Succubus of an uncle of mine might have remembered that he had ten years of my labor, and that no man is called upon to throw away his life for nothing; but then the old chap hadn’t got no more gumption than a backwoodman’s bull, nor no more steadiness than a monkey upon a weathercock, so that when the came to him he got clean frightened out of the little wits that he had. The first time I went to New York he took the opportunity to sell his farm, and his stock, and everything, and didn’t leave himself more clothes nor plunder that what you might ram into a peddler’s wallet; so, when I returned, I found myself master of the outside of the house, and a ready furnished lodging in the forest, where I might pick and choose among the trees, and live squirrel fashion, that is, if so be as I could have climbed and made up my mind to dine every day on hazel nuts and raw corn. I only wish I could have knowed what was a going on; I’d have found a way to return home time enough to clear ’em all out with my cudgel, and that in a fashion that would have made them tremble all the days of their lives at sight of a hickory tree.”

The doctrinal book of the Mormonites, by them called “The Bible,” has with them entirely superseded the Old and New Testaments. A copy of this book arrived lately in London, and is now in the possession of a gentleman residing at Brompton. It is a tolerably thick and closely printed octavo volume, and is divided into a number of books, called after the names of their supposed authors; of these the first is the BOOK OF MORMON, which has given its name to the whole volume. It is a singular fact that, in the Greek language, the word Mormon signifies a mischievous fool or idiot. The style and language of this new Bible are an awkward limitation of those of the Old Testament. The book abounds in grammatical blunders and Yankeyisms, and is by no means sparing in marvelous relations of cruelty, murder and rapine. There is hardly a glimpse of meaning in many passages of it, and the whole is put together in a rambling, unconnected manner, which plainly evinces it to be the work of a person, or persons, wholly unaccustomed to literary composition. It is too absurd for criticism, and too brutishly depraved and ignorant to allow of its giving amusement to the reader by its folly.

A few years ago it was computed that more than 10,000 persons have joined this society; they now amount to 50,000.

This precious composition has not been wanting in “expounders” and “commentators,” who, in the meetings of the sect, gravely read out a passage of the nonsense contained in it, and proceed forthwith to elucidate it, to the great edification of their auditory! It would seem that the chief tenet of this “New religion” inculcates a diligent perusal of their “inspired” volume, and the more piously inclined portion of its professors spell their way through it with an industrious pertinacity that may in time teach them to read. It would be hard to state exactly what are the tenets of a Religion professed by beings, the greater number of whom have scarcely more intelligence than the beasts that drag their ploughs! They have not yet got to the length of having church dignitaries, but these will, no doubt come in due time. When the writer was in America their ministers were merely zealous persons, whom the Spirit had told that it was more profitable to preach than to work. There is little doubt but that, by perseverance, they may talk themselves into a good thing.

The Society is as completely separated by its religion from all intercourse with unbelievers as the Turk from the Arab, who plunders him whenever he has the opportunity. Their hatred of all who do not profess Mormonism is inconceivable; they effect to court ridicule, and they endure contempt and insult with a degree of patience worthy of a better cause, in favor of this “only true faith.”

It has been already stated that the number of the Mormonists at the present moment amounts to 50,000; and so obnoxious to the citizens of the States of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and the western parts of New York, have they become, that very serious complaints have been made regarding them; nor have the disputes between the peaceable and respectable citizens and these vagabond sectarians ended by appeals to the civil law. Divers conflicts have taken place between them and the militia, which, on more than one occasion, has been called out to repel their invasions when attempting to form settlements in the neighborhood of the growing towns and villages of these States. Another, and perhaps a greater cause of hatred towards them, is their inveterate system of Proselytism, by which, under the mask of religion, they constantly seduce from their domestic duties and family ties, multitudes of men and women who had hitherto duly fulfilled the relative duties of parent, husband, wife, child, and citizen. These infatuated persons, regardless of every human obligation, have chosen to sell off their farms, stock, and other property, and even to borrow and steal the property of others (as the Jews did the jewelry of the Egyptians), in order to go over in droves to the camps and settlements of the Mormonists. Having put their money and effects into the hands of the Mormon elders, they are instantly installed members of the society, and become, consequently, qualified for the indulgence of every vice and extravagance within the confines of modern profligacy. Community of women and promiscuous intercourse of the sexes appear to be the grand motives with the young, the licentious, and the thoughtless, throughout the western for thus bidding an unceremonious farewell to the blessings of civilized society. Ignorance and fanaticism appear principally to have actuated the Mormon converts of a more mature age.

