Show beavert BEAVER BEAv neav ert Ept february editor deseret news sir bir I 1 have been requested by the members of the tho he F E R society in this place which I 1 have the honor to represent to address a letter to the they news HEWS we have had an organization two years the lith of last january and have never yet had our names in the papers wo we begin to think that in consideration of all our laudable enterprises and our faithfulness in the cause of humanity we ought by this time to have obtained a little notoriety not that we wish to be thought vain as we consider it no more than aur our just dues we have been in active service two years we have fed the hungry hu and clothed the naked we have naz ma made e to say the least a hundred quilts other necessary articles in proportion we have bought a lot for which we paid one hundred and fifty dollars it la Is well fenced one hundred mulberry trees have been set out nearly all have died but that is not our oun fault we bought the cuttings of iii ili rother brother george D watt father white is our gardener he has watered them well we have built us a good rood brickhouse brlek brick house the building has but hub one fault that of all mormon public buildings it is is entirely too small on the of january Jai jal quary we had a celebration and picnic pic nic in our own house all to ourselves not a gentleman prel prez present zent during the day we had previously appointed a president and committee of arrangements who decorated the house in the most tasteful manner a all ail the fancy work belonging to the th 0 society so c 1 ety was suspended on the walls together with banners mottoes pictures etc last but not least two orange trees all in full bearing one at each end of tho the room it may occasion a little surprise but we affirm affirm they were the literal productions of beaver let who will solve the mystery two hundred ladies filled the house all members of the soe soc society i lety A pro gramme was written all who would contribute to the tho amusements gave in their names and were called upon in order A lecture on celestial marriage was delivered by a lady whose views though not formed by personal experience were considered very sublime and rational A song was composed for the occasion and aud and sung by mrs E M thomas and E S ea pratt dialogues recitations songs bongs speeches readings atiee dotes and all combined to make up the sum eum of enjoy men utitia t the time for refreshments was announced in the toasts mr cullom and bh his confederates feder ates stes w ere raked over rough ground inthe antho inthe tho evening our two bishop bla bia bl hop and other honorable gentlemen were present they were politely invited to contri contribute butO bute to the exercises which they did by short speeches and spicy anecdote much to the arnut arnul ement of the ladles ladled they complimented us very highly they had not expected so agreeable an entertainment we accepted the flattering encomiums and feltt feitt paid for our trouble benediction by bishop shepherd tile the meeting adjourned sine die H pres pre L B PRATT sec see I 1 4 wellar co coy COV N Y january 1670 president 0 A smith dear deir bro jn in accordance with my promie e to you when I 1 deft left to write you I 1 embrace the present opportunity I 1 left uintah sta stal i 1 tion on oil ane atik of bi october tober to ill mi a mis sion eion thab that I 1 was wag appointed to in the filst first company that left for the eastern states Ei tates wo arrived at chicago on the 28 tb ail all in good health there many of us brother and sister carter went to which place I 1 went to akron foty forty miles east to visit my lifes osten oster sister I 1 was received with much respect by them and many acquaintances seemed to be much interested in hearing me talk about salt lake I 1 stayed there one week 4 I 1 then went to the city of elmira eimira my lace where I 1 was schooled and cherell learned my trade my acquaintance was large most of my days daya were spent in that country I 1 left loft two sis tera term there I 1 was in hopes of finding them there but the tho last one died aboul about t six weeks belore before I 1 arrived I 1 was received wath all the respect possible and as boonas soon as etwas it was known that I 1 had haj had arrived the neighbors came flocking together to hear from salt lake all seemed to be much edified in hearing me talk they did not seem to bo be BO so anxious to hear about the gospel but their anxiety was more to hear about things and affairs in utah about the land crops timber and waters of salt lake the mineral springs the high mountains and whether we all starved to death or making the ments and whether it was a good country or not I 1 told them ic it was a good country for tho the latter day saints but no white man would ever live there if he did not believe the gospel for god had reserved that place for the saints and no other man had any busine business there but if they wanted to embrace the gospel and be saved in gods ki kingdom ing it was a first rate place and I 1 could recommend it to all that would live the religion of christ bro brogdo Geo goo A it is really amusing to hear bear people ask aak questions some of them ask thia the most silly questions that you overheard and after the tho evening is