1920 02 25 New York Evening World-Woman Who Voted in 1872

The New York Evening World, 25 February 1920, p.

Woman Who Voted in 1872 had 10 Stepmothers and 55 Brothers and Sisters

Mrs. Susa Young Gates, Daughter of Brigham Young, is Herself the Mother of Thirteen Children

by Fay Stevenson

Copyright, 1920, by The Press Publishing Co. The New York Evening World.) "So many unkind things have been said about Mormons and my father that I hesitate to talk upon that subject."

So spoke Mrs. Susa Young Gates, daughter of Brigham Young, Mormon leader of Utah, husband of nineteen wires and father of fifty-six children. Mrs. Gates is making a visit from the West and is at present visiting the pastor of a church founded upon the Mormon principles at No. 273 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn. After a little urging and coaxing she consented to tell of the life at "Lion House" and "The Bee Hive," explaining that "Lion House" was so called because her father was known as the lion of the Lord, and "The Bee Hive" bore the emblem of the State—"the busy bee."

"It was at the Lion House that the wives and children lived." Mrs. Gates told me, "but it was at 'The Bee Hive' that father entertained his many friends who visited him from all over the world.

"At the time I was born there were only ten wives living. I cannot say whether my mother was wife No. 12 or 13. I seem to have forgotten that, but I remember that I always loved all those other nine wives very much and called them 'aunts.' Father was always very dignified, but he had a keen sense of humor. Mother asked him what they should name me.

"Oh, I let my wives name the girls,' replied father. 'I only name the boys. Therefore, my Mother turned me over to the nurse to call me what ever she pleased. The result was that the nurse named me after herself, Susan. Later, when I was quite a large girl and father was sitting in the library with his wives and children, he said: 'I named nearly all my girls after my sisters. There is Louise; named after my sister Louise; Helen, named after my sister Helen, and Susan, named after my sister Susan—but at that point mother cried out:

" 'Indeed you are wrong there.' Then she told him how the nurse had named me, but father stuck to it that I had been named for his sister, and I here said that I should much prefer being named after his sister than after the nurse, so the matter dropped. But in the will the clerk who made out my name left out the 'n,' so I took that as a hint and have signed myself 'Susa' ever since."

"I presume you had some very merry days there at 'Lion House' with all your aunts and brothers and sisters," I said.

Mrs. Gates, who is sixty-four, and the mother of thirteen children, of whom is the well known opera singer. Miss Lucy Young Gates, smiled reminiscently.

"I could not have lived a happier life," she said, "and I cannot tell you how much I admired my father. He was a very lovable man and I know that all his wives and children were devoted to him. Some men seem to find it difficult to make one wife and family happy, but my father won the love and admiration of us all.

"My father was really way ahead of the times in which he lived. His home and the way he lived, so hygienically and systematically was run upon the same principle, as some of our modern community houses. He was very particular about our drinking water, he saw that the garbage was removed twice a day and everything in apple pie order about the place. We children were brought up very carefu3y and never allowed, to eat between meals unless we ate fruit or popcorn or molasses candy. Our food was prepared by trained cooks and along scientific methods.

"Although we had a number, of servants and our house was run almost upon the plan of a hotel, nevertheless all of my father's wives and daughters had certain duties assigned to them. For instance my mother's duty was to dust the parlor, and my duty was to care for my own bedroom. We were taught sewing and; cooking and French, and there was an excellent school just across tbs street from our house. In fact father established two universities and a college in Utah. Every one of us was taught a special line of work. Domestic science and stenography were my lines.

"Music was another pet hobby of father's. We could all play and sing. There were several theatres in the town and father always saw to it that Booth and the best actors and actresses came to us. The next morning my sisters and I would quarrel with one another as to which should try the new airs we heard on the piano first. Our piano was brought across the plains and the dearest treasure in our home.

"And as to suffrage—why father gave it to the women right from the start. In fact in 1847 the women voted side by side with the men. This lasted for five years and then when the territory was taken in the women had to abandon voting. As soon as Wyoming gained the suffrage in 1869 father saw to it that the women of his State could vote. So in 1870 our women started to vote for the second time.

"Father had fifty-two sons and grandsons in our last war, so that wasn't so bad was it?" asked Mrs. Gates. "Of course every intelligent person knows polygamy does not exist now," she concluded, "and even if it did," she added with a little twinkle in her eye, "I wonder how many men could afford to keep wives numbering into the teens."