Scarcely a newspaper has been published throughout the western country during the last two or three years, which does not contain some tirade against, or account of, the follies and excesses of these deluded persons, nor has the civil power been behind hand with the press in their prosecution and persecution. Accounts of Mormonists arrests, imprisonments, battles, and captures, are almost as common as advertisements for the sale of land. Still, they have so increased in number and wealth, that now all hope of their suppression by force has been abandoned; and there is little doubt that, until their proselytes cease to wear the garb of novelty, they will remain a very sharp thorn in the sides of western society: nay, the probability is, if they all coalesce into one body, that they may purchase or take possession of some large tract of land, and so form a separate State of Government for themselves. Joe Smith and his twelve apostles still live to enjoy and revel in the mischief they have caused to the rural population of America.

In conclusion, we may be permitted to say one word respecting the Mormon doctrines in this country. Seven of them came over to Liverpool about fifteen months ago in the Garrick packet ship. They were fine looking stalwart fellows, and behaved with a very fair degree of decorum during the voyage. They wished to preach to the passengers and crew, but that the captain (who was an American) would not permit, except in one instance. Since their arrival in Lancashire, they have largely succeeded in proselytizing the ignorant portion of the manufacturing community; and it was no later than last week that the newspapers contained a melancholy account of their success in making a young woman at Preston, who had recently lain in childbirth, believe that she should be “made whole” by merely touching the staff of the senior missionary. Her medical attendants were consequently discharged, and the staff was put into her bed, etc.; but the credulous creature expired before the morning!

That the latter portion of the above narrative, which was written previous to the late arrivals, is somewhat prophetic, may be seen by the recent news from America by the Great Western steam-vessel, which arrived at Bristol on the 17^th of the present month. The Brownsville (Mississippi) Emigrant, of the 13^th ult., gives the following account of the Mormon difficulties:

“We have just conversed with General Williamson, of Edward’s county who states that on Saturday last he saw a letter dated the 7^th inst. From a Committee of gentlemen of Davies’ County, to the people of Howard County calling on them to raise a force and come to their assistance to aid them in expelling the Mormons from the country. That the citizens of Davies’ county had removed their families, and were ‘making preparations for warlike operation’—that the Mormons were in a state of open rebellion against the laws and authorities of the State, and that war between them and the citizens was inevitable. Moreover, that the people of Davies’ County had come to the final determination of commencing the attack on Sunday last.’—From the best information we can obtain the Mormons number from 1,500 to 2,000 fighting men; and it is stated upon good authority, that a large emigrating party of Mormons are now on their way from Canada to join their friends at Missouri, which will increase their force so as to make them very formidable. If this war should actually break out, it must be a war of extermination, as the Mormons are desperate, and rendered still more so by the fanatical spirit infused into them by that arch deceiver, Joe Smith, under whose orders they act, under whose banners they fight, and by whose malign influence they are misguided and ready for any deed of desperation. Their disorderly conduct, for months past, has so exasperated the people, that they can no longer tolerate or permit them to reside amongst them.”

1840 – 2 October, p. 2 – There are at present in the neighborhood of Gateshead two ministers of a sect called “Latter-day Saints,” who state that they have come out “without purse or scrip,” as a voice of warning to the people, and who inform their hearers that the Gospel is not preached by any ministers but themselves; that God took away the supernatural gifts from the Church when men made preaching a business, but that he has now set to His hand again, a second time, to recover His people, and restore the ancient order of things; and these signs shall follow them that believe: they shall speak with new tongues—they shall cast out devils—if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them—and if they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover. They affirm that Jesus Christ has not had a Church on earth for 1,400 years; that this is the last generation; a falling away will take place from the different Churches, and they shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man come. They plainly state, unless we are baptized by immersion, we cannot enter the kingdom of God; in addition to which they have a work entitled “The Book of Mormon,” which they believe to be an inspired volume, equal in authority to the Holy Scriptures, the original of which was found engraven on brass plates in the land of America. They have created some interest in that place amongst persons who did not frequent any place of worship.

