Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23
BRIGHAM YOUNG ACADEMY MAIN BUILDING AT PROVO

tain persons. one OF them young man
whom he had known from boyhood, had
combined to deceive and defraud him In
mining deal then pending After de-
nouncirg them. on the mere strength Of
bis dream (Which had most literal
fulhllmeni. completely Qualifying hts
coursc) he walked up over a mountain
TO trace the outcropplnRs OF q vein OF
ore that he had previously located. 49,
he went he unused rndly, communlng
with himself. and at a certain point sat
down under n tree. He was an alone.
The fact that he had been betrayed
by men whom he had trusted. and cs-
pecially by one who had been almost US
dear 10 him ~ his own son, was
great sorrow 10 him, and he wept bit
terly as he reflected upon II. Men had
deceived him. ana only God was to be
trusted. Such was his conviction. and
with this feeling IN his heart he was as
founded and overwhelmed TO hear
voice speaking TO him. az II from out
the midday heavens. II gave him to
understand that the Mormon people
were his people: tina, this country had
OF heaven. and that they would
remain here and fulnll their
by their martyred Prophets II bore pow
erful testimony 10 his soul that II he
ever came to anything good or achieved
any iUuFNtl tutttAhs III ullfllnE or IN
anything else. II would be az Nor
mon" and not as one OF his peoples OPP
p0nents. Trembling In every limb and
almost unable to walk. he made his
way back to camp. From that hour
he was u changed man. The death OF
his daughter Minnie. to whom he was
devotcdly attached, ON Dee. IS, Of the
same ycar-iSS1-saddened him still
more and caused him to ponder more
seriously than ever upon his past life
and present ana future course,
The parties who had deceived him had
endeavored 10 purchase from him GER
tain claims In Tintic. and he had verb
ally bonded his Interest therein for two
weeks for the sum OF 500. on the very
night that the option expired. he had
the dream referred to. followed next
day by the still more remarkable man
Hesitation OF the voice. He refused to
sell his claims or to have any further
dealings with the parties In question.
and now proceeded to buy up the re-
mairdcr OF the ground adjacent to his
property. lie paid siL0 for II and about
two years later sold the claims for tii.-
600, The proceeds OF this sale. added to
his ranch and cattle business. made
him worth about $4,000. Il, WINS the
beginning OF his success In mining. He
located the Iumbug mine-the vein
that he was tracing when the voice
spoke TO hlm-and though II was not
Immediately remunerative. II became
20. and Is today one OF the principal
sources OF his wealth.
In 1896 rich strike was made in the
Humbug mine. and In u few months
Jesse knight was making money
easy" lie now purchased from Mr.
MeChrystal and the Fred Aucrbach
estate the Uncle Sam mine. paying for
II $4,000. and within the next three
years cleared from that ana the Hum
bug property 100000. His Income from
both now averages $4,000 a month. At
the mines he founded the settlement
OF knightville. probably the only min
Ing camp established In the State,
or In the entire West, where there
Is not n drinking saloon. The absence
OF such an institutlon at Knightville Is
due to the fact that there are few II
any drinkers among the miners there
employed about 100 strong). There
are now forty families In the place. bu,
when II was founded there were but
twenty. Mr.. Knight at the outset made
an agreement with his employees and
rules were adopted 10 this effect; He
would raise their wages without being
asked. would not run a boarding house
ard require them TO patronize Il. and
would arbitrarily take nothing out OF
their wages for hospital funds, in
surance fees, or other purposes. desiring
the utmost freedom and liberty for his
men IN every sense OF the word. lie
further required that his superlntend-
ents and foremen ask no man his re-
llgion or politlcs.ln return for these con-
ceaslons he was IN be free to summarlly
DISCHARGE men who were found spend
ing their wages for drink and neglect
Ing to support their families. Any fore
man failing to report such men. u he
knew of them. was also liable to lmme-
date discharge. Mr.. Knight insisted
upon being LETT az liberty to employ
men who would properly care for those
dependent upon them. and not waste
their substance In rlotous living, The
result Ia peace and temperance and the
absence OF any saloon at Knlghtvlle. |
out OF the first money cleared from his |
mines, Mr.. knight built n meeting |
house for the use OF the miners and |
their families living at Knightvllle. |
and this building IL now used for re-
ligious purposes and also as school
house by the inhabitants OF the place.
Deeds for the house were given 10 the
Mormon Church, Mr. Knight has been
very liberal In donating TO the Church
10 which he belongs. ana to various
other worthy causes. lie often lends
money on good security. but Is very
considerate towards poor people who
come to him TO borrow and many
time he has taken but per cent inter
est from such when he could just ms
wei have had IL per cent had he de-
manded It. Many times when he
has bought In mortgages he has re-
duced tho interest thereon from AS high
as is per cent down to 0 per cent and
once. when invited 10 20 Into an enter
prise that was paying Is per cent divl-
dendg. he refused on the ground that II
was robblng the poor In order to enrich
Its stockholders.
He believes It to he his
mission to help the poor ana do good
by means OF the wealth which God has
given him; for that God gave II to him
Is beyond question In his mind. mo
man." says he. "hns a right to take
money out Of the earth, the Lords
bank. and use It extravagantly upon
Nj. Knight practices what