| Show CHICAGO LETTER CHio AGo feb 20 1893 we left salt bait lake city on the even ing of the night was very dark at green river station we waited one hour for some other train A stroll over the place showed me how much it has bae grown since 1879 when I 1 last visited the place the next day I 1 was wae astonished to see what large places rawlins Baw lins laramie and especially chey cheyenne eDne hive become in these few years in 1879 rawlins was a railroad tank and a lonesome house cheyenne a cluster of small buildings one or two saloons and a few cowboys bad their fun with bronchus bron chos today it I 1 la a large jorge city with substantial build ings and fl fine ne streets it was night when we arrived in denver half an hour later we left for kansas city eastern colorado and western kaunas kannas have no snow in eastern kansas are several inches of it people in that state were somewhat excited over the affairs in topeka between republicans and populists lists some rather rejoiced over the deplorable proceeds proceedings edi rigs but I 1 had bad to ask myself it 11 ouch riots floto were the beginnings of the fulfilments of some of joseph smiths hils prophecies about a time to come when chope who will not take u up P sword against their neighbors will flee to the mountains after one hours bours stay in kansas city we left for chicago in the train the news agent offered us brother watson and me a book called the canites Da po and he be told us how those mormon committed horrible deeds in the west we told him that we bad lived in the west for many years and there neither arenor are nor have been any canites da 1 I believe so he said leill he sells bella the book A gentleman who boarded the train at independence mo remarked that il 11 earlier days there were canites da 11 and that the mormons cormons have been persecuting se sec a d were trying to murder some gome of the missionaries of the jooeph joeeph ite saints who went there to convince the Brig of their sad mistake and silos brother watson defended our oar people very earnestly he stated also that he positively know knew that young joseph was offered the salt lake city tabernacle to preach in and that no JosA phito elder was ever molested in utah I 1 kept quiet for a long while but finally asked the gentleman who by the way treated us very kindly how long he be had belonged to the church of young joseph from his bis answer I 1 was convinced that he knew nothing of leonard tobys sworn affidavit aud and I 1 did see gee no use of entering into inlo any controversy but stated simply that it was wag already a gain to believe in the divinity etya if the book of mormon and that keeping the moral law jaw keeps a man pretty busy all day and for his bitter assaults upon that bat 46 terrible crime poly gamy which brought so much persecution also over the innocent josephites jl j l I 1 answered that this obstacle was now removed and have you utah mormon cormons given up polygamy in good faith asked the preacher co certainly we have a breach of faith would not only bring persecution again but would make our own cona a clances our accusers JS the gentleman thinks that joseph smith Is ie a fallen prophet because he be gave eave the revelation on celestial marriage I 1 did not tell him thattie that the josephites Josep bites only a few years ago positively declared this revelation was never from joseph but from brigham young but I 1 remarked god said in a revelation that be would woo id not let his work go to naught end and that he would not forsake the up richt in heartly heart if lf he anyhow suffered his people to be led astray by the prophets then he has not noi kept his word and I 1 had little use for such a god I I 1 might have told him that joseph smith gave a key by which we always and surely can know who is the right authority sud and I 1 might have ad added jed that joseph smith has bas showed himself more than once to utah missionaries in foreign land landa but there were too many list listeners enera in the car and I 1 it wisdom not to speak of these things so BO hard to explain to those thaoe wh are but littie interested te in religious relle ious matters he invited us to his church after having cordially shown us a good and respectable hotel looking around chicago to in the forenoon although it was stormy and chill chilly y I 1 heard muio so singing shouting and saw flags and a crowd it was the salvation army in liverpool I 1 have seen them once but only a few I 1 hive read some of their writings and in 1887 defended them in switzerland against heavy accusations which I 1 knew were falsely heaped upon them the mormon religion fills a mans malos soul with true genuine love towards all and everybody I 1 looked at the doings of this branch of the army some ladies went around selling and collecting gifts S me people laughed at them some one remarked these girls deserve rather praise for their devotion and earnestness than scorn they show courage and determination one came up to me sir will you please take one of these papers paper sj yes maam heres your nickell nickel take two come in our meeting and have your soul what must I 1 do to be saved come to jesus love him and forsake your sine and he will save you and be good to you oh so geoul she looked up into my eyes her face was wag so pule pale her bar eyes so dark her features bore the traces not of sin min and repentance but of a terrible mental strain the men and boys near by gathered around she blushed but held her ground I 1 believe that women have more real courage moral courage than the average man the crowd of the salvationists