1842 – 19 August, p. 2 – Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet, has quarreled with his two disciples, Rigdon and Bennett, and they threaten to expose his chicanery. How melancholy that so many emigrants should leave England to join these miserable fanatics!

1842 – 23 December, p. 2 – Mormonism—It is understood that there are persons in Kendal so infatuated by the dogmas of Mormonism as to refuse medical advice in cases of sickness, but rely for a healing balm in the mummery and apish antics of their depraved “priesthood.” Others there are, it is said, who refuse to apprentice their sons because they do not know how soon they may be called to “the promised land” to bow down to their Pontiff Joe Smith, who of late has been threatening to take the United States of America by fire and sword, and who, it would appear, has a numerous and organized gang of ruffians under his command. This scoundrel Smith, who is the leader of the sect, was, along with some other persons, not long since indicted for murder, arson and other crimes, and is now sought for by the authorities of one of the American States on a similar accusation. Lancaster Guardian.

1845 – 26 December, p. 4 – The Mormons have resolved to remove to the Bay of San Francisco, in California, in the spring, and have already commenced selling their property at Nauvoo.

1846 – 25 September, p. 4 – The large body of troops under Colonel Kearney, 3500 strong (including 1000 Mormons), had reached Bent’s Fort, on their way to Santa Fe; at which town, it is now stated, the inhabitants are prepared to welcome the American army as friends and customers.

1846 – 16 October, p. 4 – The Mormon troubles in Illinois had assumed a most threatening aspect. The anti-Mormons had assembled to the number of 1200 men, armed with several field pieces, and were on the point of marching against Nauvoo, with the intention of throwing red hot balls into the bity, and determined to drive the sect from the spot. The Mormons, on the other hand, had fortified their celebrated temple, and, also armed with a few pieces of artillery, were resolutely determined to repel the imminent attack. A battle was fully anticipated by the citizens of St. Louis.

1846 – 23 October, p. 4 – The civil war in Mormondom had been brought to a close by the surrender of the Mormons, and the peaceable marching into and taking possession of Nauvoo, by the Anti-Mormons. The Mormons agreed to evacuate the city immediately, leaving a committee of five, who were to take charge of the property, and to settle the business of their friends. The Mormons were preparing to fulfill their terms of capitulation by leaving the city and the state as soon as possible. All remained quiet at Nauvoo. The place was nearly deserted. Mormons were arriving at St. Louis in a state of starvation, having fled from Nauvoo without bringing with them any means of support.

1846 – 18 December, p. 2 – From Santa Fe we learn that the Mormon levy had at length arrived, and would shortly set out en route to California, in the track of General Kearney’s force.

1847 – 11 June, p. 3 – Pembroke Dock – Some followers of the prophet of “Mormon” have been for the last two or three weeks preaching in this town and the adjacent villages. On Tuesday night two members of the Wesleyan Methodists, Messrs. Allen and Bateman, gave two lectures in the open air, on the origin, rise, and progress of Mormonism, with an account of their founder and leader, Joseph Smith. They exhorted the public to beware of the craftiness of the Mormons, and to measure everything they heard by the “Word of God.”

1847 – 6 August, p. 4 – It is stated in an Illinois journal, that the famous Mormon Temple at Nauvoo, has been sold for a Roman Catholic church at the large price of 75,000 dollars.

1847 – 5 November, p. 1 – A Late Mormon Miracle. The Ottawa Free Trader gives the following, with an endorsement of its truth: “It appears that the prophet Strang needed a house, and he determined his followers should build it for him. So he called them together, and told them that in consideration that they would erect the house, the Lord had authorized him to promise them an extraordinary endowment. The building was soon completed, and now they apply for their reward. All the saints are gathered together in the church, the prophet takes them through a variety of ceremonies, such as head washing, feet washing, etc., and concludes by anointing the heads of all with a composition ‘that had a queer smell.’ They are then directed to adjourn to another room that was totally dark, where they were to receive the endowment, which was to be in the shape of an extraordinary and visible manifestation of the spirit, rendering them at once impregnable thenceforth to all the shafts of Satan. Arrived in the dark room, sure enough the heads of all shone as if lit up by the brightness of the sun, and great was the rejoicing of the saints thereat. But the prophet William, who was present, although staggered a little, mistrusted that “all was not told that glittered,’ so he took some of the ointment and submitted it to an examination, and, lo! the discovery! He found that it was a mixture of oil and phosphorus, and that hence the whole illuminating operation was a gross cheat. He took the first opportunity to accuse prophet Strang, publicly and before the whole congregation, of the imposition, who so far from denying it, coolly acknowledged the fact, and then preached a sermon justifying the act, and maintaining that all the miracles of Christ, Moses, etc., were wrought in the same way—that is, by natural means. Of course, William could no longer hold fellowship with such a man.”

