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Show DEATH OF WILLIAM JENNINGS. Another of Utah's Prominent Settler Set-tler Passes to the Great Beyond. For several days the Devereux House has worn a mantle of sorrow and gloom that portended some dreadful event, from the contemplation -of which its occupants have continued to shrink day by day, as the condition of its hospitable and now lamented host grew more and more dangerous. dan-gerous. During the ' past .few days and nights the family and one or two lifetime friends of Mr. Jennings have kept close vigil at his bedside, where also Dr. Benedict, Ben-edict, the attending physician, remained almost uninterruptedly. At a few minutes past six o'clock last evening he , became quite unconscious, and the gravest fears which had been forcing themselves ominously upon the minds of those present for days, gave place to terrible ter-rible alarm, and the devoted watch during dur-ing the silent hours of the night was characterized by the utmost solicitude on the part of the family. The doctor had already made the announcement that any hour might witness the demise of the distinguished patient, and during this forenoon it was frequently rumored that William Jennings had passed to the - great hereafter. It was not till 12:45 this afternoon, however, that he breathed his last, and the quiet, peaceful dissolution of spirit and body took place, in the presence of most of his family. When it was really known that death had come the members of the family, those few trusted and tried friends present relieved their pent-up . feelings in unsuppressed grief. Dr. Benedict pronounced the disease Diabehs Mellitus, and regarded it as very similar to the form with which the late Capt. Hooper had suffered. The body was at once taken care of by undertaker under-taker J. W. Taylor, and some preliminary prelimin-ary arrangements effected -looking to the funeral, no date of which has as yet been fixed. Mr. Jennings had been confined to his bed since the 24th of last December, and had then enjoyed but a brief rest from his autumn illness, which lasted some time. It has been during the last week, however, how-ever, that he developed very dangerous symptoms, but not earlier than last Sunday Sun-day was his condition considered hopeless. hope-less. At intervals he was quite bright, and even during yesterday morning transacted trans-acted some matters of business. He. evidently realized his true state, however, and attached his signature , to his will several days ago. . In the death of William Jennings, the community loses one of the ablest, and truest of its comparatively few extraordinary extraordi-nary men. He was a prominent member mem-ber of that little group of men of character charac-ter whose worth and integrity are blended in all the notable works of enterprise and progress in Utah. His was not a nature that could become easily blended in with the generality of men, because he had character, and that character and accompanying accom-panying independence are recorded side by side with most of his achievements, which are many. His wonderful executive execu-tive and financial - ability was scarcely more prominent than his uniform hospitality, hospi-tality, which has undoubtedly made for Mr. Jennings more friends amongst all classes of the community, we believe, than those of any other of our citizens. The spacious rooms and well-dressed tables ta-bles of his elegant residence were always open to friends, and there are very few places Were more thoroughly enjoyable and hospitable entertainments have been given than at the Devereux house. William, Jennings was the son of Isaac Jerihings and Jane Thornton, and was born at Yardley, near Birmingham, England, Eng-land, September 13, 1823, making him a little more than 62 years of age at the time of his death. He belonged to a large family, consisting of five sons and five daughters, and while he did not suffer the disadvant ages of poverty, his father being a wealthy butcher of the town, his youth was associated with- other difficulties which prevented his securing the education educa-tion which he has frequently wished for Bince. He left school at the early age of 11, and although in delicate health the result of an accident he .developed a great love for business, and while still little more than fourteen years of age was intrusted with responsible matters pertaining per-taining to his father's business. At the age of 24 he .emigrated to America, inspired in-spired by the spirit and influence which brought so many men of character to this free land ; but it was not until some years later that he became 'identified with theMormon church. Finding himself possessed of much less money than ambition, am-bition, the first year of his residence in America involved many and discouraging dis-couraging difficulties, all of which were overcome without the surrender of that priceless integrity and prooity winch have beautified his subsequent subse-quent career in Utah r and he continued to push out in quest of better opportunities. opportuni-ties. The year following his arrival in New York found him in Ohio, and in something like a similar period he had pushed - his way to St. Joseph, Mo., and it was h ere that his association with the Latter-day Saints began. be-gan. In the year 1851 he married Miss Jane Walker, a Mormon emigrant, and the following year went with his wife to Utah, not, however, joining the Mormon church until some time after his arrival in Salt Lake City. His career in Utah has been that of a wise and honorable hon-orable leader in the progress of business, and his name will long be remembered throughout the entire community, where the monuments to. his greatness and goodness will last forever. ' |