The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-18


accident he met with in falling down
the elevator shaft at the Coop furni-
ture store on Main street, late on Mon
day night.
The bishop had attended a meeting
of the Utah Cambrian society on the
evening stated, and at the close made a
misstep, receiving the injuries that
caused his death. He suffered from
conclusion of the brain, and pneumonia
set in, which, with other complications,
made his case hopeless.
He commenced sinking on Wednes-
day afternoon, and DIR. Wilcox, the ply
stefan in charge, saw that the end was
not far off. The sufferer seemed to
rally just before midnight on Wednes-
day, and his wonderful vitality kept
him alive many hours longer than any
one anticipated.
The announcement made in yester-
days Herald as to his condition pre-
pared his friends for the blow, but the
foreknowledge that death was newt
able did not make the shock less severe
when the end came.
Bishop Elias Morris was 70 years old,
but his wonderful vigor made him APP
pear much younger. He was born in
Denbighshire, North Wales, where his
father was 4 mason and contractor,
and the deceased followed the same
avocation, and was for many years one
of the largest contractors in Utah.
BIOGRAPHICAL
The bishop had intended to write a
complete biographical sketch of his
busy career, and had the subject out
lined, although not fully completed.
What he wrote was as follows:
My parents were born at Llanfair,
Talhairne. Denbighshire. North Wales.
They had born to them seven sons and
five daughters. My father was mason
by trade and contractor in his native
country. 1 learned the trade with my
father. Emigrated to Utah in the year
1852. l identified. myself with the Lat
ter-day Saints in the year 1S49. In the
year 1851 President John Taylor paid
a visit to my home in North Wales. He
had organized a company of capital
lists to purchase machinery for the
manufacture of sugar from beets, which
he intended to establish in Salt Lake
City. He engaged me to go to Utah in
the interest of this sugar company. L
left Liverpool in charge of the machin-
cry in March, 1852, via New Orleans,
and up the rivers to Fort Leavenworth,
which was the starting point to cross
the plains; arrived in Salt Lake City in
November, 1852. The sugar company
failed to mature in manufacturing su-
gar. for various reasons.
LAS there was a company engaged at
Iron county to manufacture iron, 1
was engaged to go and put up their
furnaces. Some considerable iron was
made, but not of sufficient quantity to
make a success, and for want of funds
the company failed. 1 returned to Salt
Lake City and commenced contract
ing in the year 1864; put up the Eagle
Emporium for Mr. Jennings and the
drag store for Mr.. Godbe.
I'm May, 1866, took a mission to
Wales; returned in June. 1863; brought
a company of 365 Saints back with me
on my return; entered into CO.
partnership with Samuel L. Evans as
builders, under the name of Morris &
Evans. Upon the opening of the min
ing industry in Utah, we made the
manufacture of fire brick and furnace
building a speciality. We put up the
Germania works. also smelters at
Sandy. Bingham, Little Cottonwood,
Flagstaff. East Canyon. Stockton,
American Fork, the Ontario mill and
Cornish pump at Ontario mine; also
many other buildings. including the
basement story of the Salt Lake tenn
pie, Deseret National Bank block. z. c.
NJ. l. store, Mayor Littles residence
and Utah University building.
After the death Of Mr.. Evans / car
ried the business in my own name. and
took quite an interest in establishing
other industries in the interest of my
adopted country. such as the tannery.
Salt Lake foundry, soap factory, Utah
Cement company, slate quarry, Utah
sugar factory. In 1891, in partnership
with Houlahan & Griffith, contracted to
lay the cut stone and brick work of
the city and county building; also the
gravity sewer of Salt Lake Cts.
Served as city councillor for four
years, and a director in the Salt Lake
chamber of commerce one term
In d series of somewhat more ex-
tended photographed notes appear
the following:
When l commenced to learn the
trade of builder and contractor, under
my father. was II years of age. When
% years old l went to Liverpool and
worked on the st. George town hall.
After few years l returned to Wales,
as my father had several contracts on
his hands, and while at work on a
hanging scaffold, on thr5 e-story build
the top story-the scaffold gave
way and l fell So feet onto the pave
ment. Those who witnessed my fall
cried out that 1 was killed. But to their
great establishment, as well as to my
own, as soon as I was raised up
found / could walk without pain, and
in 10 minutes I went up the ladder to
the third story and made a new scat
fold.
1T was soon after this that 1 was
engaged by President John Taylor, who
was filling a mission to France, but
who was then on a visit to Wales, to
come TO Utah with beet sugar machin-
cry. We set sail from Liverpool, where
the machinery was manufactured, in
March, 1852. After seven weeks of sail
ing we landed at New Orleans. Took
the river boat back to Fort Leaven-
worth From there / was sent to Coun-
ell Bluffs to get the company wagons
with which to be loaded down with ma
I'VE made ready for our long and
tedious Journey over the Rocky noun
tains and started from this point on the
Fourth of July. The day we crossed the !
rocky ridge. we camped at Willow
creek, near the last crossing of Sweet
water. We made camp about O'clock !
at night. 1t was very dark and snow |
ing. AS we had hardly any provisions |
we turned in without supper In the |
we found a foot of snow and |
but very little provisions in camp. |
Orders were given by Captain de la !
Mae. now living in Tooele, to go and |
get the cattle in. We found that quite !
a percentage of the poorest had laid /
down in the brush to rest for the last |
time. OF those that were found dead |
we cut out their tongues and hearts, |
which we cooked and thus satisfied our /
own hunger. When we gathered in all |
the other cattle we could find we had |
Just about enough left to take the fam |
ly wagons to Green River. At the same |
time the captain had sent messenger |