1852 – 23 January, p. 2 – Mormonism. The New York National Police Gazette contains a mass of disgusting details relative to the proceedings of this sect at the Salt Lake. A correspondent of that paper, writing from Utah, says: “The pluralist wife system is in full vogue here. Governor Young is said to have 90 wives. He drove along the streets a few days ago with 15 of them in a long carriage, 14 of them having each an infant at her bosom. It is said Heber C. Kimball, one of the Triune Council, and the second person in the Trinity, has almost an equal number, and among them are a mother and her two daughters. Each man can have as many wives as he can maintain, that is, after the women have been picked and culled by the head men. Whole pages might be filled with the surprising and disgusting details of the state of affairs here.” It is a lamentable fact that, at the present time, numbers of people are leaving Great Britain to join the Mormons notwithstanding the disclosures that are so constantly being made.

1852 – 19 March, p. 3 – The Welshman – Mormonism. Copy of a letter from a “Saint” in America, addressed to a Clergyman in Glamorganshire:

St. Louis, Dec. 7, 1851. Dear Friend, I avail myself of this opportunity to inform you of the state of affairs in this country. I have been, together with my wife and child, ill for five months; I am now somewhat better, but I have lost all my comfort, for I have buried both my wife and child in one grave, at Illinois; I am now living in Missouri. It is very unhealthy here, and I beg of you to use all your influence to persuade my friends and the people of that country to stay where they are, rather than suffer themselves to be blind-folded with such a system of roguery and plunder as Mormonism. It is nothing but a sheer humbug; I have found it so to my heart’s sorrow—would that the people could see their error. They make them all kinds of promises at home, and when once here they laugh at them. I do not say this to dishearten any of them, but to inform them of the true state of things here, so that if they will come after they have been told of their danger, they must abide by the consequences. Of the 400 who came here 200 have died since we came; no Welshmen died in crossing the sea or coming up the river, save four children. I am living with William Davies, of Abercarn, Monmouthshire, who came here with the Mormons; and this is his handwriting to prove that this is true. It would have been better for us not to have been born than to come here to be Mormons. They will take all from you at home and starve you when you come here if they have the chance, and take your wives from you. Their chief, Brigham Young, has 24 wives, and 19 of them have infants at their breasts at present, and those lower in office than he have a smaller number in proportion to their office, according to their station. Some have 14, some 7, and others different numbers. And now they are trying their best to insult the officers of the United States who have left their places and have gone to Washington, and as Congress is now sitting, we shall hear what they will do. The Mormons are very unkind one to another; I had to dig my wife’s grave myself; she had a decent burial, but the Mormons did not put their hands to help at all. The men who gave them so much money had promises of land and everything else when they came here, but they have been left to die in the workhouse. Amongst those are Howells, Williams, and Wm. Rees, and there are many more in the workhouse here. We do not know whether they’ll recover or die.

Your friend and well wisher, Evan Howell.

P.S. I wish to tell you also that the sabbath is no more regarded here than any other day; there is gaming of every description here on the sabbath, such as horse-racing, rolling the 10 pins, playing cards, etc., and the leaders of the Mormons indulge in these to a great extent, together with dancing, swearing, and everything else that is beyond decency.

