The King was very particular about the appearance of his peoples' homes.
The houses were built of logs hewed on both sides and all were
whitewashed outside as well as in. Their yards were all laid out with
care and taste, with flowers and shrubs, and nice vegetable gardens at
the back, which gave all a homelike appearance. No liquor, tea, coffee
or tobacco were to be used. There were men sent out every day to see
that all refuse of fish was buried deep in the ground. He exacted a tax
from the fishermen all along the shore of ten dollars for each boat, and
as there were always a large number of boats, this added quite a little
income to the King's treasury. All paid without hard feelings, as money
was plenty and no one cared to have trouble with the King. The Bennetts
would not pay the tax. Thomas Bennett felt he had been greatly wronged
about his home, having to leave his land as his Mormon neighbors had
made it so unpleasant for them, besides he felt Strang had no right to
collect the tax from the fishermen. At any rate he refused to pay when
Strang sent his men to collect it and the feelings between them were not
very friendly.