Show ANOTHER STALWART GONE I Unexpected Death of Wendell Benson Last Evening FROM HEART FAILURE TAKEN DOWN VTTH TYPHOID FEVER FE-VER TEN DAYS AGO I I Drier Sketch of a Busy and Successful Suc-cessful Career Arrangements AH Completed For the Funeral of the Late Col Ilciiry C Lctt This Af tcruooii I i The Herald is called upon this morning morn-ing to chronicle the death of another I of Salt Lakes foremost citizens and i the many who knew that stalwart I big hearted genial man Wendell Benson Ben-son will be profoundly shocked to I learn he is no more I Ten days ago Mr Benson was taken i I down with typhoid fever The attack i 1 was a severe one and for the first few j days apprehensions of a fatal termination termina-tion were felt but the disease aIpeared I to have run its course yesterday morning I morn-ing the condition of the patient being j apparently much improved The only I thing that the physicians then feared was heart failure and unfortunately that feature developed suddenly at 530 last evening and Mr Benson soon breathed his last Relatives in the east have been communicated com-municated with and until they have been heard from no arrangements for the funeral will be made It is possible that the body will be shipped to the old home of the deceased for interment Inter-ment Wendell Benson was a man of strong character and would have made his mark anywhere Coming here a stranger five years ago he soon became be-came < closely identified with the material mate-rial interests of the city and through his efforts that splendid structure the Knutsford was built Then he became be-came interested in other enterprises of importance which had oearly reached fruition when this summons came Politically Mr Benson was a staunch Democrat and found time to do much for the advancement of his jarty in which he was a leader His integrity his genial disposition and manliness won for him the friendship and esteem of all with whom he came in contact His home was a most happy one and to the stricken wife and Daughter the o sympathy of the entire community goes OUt A sketch of Mr Bensons career which appeared in Utah Her Cities Towns and Resources is as follows A career that has been as honorable llasLbeen successful is that of wenaea Benson No man has talked less and accomplished more His full I round face and beaming eyes bespeak perfect health and an amiable disposi tion But there is back of this a staunch resolute will a selfmastery and manly courage a cheerful hope admirable traits of this quiet geniai and Invaluable citizen Born on the rugged shores of Maine at Fremont Mt Desert Hancock county March 25 1857 Mr Benson is not yet thirtyfive years of age He is the descendant of a race of sea faring men and his jolly spirits and hearty nature comes to him naturallyas a child of the sea When but a lad he conducted a country store at his native town but he soon tired of this and removed re-moved to Boston where he engaged in the ship chandlery trade In 1879 he became connected with C S Hutchings of Chicago and remained in the Worlds fair city six years Moving to I Omaha in 1885 he opened a wholesale fish market out of which he made considerable con-siderable money and getting a little ahead in the world he embarked in the real estate business turning several fortunate speculations In November 1SS9 he came to Salt Lake city and af I ter looking over the town he set his I stakes to build a hotel He went about I his business so quietly that it was sometime some-time before the citizens fully comprehended I compre-hended the importance of the man or his project It was not until the ground had been excavated and the walls began i be-gan to go up that they comprehended the fact that Mr Benson was building for this city one of the best hotels in I the west The majestic monument that now adorns one of the important corners cor-ners of State street and which represents I repre-sents an investment of nearly half a million dollars now known to the traveling trav-eling public as the Knutsford hotel speaks higher praise to the originator of the project than words The farseeing farsee-ing business sagacity of Mr Benson can in no better way be illustrated than in his selection of the site for this building At that time State street was without a single important building except ex-cept the old theatre and its future quite uncertain and undetermined But I time is rapidly vindicating the wisdom i of the choice Mr Benson and his I partners received as a bonus for the location of the hotel ground valued at 84000 and now worth not less than 150000 Though born in Maine Mr Benson is a staunch Democrat At the early age of 21 his fellow townsmen recognized his worth as a citizen by electing him selectman and overseer of the poor Since coming to Utah Mr Benson has been so engrossed with business he having superintended the construction of the hotel that lie had little time to devote to politics The Democratic convention con-vention however in casting about for the best men honored Mr Benson with a nomination to the upper house o the territorial legislature upon a ticket which for the high integrity and sterling ster-ling character of the candidates has seldom if ever been equalled by any convention Mr Benson takes a deep interest in the development of the city and territory terri-tory and is now quietly promoting new enterprises that promise as much as the Knutsford hotel which is a credit to its builders and an ornament to the city Mr Benson leaves a wife Mrs Margaret Mar-garet Chetto Benson and a daughter Wendella |