Dancing also seems
to have been a universal emigrant pastime and social activity, one requiring no
special talent or situation. If necessary, the pioneers could simply dance to
hand clapping or singing. Sometimes the Quadrille Band played at these dances.
Square and line dances were much more favored than the suspect round dances,
such as the new waltz. (The Mormons could not understand how a husband could
permit his wife to be held in such a manner by another man.)
Smoking and Drinking. Among the early Mormons, smoking and drinking
were considered recreational. All forms of tobacco, the poor man’s pleasure,
were used, which may be a little surprising to some, given the Mormon
reputation for abstinence. Folk wisdom (and no doubt some self-justification),
however, decreed that tobacco had its merits, among which were its uses with
sick cattle and as poultices. Some thought that smoking a pipe cleared the head
and was good for toothaches, and snuff or chewing tobacco was thought to be
useful in keeping the mouth and lips from drying out. Spiritus frumenti also
appear to have been very common on the trail—especially wine, brandy, and
whisky. Many thought that alcohol would ward off freezing. (Actually, alcohol
increases the danger of frostbite and freezing.) Some also thought that alcohol
was good for a cold or for combatting cholera. Whiskey with sugar was commonly
used to revive tired people, and hot whiskey was considered a prime remedy for
a variety of ailments. There appears, however, to have been little drunkenness
among the Mormons. Mostly, they drank moderately. (Stanley B. Kimball, “Social Life on the Mormon Trail and the Meaning of the Camp of Israel: An Essay,” in The
Iowa Mormon Trail: Legacy of Faith and Courage, ed. Susan Easton Black and
William G. Hartley [Orem, Utah: Helix Publishing, 1997], 95-96)
Further Reading:
Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners’ Criticism of the Word of Wisdom
