| Show DEATH OF WATSON the numerous friends of bish bishop 1 1 james watson of the nineteenth ward will be shocked to learn that he died at his residence at half past eight on the evening of J june u ne ta his illness was brief he being first attacked at four on the morning of saturday june and 2nd the complaint was inflammation of the bowels he suf suffered flared considerably for a few days da Y s 01 on the he became comparatively easy vi but gradually grew weaker la the ue afternoon he was seized with it was supposed that he ne had passed away he suase quent ly recovered but soon began again faan to sink until he fell asleep at the me time already named james watson had lightblue light blue eyes y fair complexion and ami brown hair air he was of medium height od stoutly built and naturally pos ceased consid considerable erable physical strength when at rest his counte nance ance had a grave and thoughtful aspect hect but was mobile animated 0 o expressive when he engaged in conversation Gon his sympathies were acute cute and his disposition inclined to mercy but when once convinced that at a person perso had abused his confluence it w was as not easy for that indi vidual bual to regain the forfeited place III chis his estimation he was born at low walker ou on tyne northumberland england ube U ile ath 1833 and was the son of gobert watson and barbara mora lee ee hew he evidently inherited a wong trong spiritual nature from his ra mother naother that who was specialty specially gifted in fi diorec tion lon while from h his is i who was inclined to skeptic ann cism he derived a tendency to ClU lu estion everything before receive ing ff 8 it so strong were his religious 1 gs in boyhood roywood roy hood that they super ced a tendency to melau melancholy choly and u he be was favored with some unal spiritual manifestations while yet a 0 lid lad amea ames biad had an elder brother named fa william bulam whom he greatly loved that 00 strong ng was his arnicy affinity for him when the two would sen separate arate eve anfor for a short time and william id walk away james would Bf end gaze longingly longin uly and affee bihy ihy after hi hin u until antil he be 1 asap I from ni view when william years old James went to work tra fi A nane about seven miles distant 41 home at thit that time the chol c 14 was raging in that part of eng zid beffa f at four ur one huorn morning 1 n 9 aye james jamea got out of bed he b be e 4 his brother brot lier in open vision he staf lit speared pPe ared 1 to be suspended in the al air r ahlee teeing K a short distance from ia Ite on each side of him was a coage e dressed in flowing white after gazing upon this strange sight eight for sometime some time he was wae about to speak when the vision instantly stant scantly lV vanished and he found himself sitting up in bed wondering what it could all mean he went to work as usual at 6 and about 7 he be saw a lad in the distance riding toward the works on horseback As he came nearer he discovered it was his brother joseph he advanced to meet him and addressing him said joseph william is dead joseph burst into weeping and said it was true and that he be had died of cholera on reaching home james ascertained that his brother expired at I 1 the precise time when lie he saw the vision in the early part of 1856 a man named thompson called upon james and invited him to attend a lecture to be delivered by an elder of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints called hodson who proposed to prove from the bible that joseph smith was a prophet raised up in this age to usher in the last dispensation james remarked to his wife that he should go and hear the lecture that he believed the man to be an impostor and that he should take his bible with him and if he found the matter as he be supposed it would be he should arise in the audience and expose the imposition mrs watson tried to dissuade him from this purpose but to no effect so be went imbued with this intention he listened to elder 11 odson hodson who spoke on the literal gathering of israel and the setting up u I 1 0 of f the kingdom of god in the latter r days and was convinced that his statements were true he at once began an investigation of the doctrines of the church and attending meetings bishop lunt was pastor of the newcastle district at that time and invited him although not then a member of the church to remain during a priesthood meeting the oe occasion casion being the trial of a man for his fellowship low ship the man placed on trial objected to his presence on the ground that he was a nonmember non member and he was about to leave the hall bali when brother lunt requested him to remain as his testimony would yette yet be wanted in a future day asto as to the validity of the trial the roan man was cut off from the churchard Chur chand in verification flea fi tion of the prediction of brother lunt the question of the validity of the proceeding was afterwards afterward 9 1 sprung james being a witness and testifying that the person referred to was wag justly nica ted on the ath of september 1856 1850 james was baptized by elder wil lamir thompson the same man who invited eftim to attend elder hod sons lecture he was shortly afterwards ordained to the office of a priest and elder lunt said to him go and thrust in thy sickle and reap for the h harvest arvest is ready the laborers are few and you shall yet be the means of bringing many into the church brother watson engaged in preaching at every available opportunity anity and joon boon after his bis ordination he had a singular dream he thought he saw a new line of railroad excellently and solidly con strutted ted beside him on this line were a splendid engine and tender with no cars attached while he looked at anti and admired them a voice him get on the engine and drive turning to a friend of his who he thought was standing by him he be said agid 1 I have no experience in driving you get on and drive and I 1 will le be your fireman fi reman this man declined saying that brother watson should be the engineer and he the fireman they both got on and