1859 – 9 September, p. 6 – A Visit to Brigham Young. Mr. Horace Greeley, the editor of the New York Tribune gives an account in his paper of a visit he paid to Brigham Young, and of the conversation he held with him on the doctrines of the Mormons. When Brigham Young stated that none of the ministers or bishops received salaries, Mr. Greeley asked – “How then, do your ministers live?” Brigham Young replied – “By the labor of their own hands, like the first apostles. Every bishop, every elder, may be daily seen at work in the field or the shop, like his neighbors; every minister of the church has his proper calling, by which he earns the bread for his family; he who cannot or will not do the Church’s work for nothing is not wanted in her service; even our lawyers (pointing to General Ferguson and another present, who are the regular lawyers of the Church) are paid nothing for their services; I am the only person in the Church who has not a regular calling apart from the Church’s service and I never received one farthing from her treasury; if I obtained anything from the tithing house I am charged with and pay for it, just as anyone else would; the clerks in the tithing store are paid like other clerks, but no one is ever paid for any service pertaining to the ministry. We think a man who cannot make his living aside from the ministry of Christ unsuited to that office. I am called rich, and consider myself worth 250,000 dollars; but no dollar of it was paid me by the Church, or for any service as a minister of the everlasting Gospel.”

After reporting other questions and answers, Mr. Greeley says: “As President Young is the first minister of the Mormon Church, and bore the principal part in the conversation, I have reported his answers alone to my questions and observations. The others appeared uniformly to defer to his views, and to acquiesce in his responses and explanations which he spoke readily, not always with grammatical accuracy, but with no appearance of hesitation or reserve, and with no apparent desire to conceal anything; nor did he repel any of my questions as impertinent. He was very plainly dressed in thin summer clothing, and with no air of sanctimony or fanaticism. In appearance he is a portly, frank, good-natured, rather thick-set man of 55, seeming to enjoy life, and he is in no particular hurry to get to heaven. His associates are plain men, evidently born and reared to a life of labor, and looking as little like crafty hypocrites or swindlers as anybody of men I ever met. The absence of cant and snuffle from their manner was marked and general, yet I think it may fairly say that their Mormonism has not impoverished them – that they were generally poor men when they embraced it, and are now in very comfortable circumstances – as men averaging three or four wives apiece certainly need to be.

“If I hazard any criticism on Mormonism generally, I reserve them to a separate letter, being determined to make this a fair and full exposé of the doctrine and polity, in the very words of its prophet, so far as I can recall them. I do not believe President Young himself could present them in terms calculated to render them less obnoxious to the Gentil world than the above. But I have a right to add here, because I said it to the assembled chiefs at the close of the above colloquy, that the degradation (or, if you please, the restriction) of women to the single office of child-bearing and its accessories, is an inevitable consequence of the system here paramount. I have not observed a sign in the streets, an advertisement in the journals of this Mormon metropolis, whereby a woman proposes to do anything whatever. No Mormon has ever cited to me his wife’s or any woman’s opinion on any subject; no Mormon woman has been introduced or has spoken to me; and, though I have been asked to visit Mormons in their houses, no one has spoken of his wife (or wives) desiring to see me, or his desiring me to make her (or their) acquaintance, or voluntarily indicated the existence of such a being or beings. I will not attempt to report our talk on this subject, because, unlike what I have above given, it assumed somewhat the character of a disputation, and I could hardly give it impartially; but one remark made by President Young I think I can give accurately, and it may serve as a sample of all that was offered on that side. It was in these words, I think, exactly – ‘If I did not consider myself competent to transact a certain business without taking my wife’s or any woman’s counsel with regard to it, I think I ought to let that business alone.’ The spirit with regard to women, of the entire Mormon, as of all other polygamic systems, is fairly displayed in this avowal. Let any such system become established and prevalent, and women will soon be confined to the harem, and her appearance in the street with unveiled face will be accounted immodest.”

1859 – 28 October, p. 6 – There are at present in the world about one hundred and twenty-one thousand Mormons. Eighty-three thousand live in Utah, of whom four thousand six hundred and seventeen have sixteen thousand five hundred wives.

1859 – 18 November, p. 2 – The Boston Courier says: “The family of the great Mormon prophet, Joe Smith, still dwell in Nauvoo. No persuasions can prevail on them to remove to Utah. His widow has married again, and with her husband keeps the Mansion house, the only house of entertainment that the city affords. The oldest son, who bears his father’s name of Joseph, is a justice of the peace, and a useful and much respected citizen. Great inducements have been offered him to remove to Great Salt Lake City, but he steadily resists all such importunities.”