Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-12
GEORGE q. CANNON.
One of the ibIest and Nest Active of
the MOrmOns.


George q. Cannon was always regarded
of the ablest men among the Nor
mons. and as their representative he rem
dered them great service through his per-
sonal popularity. He was their delegate in
Congress at times when the Latter Day
Saints greatly needed a forcible man TO
uphold them in the national legislature.
George O. Cannon was native of Liv-
erpool, England, and was trained in the
Mormon faith. His parents were converted
to that faith in 1899, when he was twelve
years of age, through the preaching of
John Taylor who some time before had
married his fathers sister.
short time before the killing of Jo-
seph Smith the family arrived at Nauvoo
where young George found employment as
a printer In the office of the Times and
Seasons and the Nauvoo Neighbor In
1si7 he went to Salt Luke City with Par
ley Pratts companies and for two years
was engaged in farming, house building and
other labor Incidental 20 new settlements.
In the autumn of 1919 he went to Califor-
mia and there worked IN the gold mines
until the summer of 1850, when he was
sent on a mission to the Sandwich Islands.
Mission to Honolulu.
On arriving at Honolulu he began to
study the Hawaiian language, and when
he had become familiar with 1t he trav-
eled among the natives preaching the
itllelS OF the MOrmOnS to them, and sue
ceeded In organizing several branches of
the church. He returned to Salt Lake
City four years later, and in 1850 he
was sent to California as a missionary
where he established and edited a news
paper called the Western Standard.
When he received news of the Utah war
ne returned to his people, and during the
exodus of 1858 took charge of the press
and printing materials of the Desert News,
which were conveyed to Fillmore City In
October, 1859, he was chosen an apostle to
III the vacancy caused by the death of
Farley Pratt, and was afterward appointed
president of the European mission.
Supported Utah's Claims to Statehood.
In 1862 Cannon was ordered to this city
to support the claims of Utah to admission
as a state. After the adjournment of Con-
gresS he again went to England. where he
labored until 1864, 13 600 converts being for
warded to this country during that period
He was then ordered home and was elected
a member of the legislative council and
was for three years private secretary to
Brigham Young.
Delegate i'm Congress-
In 1867 he became editor and publisher OF
the Deseret News, which was then semi
weekly paper, and started the Deseret
Evening News, which he issued daily. His
connection with the latter paper was con-
tinued until 1872 when he was chosen dele
gate TO Congress. In 1880 Mr. Cannon was
appointed first councillor to President John
Taylor Of the Mormon Church.
The ease with which Mr. Cannon ACQUIRED
the language when he went among the ma
tives OF the Hawaiian Islands has often
been commented on. He was In the islands
but six weeks before he began preaching
among the people there, and before he re-
turned to the United States he translated
the Book of Mormon into the Hawaiian
language, and with other missionaries made
arrangements for the purchase of a press
and printing materials necessary for its
publication.
The coming of the parents of Mr. Cannon
10 this country was attended by hardship
which was the lot of most of the emig-ants
Mrs Cannon had a strong premonltion that
she would not reach zion" and this was
supported by analogous dreams by her
husband, all of which were fulfilled Ey her
death while crossing the Atlantic ocean
The rest of the family reached Nauyoo
IL safety Two months after the death Of
Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Mr. Cannon's
1ather left Nauvoo ON a business trip to
St Louis. and while there died leaving
seven orphan children.
Mr.. Cannons service as a delegate 4,
Congress began In the Forty-third Com
gress, and was continuous through the
Forty-seventh Congress. When in 1862
steps were taken to have Utah admitted
as state Mr.. Cannon was elected United
States senator for the inchoate state of
Deseret.