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Show Pira TRADER, DIES One of First Non-Mormon Settlers Passes Away in Salt Lake. WAS 82 YEARS . OLD Had Notable Career in the Business Life of Utah and the West. Richard Allen Kycs, 100 lvi.it South Tdrnplfi, one of the first non-Mormon traders to s.Htl.-. in S;ik Lake, died at hia homo yi-Kt.rr.hiy. Hi; was 82 years of nge. Mr. K-y. n came to Salt Lake in 1N57 from Njv York. Jls was attached to various mercantilu enterprises until 11)00, when, he was m:idi; labor and fuel contractor for the Or.-on Short line, which position he retained until the bprlns of VJlC, when he re.ancd and retired re-tired from business permanently. The death of Mr. Koyes, while removing remov-ing one. of the pioneers of lu, nun-Mor-inun s.-tncnvrit of the Salt Lake valk-y, revives in memory t he outstanding historical his-torical d.ivs of pLuneirr times in tliis section. sec-tion. k.u-uilerUon harks hark to the period pe-riod bel'oro the advent of General Albert Sidney Johnston or General I'. F. Connor and lliu I. ui hi ins of Fort 1 Juuglas, tor "Dick" Reyes was established in the valley vt:;i rs briforo i hese. "Uiek" Key ok, in the early days, was a trader. He came here as confidential man to the Livingston-Liell Trading company, com-pany, and for many years he carried car-ried on mercantile businesses. He established estab-lished a reputation lor himself as a "crack" salesman, and during the boom davs in 1'ioche, when he was in the employ em-ploy of Walker Brothers as traveling commercial com-mercial man, he disposed of more merchandise mer-chandise in l'loche than the stores of Salt Lake could provide. Well Known Here. A rare personality, attending ability to successfully mix with all classes or people, peo-ple, made Richard Keyes the successful business man he was. These, attributes later won for him a responsible position posi-tion with the Oregon Short Line railroad, an office he retained and successfully administered until a few years since, when he concluded to lay down the working tools and retire from active par- j tlcipation in commercial things. ! It was in the year lMi7 that Mr. Keyes first arrived in Salt Lake Oily. At that time ho was 21 years of age, having been born in Auburn, New York, in the year The western trip was made with Mun-roe Mun-roe & Howard, a freighting- outfit, with which he came across the plains from Atchison, Kan. Immediately upon arrival here he became connected with the Livingston-Bell Mercantile company. The company opened store with the merchan dise 1 1 eigrueu uei usf uhmiu v u.v wmi-roe wmi-roe Howard, but the term of business was brie!, lasting but seven weeks. The stock, was established in a room in the old Continental building, located near where the Salt Lake Security building now stands on Main street. All the goods and good will of the company were disposed of to W H. Hoover and, with 1 almost the entire non-Mormon population, about sixteen in number, Mr. Keyes moved west i ''" " 'ly Luided iji Califor-. ""vfter a 'lHY a fortnight in Los An-' eeles and-an -l('i""icisco. Mr. Keyes embarked em-barked f'r a sea lr'D to ew ork, where he renH-ined until the fall of the year 1S5S. ( Reacts Salt Lake. r can while General Johnston's army yAl established camp ir. U tan and with I the army came another influx of settlers, among these being representatives of the Livingston-Bell Mercantile company. The Ben Holliday transport line was employed em-ployed by the Livingston-Bell company to move a large stock of mercantile goods across the plains to Salt Lake, and it was with this outfit Richard A. Keyes arrived a second time in Salt Lake. The mercantile company again took up trading trad-ing quarters near the old location and did a prosperous business for several years. One evening, just prior to closing, a stranger came into the store. He asked for Mr. Hell, and, after introductory ceremonies cere-monies he was taken to a rear office. A short time later Mr. Keyes was called into conference, the stranger being introduced intro-duced as Mr. Jones. Mr. Keyes was informed in-formed that Mr. Jones desired to do some "prospecting" through the valley, and required re-quired an escort, Mr. Keyes being so detailed. de-tailed. The commission lasted nearly three days, during which time the pair covered a large amount of territory through the valley and foothills, without the prospector declaring the exact nature of his quest. Along toward evening of the third day Mr. Jones announced the end of the junket, and he then introduced himself as General Connor, stating that ho had been commissioned by the government govern-ment to locate an army post. Kort Douglas Doug-las was then formally staked out and established. es-tablished. Mr. Keyes assisting in the work. The first army occupying the post was composed of 200 men under Gene nil Connor. A Busy Career. j Shortly after this event the Living ston-Bell stock was disposed of to Kitn-; Kitn-; ball & Lawrence, Mr. Bell going to Mis souri in the year IStU. Mr. Keyes again returned east, but only 1 remained a short time, returning in a I few months to take a position as clerk in i the general merchandise store of Walker ' Bro tliers at the corner of Second South ' and Main streets. Later he was found in charge of George M. Scott hardware I e tore", but before this he engaged with William Kwehank as partner in the op- i erotion of a freight line between Salt ! Lake and points in Nevada. Idaho and Montana. The freighting outfits were in personal charge of Mr. Ewebn.uk. while : Mr. Keyes operated the administrative affairs of the firm from Salt Lake. During all of this time he had conducted conduct-ed research work in various sections of the state whic1- told him in unmistakable language of the vast resources below the ground. He became heavily interested in various mining ventures. In 1S74 Mr. Keyes returned again to ' New York and while there was married to Miss Ada Hayt, who survives him. No children were born to this union. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. |