nearly spent sometimes they will anvill say mr bird I 1 would like to ask you one more question I 1 dont wish to insult you but I 1 would like to know something about the spiritual wife system I 1 have flave read BO so much and heard so much I 1 think you must know something about it 11 I 1 will bay eay to t them hem you need not think that that su subject act would insult me for that is just what w I 1 like ilke to walkabout talk about 11 well th entell then tell teil me has every man got to hap have e more wives than one isay ibay I 1 say bay no 21 then is a woman forced to have a man if she does not like him and does not want him I 1 sometimes say to them why do you ask me such questions they say nay because we hear hur that if brigham says she must have a man she dare not say no at the peril of her life and they actually think that the sisters sisters are aro under bondage and cannot leave the territory 4 under the penalty of death rand and that many are put to death for making the attempt I 1 suppose many of them are honest 1 in 11 their bel bei belief bellef of because of the many reports that are aro in circulation I 1 have had the opportunity of forming acquaintance with the most intelligent j part of this community and they think that congress will pass some law this session that will stop polygamy and that then the law must be put in force and wo we must submit though they say they would be very sorry to have us destroyed or imprisoned on account of believing such abominable doctrines and they think that we had better give it up and then we will be much respected since I 1 came here I 1 have traveled a good deal I 1 first went to wellsburg Wells Wella burz burg some five miles down the river and then to south creek and from there to elmyra again and to havana and watkins at the head of the lineba lake like there I 1 went to see gen jack a son aon on a prominent man he is now judge of the tile court ue he is a man that I 1 once respected much when I 1 lived hero here I 1 belonged to his hla in the military when I 1 met with him he received mo me with much respect and with the warmest feelings seemingly that thad gould gouid be expected we roon soon entered into conversation about utah and the people there for said he charley what you tell me I 1 cau can believe he asked aided me many questions about the saints I 1 I 1 answered them candidly and for fora a long time satisfactorily to him finally bays says he be tell rue me about young said bald I 1 do you mean meau president bali gail he yes if that is what you call him I 1 said that is what I 1 call him said he 1 I want to know how many wives wires he be hs I 1 said that is ft a hard quention question I 1 cannot answer it for I 1 never asked sted him that ques question tion for I 1 did not thick it waa any of my business well said he be 1 I have heard that he has lifts kot got forty or or fifty somo some say bay eighty but I 1 cant believe it said L who told you all thih thu why said eald he be 1 I read it in the papers and they would not print all lies he then ald aid teli teil tell toll me how many vives wives you have got then well bald baid E ald eald 1 I 1 I 1 havo have got pot so many that I 1 dont trouble anny of my neighbors and it la Is a pity that you 11 that cut him for he has not the tho reputation of being the most moat moral man said he charley do yon you mean to in uit me oll ola oh oil DO no baid eald iby no menns means ar sir bir I 1 only S say ay that na have none but bi u our oar own 11 but brt n ne e soon s 90 ti cooled e d down well that is the way here herd they want to inquire about utah and the church merely to satisfy their curlo curio curiosity ity in all my travels I 1 find that the people dont care anything about the gospel of christ but to ask questions and to lay andres for him that reprove th in the rate kate yet I 1 can say I 1 thank god that I 1 have not been confounded but I 1 have been able to answer questions to satisfy all and allay all prejudices prejudice and leave a good impression remember Ke member me in love to all no more from your brother in the gospel ciras bird BENTON iowa feb 16 1875 1878 editor deseret news dear brother As the time is ii approaching when I 1 will probably leave these theae lower regions for my mountain home I 1 send you a brief synopsis of my travels for the perusal of bf your numerous readers especially my more immediate acquaintance on the ath day of november I 1 left the brethren wi with th whom I 1 had bad traveled on the cars to omaha ani and al s ruck ruek ruck kuck out through council bluffs city tomi mills and fremont count counties leb les in iowa traveling from house to house bouse where I 1 was kindly received and well treated I 1 omitted no opportunity of conversing on our doctrine and principles and bearing my my testimony I 1 was listened to with attention and treated with opportunity of speaking Ppe aking abing in public here as there was waa little inclination to hear bear me in that way I 1 visited the graves of or uy my father mother and two brothers on the I 1 returned to council bluffs where I 1 expected to meet br B R maxfield according to agreement before I 1 left home with whom I 1 was to travel but aa as he did not come the next morning I 1 struck strack out through iowa for illinois anthe