1890-10-2-Brooklyn Eagle-Laziness and Mormonism

Brooklyn Eagle, 2 October 1890, page 6

Laziness and Mormonism

What One Proselyte Thinks of Her New Faith.

The two hundred immigrants who came over on the steamship Wyoming, of the Guion line, and who, it is alleged were brought to this country by Mormon agents landed at 9:30 o'clock this morning at the barge office. A number of missionaries male and female, were awaiting their arrival for the purpose of urging them not to be led into a snare by the Mormon elders. Colonel Weber, superintendent of emigration, said that while he intended to make a thorough examination of every one of the strangers he did not think it probable that he would be able to detain any of them. Mormon Elder Jenssen who came over with the party, said to a reporter that he had been in Copenhagen two years, and that although he knew pretty nearly all of the party by sight, he was not acquainted personally with one of them.

"I do not know," he said, in answer to a question, if they had their passage paid to this country by anyone. "I have never given them a cent, and know of no one who has. I am simply taking an interest in them as they are going my way."

Mrs. Matthews, one of the missionaries, almost convinced three of the young girls that the step they were about to take was wrong, but an old woman, one of the party, said something in Danish to the girls, and they refused to have anything further to say to Mrs. Matthews.

Another young girl who was approached said that she knew where she was going and was glad to go there. She did not care if her husband had twenty wives--it would make the work all the lighter.

The party numbered in all two hundred and two, of whom forty-four were young unmarried women. One woman said she had left her husband, as he was unable to accompany her. After making as thorough an examination as he could, Colonel Weber was unable to find any legal cause for detaining the Mormon proselytes, and the party will go to Utah.