away they sped As they progressed they beheld many inferior roads converging toward the line they were on with dirty ugly engines and coal trucks traveling in the same direction A collision seemed inevitable the engineer resolved not to stop however but to increase the speed and dash boldly on As they approached the other trains they bent their heads and there was a tremendous crash when they recovered from the shock they beheld ruin on every hand among the trains of the other lines but the engine and tender they were on were unscathed and sound as ever brother watson told his dream t te a brother who tho was noted for having a gift to interpret he said the new railroad is the fullness of the gospel revealed through jose joseph ret h smith ithe the other lines are the religious sects of the day and the cars care the sectarians sect arians the new locomotive is a new branch over which you will preside and the man who acted as fireman will join the church and be your assistant the collision signifies that opposition will be met with but by strong argument and determination mi nation you will be able to demolish it and vindicate the truth it it 11 happened that a great opposition arose against the church it was so intense that all the members were discharged from their work brother watson included except the man who adix appeared ared to act as fireman in the dream brother watson commenced business as a contractor on his own account a and d pursued his duties in the cl church wit with h great zea zeal 1 ile he had been ordained to the office of an elder and soon effected an opening in a place called crumling ton bon where he baptized three persons following up this success no less than forty were soon added to the churich church a new branch was organ iced with brother watson as president and his fireman fareman of the dream as his chief assistant and adviser he retained the position until he left for utah in 1863 the dream being 1 thus verified in every detail he be left liverpool on and arrived in salt bake city on the alth of october of the same year having crossed the plains in the old fashioned way by ox team transportation por tation he is well and favorably known as a member of the firm of watson brothers builders and contractors his brother joseph being his partner artner fin their reputation for skill in their line is second to none in utah many handsome and substantial structures in this city and elsewhere bear testimony to that fact among these are the south section of the main Z C M 1 building the shoe factory of the same institution the hooper eldredge block and other buildings the deceased was owing to his kindly and fair dealing disposition personally held in the highest esteem by his workmen and in deed by all others with whom he had close relations the late bishop richard V morris of the ward died on the of march 1882 and brother james watson was ordained and set apart to succeed him in the position on the ath day of june 1882 in that office his labors owing to the size of the ward it being much more extensive and populous than any other similar ecclesiastical division in salt lake city were exceedingly cee ardt arduous ious not to say laborious occupied a great deal of his attention and were his chief care A short time since another ward the twenty second was organized from a portion of the nineteenth the details of transferring the business from the latter to the former had not been entirely but was to be done on the first of july next the of june being the close of the fiscal year the people among whom he labored regarded him in the light ot 0 a father and they feel his departure keenly as if they had been deprived of the association and services of the head of the family among the later appointments of a public nature received and filled by the deceased was that of member of the stake board of education which is the ex officio directory of the latter day saints college he also for a considerable time was associated socia ted as vice president and director with zions benefit benalt Buil building diug society the writer h ereon knew hinan ti as an arr honest upright and true man the funeral service over the remains of bishop james watson was conducted in the nineteenth ward meeting house on sunday morning june 30 thle the attendance was very large not only was the building densely packed but the number ot or people on the outside contiguous to it was still greater while the n neighborhood I 1 hh el was crowded with vehicles e S the stand was draped in white and covered with many beautiful floral emblems contributed by loving relatives and friends of the deceased AO among those present were presiding bisshop bishop william B preston and eres resident president ident angus M cannon also most of the bisho bishops Ps of the wards of the city and many other leading bret brethren bren the service was conducted by elder A W Cail carlson sou who was first cirii counselor to the deceased bishop the singing exercises were rendered by the ward choir the opening ding prayer was offered by bishop preston the speakers speake irs on the occasion were in the order in which th they addressed the assemblage elder bedr john nie nicholson li olson bisho bishop orson rel F whitney and bish bishop 4 W L intimate N allen alien all of them intimate friends of the deceased they spoke of the many noble traits exhibited by bishop watson during his life combining re marks of that nature with explanations pla nations of the glorious hopes and anticipations brought to light through the falness of the gospel of christ which he had embraced and whose precepts lie he had made his rule of conduct the closing prayer was offered by bishop alfred solomon it was announced during the service that in the interim pending the selection and appointment of a bishop to succeed brother watson the affairs of the nineteenth ward would be under the direction of elder august W carlson the earthly remains of the late bishop james watson a good and upright man were followed to the cemetery by a remarkably large cortege which numbered 81 vehicles peace to his ashes |
