William Austin McCrary's account of his dad's visit to Washington DC

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 3, Number 96, 14 June 1877

A SECRETARY'S NEPHEW.
A McCrary Goes to Washington to See a McOrary— Was He Sent by Brigham Young ? An Interview with a Mcirary-" The Rumpus Mother Kicked Up." ■ i i [Corinne (Utah) Record, June 12th.] Yesterday afternoon information was brousht to the Record office that a young Mormon named McCrary, claiming to be related to Secretary of War McCrary, was in town. A reporter was at once dispatched to interview the young man. Seated on a dry goods box in front of Dow's restaurant, bis pants tucked in bis boots and a black dbudeeu in his mouth, reclined the object ol tbe reporter's search. To tbe inquiry of whether his name was not McCrary, the young man said: "Yes, sir, that's my name— William McCrary." ReDoiter — Any relation to the Secretary of War? i McCrary— Yes; mv father, Memory McCrary, is a brother of the Secretary's; so you see i am that official's nephew. Don't I look like a irreat man's relative? Reporter— l believe your father is a Mormon, is he not? SlcCrcry— l should say he was; so am I— a kind of a one. Dad's been a Mormon for tweoty-tive years. Reporter— Wbat patt of tbe country d-d you emigrate from when you first came to Utah? McCrary — Lee county, lowa, 1 think; but as I was only about six months old at the time, why you seel don't know much about that. I've heard father say, however, that after leaving iowa and reaching Utah we settled at Willow Creek, then moved to Dewey's Ward, on North String, in this county, and afterwards— two years ago — moved to Portage, where we now live. Reporter — your father a polygamist v McCrary— Yes, tbe old man's well fixed that way — got two of them now. His second wife he married at Portage about eighteen months ago. She was a widow named Thornton, and bad a batch of youne ones by her former husband. Bat Lord! yon ought to have seen the rumpus mother kicked up when the old man let on that be was going: to marry a second. Reporter— mother does not favor polygamous marriages, then? McCrary— l should say not Why, she gave the old man h — She bit him on the snout with a rolling-pin, broke a wash pitcher over his head, tore his best Sunday-go-to meeting cout all to strips, and threatened to break bis back it be ever brought No. 2 to her house. I tell you, there was lots ■■: fuu for a little while ; but now it's all over. Mother had to give in. porter— Hof many are there in your family? lleCrary — 1 don't know anything about the second wife's family, and don't want to know. Of our family, on« Bister married Francillo Durkee, another married Joe Bowen, and Lavinia, bhe married Cay use Jim Moore. Durkee and Howcu both live at Beaver Dam, in this county. There are several more young shavers, boys and girls. Reporter — Where is your father now ? McCrary— Gone to t Washington, 1 reckon. He left home a little over a week ago, and told me to follow on to Ogdeu with a team, so that 1 could take him back. I went to Ogden, and when 1 got tbere tbey told me at tbe Co-op store tbat be had gone to Washington to see his brother, the Secretary of War. I can't see what he's gone for, unless it is to talk to uncle about Utah affairs, and tell him not to send any troops here." Reporter — Your father must be pretty well iixed, financially speaking ? McCrary — No ; he ain't got a picayune to spare. 1 "reckon somebody — Brother Brigham, maybe — sent word to have him fitted out and have his late paio to Washington, or he couldn't bave gone. Reporter — you don't know just what his mission to tbe Bast it McCrary — No ; be wouldn't let me know anything about it, anyhow. Reporter — 1- \oar uncle, the Secretary of War, a Mormon too? McCrary — Give it up. I dou'Lknow ; ii.- may be. Z Reporter Do you think oar uncle will allow himself to be influenced by the presentations your lather may make to 1 im? McCrary Now you're pot me. They haven't seeu each other tor a number of years, and what the result of the mooting will be 1 can't say. Reporter Where is your sister Lavinia, and whit caused her to leave her husband? McCrarv — She Was in Corinne the otherday, kut bas gone West now. Moore didn't treat her as be ought to have done. But then we won't say anything more about that. Won't you take a drink A neighboring bar supplied the necessary refreshments, and after telling the reporter that he would have to start out for Portage early in the morning, the young man entered the restaurant lor the purpose of dining. Readers of the Record can now draw their i wu inference as to whether Brigbuoi Young, through Memory McCrary, one of his devoted disciples and a polvgamist to boot, intends tbe attempted corruption of the Secretary of War. It is possible and even probable that is wliat McCrary bus been sent to Washington for; but whether this is the case or not, from this time on the Qeotiles of Utah will '.van:, with interest the course taken by tin 1 Secretary ol War in bis treatment of matters.