Show W WI S DIES AT BRIGHTON I Pioneer Merchant and Mining Operator Succumbs to illness I HIS NOTABLE CHARACTER I I CLASH CLASE WITH MORMON MORMON LEADERS i COST RIM EDI A i y S GODBE one of the they WILLIAMS V y most moat noted of at old resi residents residents dents Is dead His nis demise oc occurred occurred occurred earl eari last evening at the Bright Brighton on at the head of at Big Cottonwood canyon where several members ot of o his family are accustomed to making their home during the warm period each season The body will be 1 brought to this city arriving early this l morning News of ot the death of Mr Godbe was telephoned last night to Henry W WL Lawrence L his friend and business as associate tc of many years and the dis distressing information was at once tel telegraphed egl plied by Will Lawrence to those of Mr sons who are absent from the state The elder Mr Lawrence had prepared to take a trip to the north northwest west vest with his wife and daughter but the death of ot Mr Godbe caused him to defer his departure until after the funeral which will doubtless be held heldon on Sunday or Monday depending how however however however ever upon the ability of Samuel Godbe the elder son to reach Teach Salt Lake from the mines not far from Los Angeles Angelest t Mr Mi death was due to debit debility debilIty ity resulting from a long period of at ill illness illness ness nags Since last Christmas he had been in ill health but lately latel an improvement was evident and a few weeks ago he went to Brighton to spend the summer bummer Although he was in advanced years it 4 was believed that the outing in the mountains would be beneficial to him Last Sunday Sunda however Mr 11 Godbe had hada a sinking spell and his life was as des despaired despaired despaired paired of but he rallied so 0 nicely nicel that it was believed the crisis was passed Yesterday evening his death came sud suddenly sudden denly den de ly While those of his immediate family had bad prepared for lor the worst it itu Was u as not generally known that his phys physical ph physIcal s ical condition had been se serious for several months Mr Godbe passed his birthday last June Besides other kins kinsfolk kinsfolk kinsfolk folk seven sons eons Sam Frank Prank Fred Anthony Ernest Murray and Alfred Alred and three daughters Mrs C P Brooks Mrs lIts R H Browne and Miss Teresa Godbe survive him Sketch of His Ris Life Born in London Mr Godbe com corn commenced commenced life lire early by b serving as a sailor In hla hf youth y uth he traveled extensively and ho much of at his spare time timeto to reading In his early earty manhood he was apprenticed to a shipbuilder and am while thus engaged he lie was to Mormonism He was distinctively distinctive distinctively a 0 man and being fired with high ambitions and lofty ideals he emigrated to America measuring every ever step of at the road across the plains to Salt Lake arriving here in 1851 in the early days of Utah an agen agento agent to go east to purchase goods for the tin people was a necessity and William S Godbe was wan the man of ot their choice holce as related by the historian fo for forI I already his public spirit was recognized and appreciated by the community 0 even In Ia a commercial career Yearly Yearl h he wont east on the peoples commercial business s as well as his own The day dav 1 of starting was advertised in season and then men and women from al ali all parts of ot the territory thronged his hia of ot lice flee with their commissions Thus Mr Ir Godbe purchased hundreds of ot thou thousands thousands thousands sands of dollars worth of goods for th the people of ot Utah and the arrival of his trains gave periodical sensations to th tile Hie city so many being personally inter I Many Business Missions I Until the advent of at the railroad h he crossed the plains no less than twenty I four times besides making many trips overland to California He Re crossed the Atlantic nearly a score of times AsTa j SW popular merchant Mr tIr Godbe was the first fint to bring down prices Benevolence was the policy of his life and aId the community benefited from hiv hi ventures He erected the building now occupied by b the Godbe Pitts Drug company which gave ve the first commercial appearance to Salt Lake City Mr Godbe was as one of ot the first to demonstrate to the world the immen sity and richness of or mineral re sources His mining interests were as varied as were the successes he achieved in his operations Contention With Mormon leaders Era Asa patron of literature his charac ter tar shone forth in rare brilliance and it is said that his civilizing mission in t Utah cost him not less than He lie more than any an other made it pos sible to inaugurate an Independent 1 press pres His fortune and his talents were bent in this direction for years He I established the Utah Magazine and I also uis the Mormon Tribune which later I became the Salt Lake Tribune forthe enlightenment and defense of at the Mor mon man people but through the peculiar conditions then existing he found him self taking issue with the leaders of ot the Mormon church as to their right to dictate the temporal affairs of the people p ople and his excommunication fol lowed towed along with Lawrence Kelsey Harrison and Walker Valker and others who became locally known as Financial ruin came to Mr Godbe a I generation ago because became be ause of his attitude in contending with the leaders leaden of ot the dominant church It was then thea that he turned his attention to mining with a will and a purpose which knew not fail fall and he paid off oft all of at his obligations amounting to over and had a fortune left which however became largely dissipated later in fIt unprofitable mining and smelting investments As related in history the aims and purposes of ot William S Godbe were not understood In the heat of the conflict of early earl days da s but now no the ma of the Mormon people believe In 1 his unquestioned honor hOllor rare sincerity and deep friendship Brigham Young 1 himself l soon became convinced of o 0 this and to the day of his death roc 2 the separation To the last the hist historian rian declares Brigham Young would often say sav sa I 1 i t loved lOed Williams William S Godbe to t I re 4 rc i r rT rr rI T r I e 4 t W cv WS S GODBE |