The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-25
WAS WIDELY KNOWN.
Personal Sketch of the Man Who Was
Killed.

Few men in this state were more
widely known than Dan Seegmiller. He
came here from New York. where he
was converted to the Mormon faith
while still young man. lie was born
| in Canada, went TO Detroit for short
| time and from there moved to the
| metropolis and was at work in his trade
| of harness-maker when he became &C
quainted with the missionary who won
him over To the faith he held until his
death.
Three years ago the manager of The
Herald had the good fortune to secure
Mr.. Seegmiller as his guide and com
panion on a trip to the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado. Through the journey
of over six hundred miles in a wagon
he shared the dead mans blankets on
the ground at night and enjoyed the
care and companionship of this quaint
old pioneer character by day. Natural
ly, Mr.. Seegmiller told much of his
early life during the long days of travel
in the solitudes of the desert and the
forest wilderness that surrounds the
Grand Canyon. His stories of early
days had the surprising interest that
always attaches to a tale of personal
experience. He told OF his arrival in
Salt Lake and his first employment, n
job at his trade of harness-maker. I'M
der the direct employment of Brigham
Young. In this occupation he was sue
cessful and won the approval of his
employer. Most of his mission work
was among the Swiss, and in this he
was as successful as he was in the
more practical work of his trade.
His nature was essentially practical,
however, and one could readily believe
that he was destined to be pioneer of
pioneers-a scout on the frontier of
civilization, a coloniZer. as he eventual
ly became, on the very verge of Indian
hostility. For number of years he
was a resident of st. George and one
of its earliest peace officers. In this
capacity he demonstrated his utter
fearlessness and contempt of danger.
Horse thieves who had terrorized other
officers found that he was as little
afraid of them as he was of the COM
monest, most harmless disturber of the
peace On one occasion. having lost
some of his own stock, he trailed the
thieves himself, came UP to them, pass
ed himself off as one of their ilk, spent
the night with them. and early in the
morning seized the stock and made the
men prisoners.
He had one of the finest ranches in
Utah. 1t lies on the Upper Kanab
creek, about twenty-five or thirty miles
northeast from the town of Kanab.
Three canyons converge just east of
the ranch house, heading back to beau
tiful vermiIlion cliffs, rising perhaps 300
or 400 feet perperdicularly above the
canyons.
These cliff walls make a natural pre-
serve for deer which abound there. and
the streams in the canyon furnish n
perfect water supply for the ranch that
lies below the conveyance of the three
streams Here Mr.. Seegmiller had one
of the best stocked farms in the south
ern part of the state. and he took great
pride in the animals he raised and pas
tured there Some of his horses were
blooded animals of the purest strains,
and his one weakness. if it may be so
called. was to attend occasional horse
races in st. George or Cedar City or
Panguitch. at which he was more than
ordinarily successful
Mr.. Seegmiller was the Republican
nominee for the state senate from the
district comprising Kane. Washington,
Iron and Beaver counties at the last
election. He was also first counselor to
President Woolley of Kanab stake and
was formerly enc OF Mr.. Woolley's part
ners in commercial and rancn enter
prises. Presumably the Mr.. Roundy
who killed Mr.. Seegmiller was one of
his neighbors on the Upper Kanab. for
a ranchman of that name was living
close to him less than two years ago.
Whatever the cause of the fatal diff
Guilty. the southern portion of the state
has cause to mourn the tragedy that
has removed one of it's most enterpris-
ing citizens, one who has done much to
develop it's best interests.