Mormons on the Way to Utah.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4464, 26 April 1883, Page 3

Mormons on the Way to Utah.

- •■• • ; _ . The ; Wellington correspondent . writes :— " Included among the steerage passengers of the s.s. Penguin,- which left Wellington yesterday afternoon, carrying mails, cargo, and passengers, intended for transhipment at Auckland into mail steamer, en route for San Francisco, were fifty five Mormons. Out of these only balf-a-dozen adults,-and tjle remainder composed of children, em-, barked at Wellington/ the complement having been .drafted from Soutbem districts. The Wellington detachment of proselytes consisted wholly of members of . the Scandinavian race, who, it seems, have been induced from whatever cause to accept the Gospel of the Latter Day Saints, at the instance of Elder Farr, a Mormon, whose visit to,this city, some months ago, will be still remembered. The .Wellington converts, or rather perverts, hail from the Forty Mile Bush; and probably the representation that free grants of lands would be offered them on their arrival in the State: of TJtab, and more to do with

their conversion than the doctrines and Sraotiees -of 1 'the 1 "of ' Joseph mith. _ Certainly .they were a dirtylooking lot; and their appearance pro yoked a general of opinion < among those' who witnessed their departure, that they would not be missed from. New Zealand. Hundreds of people collected at the end of the wharf and on board the. steamer, to catch a glimpse of | them, a& well as to enjoy the fun which was held oat in an advertisoment appearing on the previous day, to the effect that Elder Farr ''would be pleased* to meet his friends and the public generally" when he would address a few farewell remarks on the benefits of " Mormonisin." The iteamer was' announced to' leare at 3 o'clock, and long before that hour crowds of people were seen streaming up the wharf,towards the berth where the Penguin lay,, and' those v who were unable to find suitable accommodation on the.pier went on board, and others took up a position in the rigging, from which to view the proceedings; Elder Farr himself wss observed on deck, in earnest conversation with a well-known saddler of this city, who, however, was not a passenger for the Salt Lake City, but from the first to last he did not lift his voice in public, to the sore disappointment of not a few who were all impatience to indulge in humorous sallies at his.expense. In tltat he displayed bis wisdom. JVot so easily deterred from addressing the multitude, however, was a a fat, greasy-looking saint, with a greyish beard, and who informed bis hearers that be had joined the Mormons about three years ago.y Mormonism, however, does not appearto have improved his outward appearance, and evidently inculcates a contempt for soap and clean clothes, besides teaching its adherents to eschew the hairdresser. The saint, moreover, despised the rales of grammar, and set ortbjepy at defiance. Whatever bis faults, however, he was thoroughly in earnest, and, as he raised bis left arm in patriarchal fashion, while gifittg vent to his peculiar oratory, bis huid Quivered with excitement, in accotnpaniment with the tremulousness of biavTOae; : It was the old story ovi-r agahr/^-The Mormons were "agoing to ruJeV^fc^ithble jjrorld, and those present could please themselves whether they accepted the testimony he was abcaring to them. (A voice, ' I say, old feller, how many wives 'have yon got?") He bad only One wife, and she went on board this ressel When he was in Utah he had occasion oto be absent' from his wife for some!. time', but. he had never taken anotherwife, nor did he intend to feel the want of-one^flanghter).—but the Prophet Isaiah bad said the time should come when seven; women should take hold of oneVman (Boars of laughter.) It was, r better"for a man, however, to have ieveral wif<"B if he could support them properly than' to raise up a lot of children for other prople'to take care of." (Ironical applause.) Calls were subsequently made for Slder Farr, who was conspicuous by bis absence;./ were answered by a small bpy, wbo>said he he had " gone below/for", •■drink.' 1 Presently the saint found that/he had enough of. it, and drew to one Bide. A,number of boyt, requested him to " leave them a lock of his hair to poison tberkts.witb.". : When the steamer east off the converts were seen sharing a bottle of pickled onions, while, the saint with'fcplmed arms "was exhorting them to pay no heed to the gibes of the profane onlookers, who. sped the vessel on her Toyage with three ironical cheers.

THB Weitroeatb, t"I. tails for Auckland and I Dunedin on the 16th,'and will be • full ship l in all retpeotf^r^e takes 250 . itffmigrants, aome of whom are consigned for Hawke'a Bay.'Mwell a. Anckland and Otago. The 1 materUl* for:tlte.Auckland tramways have < been ibipped per Weitmeath, and the steamer will coal .at Biumll for her honaeward y.oyage.' Bbeibai a miiwrable little sa'oonjtwt over the ■crew, andciflompareß moat unfavorably with our TJnion boat*. Tie tbrone/to* beViiied at the Czar's . eoronatipnhaa already been ordered. It will bViawde^f black oak, richly carved in antique :^l%Tonib,.- patterns, and will cottoter- £2000. The canopy will be aupp^rted by cplttmna, 10ft; high, and will be orfaanjentecT by the -Imperial eagle and a scroll-work bearing the 56 coats of armi p€a4&e^GoTernment of Russia. Crimio^Freiret hangings, embossed in gold, will shelter the Imperial chairs, which wiilsiana'on a dais. ■' ■„