offered a splendid opportunity tor for study of fies there were young men and young girls having every mark of honesty and uprightness others had bad more mord fu fun a at the noisy pro cee than real earnestness and some looked like pronounced scoundrels the uc meeting keeting took place in W madison they invited me from my isolated seat to a place in the runt the sharp eyed captain a woman having sent the same girl to invite me that spoke to me on the street parade 1 I thank you mala ma maam la no I 1 am a stranger and tola this place will do for or me the music was varying sometimes the captain would say eay shut your eyes and sing sweetly and I 1 wo der that by such music not more people have joined the army good music is a prayer in itself then again they would sing some melodies that we of course with other words used to sing on the railroad and the noine was almost stunning one soldier after another arose to give testimony of their change of mind some old men some young girle would kneel down and under tears implore gode goda mercy over chicago and this fair land some home one struck up a thanks thank civlo song and the whole immense chorus joined with trumpets etc then came one of those wild melancholy almost demonic germin waltzes not unlike that unique waltzie in gounod le opera faust as I 1 heard it once in constantinople and to make the picture complete there was also a pani penitente tente margaret not kneeling upon prison straw crying out in the agony of a torn soul sou when from afar a few strains of that wonderful woke wase came through her dungeon window like songs of the innocent childhood days but a Maritha reths a chicago woman theresae there ther eshe she had been sitting in the last row about ten feet in front of me and a little to the left she took no active part in shouting and praising some deep sorrow spread over her palo pale face a fice face like that which nephi must have seen in his vision when he prophesied about the exceeding fair daughters of america two or three times she cast half a look back to see whether anybody was watching her then she was down on her knees turning away from the others her beautiful beau and her fi 11 e hands and crying bitt bitterly aly she was no fast woman she evidently was one of that loving unhappy sort that gave love and heart and all to some unprincipled got in return a burning con science and a soul that cries out in agony to an almighty father whom alie he thinks offended I 1 wonder if there would ever be another woman insulted it if men could see the tears they cause by their teach teaching the salvationists how bow much hum bum bug there may be in their noisy services do a good work of arguing people to a sense anee of their responsibility and duty lilting lifting them upon a higher moral platform and since physiology teaches us that with higher moral qualities the ibe intelligence grows and with the capacity of better understanding der of the true philosophy of religion the heights the mountain top lops of the gospel where neither noise nor about tug nor any more bitter tears will disturb the tranquility tranquill ty of the soul but the peace of bod rests over the mind like the morning sun on the mountain tops when the night stil I 1 keel keea a veiled up the valleys and plains I 1 it was n now ow time to go and see the brethren reorganized latter day saints never mind dinner eat when there la Is time I 1 felt belr half at home by hearing the old songs hearing bearing testimony airout the book of mormon and seeing the lines 11 uee so sharply drawn between the revealed religion ot of the nineteenth century and those that deny the power thereof I 1 could readily forgive those members that almost frowned dpn up n the utah Morr mormon non 01 since we are misrepresented as would be murderers of young josephs missionaries the sermon I 1 heard beard was wag very good elder F 0 pitt was the speaker text 2 these ii the whole chapter and a verse verae out of Hosea With great warmth and sharp logic we the preacher sustained and proved his point but towards Us the end od he made a break at up not bitter or vindle tive but simply stating that the he people the saints had bad not kept the faith had bad not done what the lio lard rd commanded and had instituted doctrines that were raise false anti and sin bin ul he read the heavy curse in nephi for those that add to or take away 2 from the doctrine I 1 was pleased that I 1 was not sexed to speak to some of the friendlier members that talked with me I 1 expressed the hope that some day may tind us united in building temples and redeeming ajam family I 1 di dia I 1 not touch upon our differences I 1 was not so sent n t to preach u unto n t 0 them I 1 fel felt t pleased them su so healthy in body and mind and seeing their earnestness iata they testify unto many sins signs slid and healings lut l ut so 80 do the turkish dervishes ao s do we and so BO do many others whose faith is great and prayers sincere the preacher I 1 heard yesterday to is a gifted man in the prime irime of his bis age perhaps someday some day it jiray may come to his mind that by holding to the docar doctrine anel i nothing new dew shall be ad added ded he simply falls fails back upon the Pec sectarian belief no more before I 1 would believe joseph was a fallen prophet pophet and add all the honest souls in the booky kooky mountains were led astray I 1 would last pray and beseech the almighty until he manifested it plainly enough to me but it is with religious truth ns as the arkansas man said about his potatoes they do not turn out a biti bit I 1 have to dig em am JACOB |
