Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1881 — POLYGAMOUS LIFE IN MORMONDOM. [ARTICLE]

POLYGAMOUS LIFE IN MORMONDOM.

The Story Told by one of Bishop Bnlelgh’» Eiirlit Wives—A Biscriptlon of the Harem—How the Women are Compelled to Hustle for Themselves. [Salt Lake Tribune.] The story related by Mrs. Elizabeth Raleigh, of Salt Lake, is like that of a great many of the women who have married into the Mormon Church. She first went into Mr. Raleigh’s family as a nurse to his former wife, who was on a bed of sickness from which she never rose. She declined to accept the proposals of marriage when first made, but in obedience to the mandate of Heber C. Kimball, then one of President Young’s conselors, and to whom disobedience was worse than contempt of court, she at length acceded. Her honeymoon was not a particularly bright one, but she took upon herseif the care of her husband’s children by his first wife, and was a mother to them during many years that followed. She was allowed to work all she pleased, and sometimes more, from the beginning, and as stated in the complaint, aided in every way to build up the fortune of her lord and master. As a specimen of what was expected of her, one instance may be related alone : Shortly after their marriage one of the cows died, down in a pasture lot in the edge of the town, it was supposed from having in some way become poisoned. She was sent with a Danish boy to skin the body, which they did, and Mrs. Raleigh carried the hide to the house over her shoulders, her husband, meantime, standing by with a linen duster on and a walking cane in his hand, superintending the work. Iu the course of time new wives were added to the household, the numbei eventually reaching eight, and at one period six of them occupying one house, and working and eating together in one small room, which served as kitchen, dining-room, sitting-room and parlor. Each had a separate sleeping apartment. They were all expected to earn a living: and if they wanted anything special in the way of clothing, etc., they bought it themselves from money made at washing or otherwise. The head of the household bought his supplies bv the quantity, and kept them under lock and key, dealing them out with a sparing hand. He was suspicious always tliaf his wives were trying to rob him, and on one occasion, when he thought he missed a dress pattern off a,bolt of common heavy goods, he seaclied the apartments of his wives, examining the bed ticks, looking in small drawers that would not have contained the bulk of the dress, and, when urged sarcastically by the plaintiff, even peering into a pair of stockiugs which were hung up in the room. The plaintiff says the finest dress he ever gave her after their marriage was one of a common material which would probably cost about a tut a yard now.

One of his wives finally brought a suit for a divorce against him, which was settled by compromise, and the result of the present suit will be watched with interest by some of the others, who will follow suit *if Mrs. Raleigh succeeds. As an evidence of the love felt for him by his children, it is said that when he had been absent in England on a mission and was returning, they saw him, and one of the boys exclaimed: “There comes that old scoundrel,” whereupon they all hastened to conceal themselves. He was called by some less tender and respectful names at other times, and all his life as a husband and •father seems not to have been a happy one, judging by the respect inspired iu his family. Subsequent to the separation from her husband, Mrs. Raleigh was questioned as to the illicit distillery which he is said to have run in the cellar ol his house iu this city at one time, but of this matter she professed to be in ignorance. The story goes that one of the men in charge while drinking with some companions and not liking the quality of the tanglefoot offered him, told the crowd that if they would come to the cellar he would give them some that was genuine, as he had helped to make it himself. These are but the merest scraps from the history of the eminent councilman, who is so bright and shining a light iq the circle of Latter-day Saints,