on the yay way vay I 1 found friends among hmong strangers and wish to make honorable mention of mr loomis oak and mr lawrence of ottumwa a cousin both merchants they treated me very kindly and were full of inquiries respecting Uta utah hand haud and the mormons cormons Mor mons and were well paal with my answers and really been seen M to forma form a good opinion of us contrasting our manner of living with their own personal observations at home I 1 next made my way to schuyler county ill ili partially by y request of friends in n utah and partially by inclination to visit the remnant of an old branch but it was useless as I 1 was mire aire warned in a dream the night before I 1 agot got there the either elther knew it ail all and were safe or they di dialot ot care to know I 1 next went to st staw stay a county munty ill iii my former residence b bud but u ti they hey did not want the gospel while t there thero ere I 1 visited my old friend austin grant he said ho he was standing on his kis own bottom but bat the people would not want to hear salt lake E elders iders perhaps bro geo D may have better success aa as he home this way I 1 next went to ottawa where I 1 joined bishop miller and bro peter madsen we held a number of meetings in various neighborhoods where for a time there were full houses bouses and attentive congregations gregat ions probably out of curiosity but somo some were believing when we determined ter mined that it was best for bro madson and myself to return to iowa and leave the bishop there for a timeto see bee ee what could be done before I 1 close I 1 want to say that at harding illde found the most bigoted creature I 1 have met with in the person of a rev mr swartz abo who resurrected the old spaulding story and baid eaid that if his own father wag was to testify to him that he had b been een visited by an an anzel angel yel yei or a heavenly he would not believe b him I 1 m but I 1 must close I 1 feel that we havo done some soni pa perhaps much good in al laying by speaking the truth in much plainness on all occasions where an opportunity was presented whether in public masem mayem blies privat private I 1 a dwellings on the oars cars or at hotels youra years in the gospel SILAS co oramon extence A correspondent writing from seipio scipio millard county on the instent says pays the people of millard billiard Count county yane yare are al klive lva iva to the tho benefits of operation cooperation co A on o operative sheep herd hord is being successfully carried on aad and the pe people plo pio plc of Holden or ced cedar ar sprin aprin springs have bave oommen commenced ced cea farming on the coo co o ora a system s tew tow when I 1 passed through throng thero ye the field presented a lively alively scene twenty three teams were busy plowing turning over at the rae rao of forty acres por borday day it Is expected hat bat other settlements in tho county will follow the example of this 11 BILIN G ihn THE SICK sim tho latent sensation in this direction is a catholic priest named hameid father a native of belgium now exer exercising elsing eising his sacred functions in pittsburg pennsylvania the pittsburg commercial Om mercial of the contains a long ac count of this man and his labors of love which are of a somewhat startling character persons of all creeds and laborin laboring g under almost all diseases apply to him for relief and many wonderful cures are reported of blindness spinal affection gravel etc etc the modus operand operandi is faith on an the part pant of the afflicted and prayer and anointing with oil by the priest he 0 operates er publicly four days a week in a church chuoc in pittsburg Pit rit and crowds of the afflicted flock to him some of or them from a distance of hundreds of miles IN N Y the chicago times of the instant says the mormon missionaries have bave met with such success at williamsburg new york that they propose to buy out one of the gentile churches in that place it is is I 1 suggested that congress should hasten to interdict the transaction but in that case the mormons cormons might proceed to buy out congress though at the rate they are now making converts in new now england it would woula seem hardix necessary new england england once oneo zed congress instead i of suppressing polygamy would enact a law to protect it 11 FROM krom SATURDAYS DAILY PRESIDENT YOUNG AND panty PARTY helcl hold a meeting at provo at 10 this morning which was addressed by elder jos F smith and aud president joseph young the party meetings this afternoon and morrow tomorrow to at the same place rumors Bu mors MOps the press in the east as a general thing is i s talking with some degree af of bommon common sense with regard to mormonism but it is really amusing to read the rumors contained in some of our cotem clotem por anios aries west and in various parts of tho the bocky rocky ky mountains they are of the tho most ridiculous character one ot the most learned on the subject of mormonism f if that is professedly but whose every utterance betrays how shallow ignorant and vindictive it is tells of an order a knowledge of which it has of course obtained from a reliable source that has been issued in salt lake for the faithful to follow brigham to some island in the pacific to get rid of the trouble now |