History of Salt Lake City, Part 131

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194

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On his arrival in America, young Jennings had but little means; yet he was courageous with his primitive resolution to make his mark in the world. The non-approbation of his family con- cerning his emigration to this country, at once piqued his personal esteem and his self-reliance ; and he made up his mind to prove to his family that he could succeed in life by his own native energies. At the onset of his career in America, he set the space of seven years before he would again see the face of his parents. It was nineteen years, however, before their meeting came; and when at length they met, though all his family in England had risen to social independence, the successful merchant prince of Utah had overtopped them all in wealth. But we must return to the early part of his career.

On his arrival in New York, after looking around a few weeks, he engaged for the winter with a Mr. Taylor of Manchester, England, a pork packer, at a wage of six dollars per week. The next year he crossed the A'leghany mountains, by the way of Cumberland and Wheeling, to Cin- cinnati, thence to Chillicothe, Ohio. During that year he was robbed of between four and five hundred dollars, leaving him absolutely destitute. Being in this reduced condition, he next en- giged as a journeyman butcher at a small salary.

Leaving Ohio in March, 1849, he went to St. Louis, but finding that place unsuited to his pur- pose he left in April for St. Joseph, where he engaged to work for one Carby, to trim bacon ; but afterwards went to the butchering again. In the fall of the same year he was seized with cholera, which prostrated him four weeks, at the expiration of which time he found himself penniless, and two hundred dollars in debt.

Although broken down by sickness and robbed of his money, his grit, backed by strong com- mercial ambitions, was unconquerable, and he set to work again to renew his fortunes. This native courage and industry, coupled with his general good conduct, brought to his assistance a benevo- lent Roman Catholic Priest whose name was Scanlan. Prompted by his sympathies for the young emigrant just convalescent and re-engaging in the struggle of life, and having faith in his strict bus- iness honesty, the worthy Priest loaned William Jennings $50. With this money he made his really successful start in life ; for hitherto, as we have seen, it had been for him hard work at low wages varied by the losses of his savings by robbery and sickness. But his business career had now com - menced. With this little capital he set to work, sagaciously turned every dollar to good account and relieved himself of all his liabilities. Thus with the lucky fifty dollar loan of a benevolent priest, William Jennings laid the foundation upon which he has since amassed an immense fortune, ranking him to day among the millionaires of America. To his honor be it said that he ever re- members, in the reminiscences of his life, to speak with gratitude of " Father Scanlan," ascribing to him the beginning of his fortune and success.

In the year 1851, and while in St. Joseph, William Jennings married Miss Jane Walker, a Mormon emigrant girl This was the beginning of his relations with the Mormon people whom he did not, however, join in church membership at that date; but this marriage, and the providence of his life, soon thereafter led him to Utah, where he was destined to become one of the chief founders of the commerce of the West. In the spring of 1852 they left St. Joseph en route for Utah and arrived in Salt Lake City early in the fall. Having an eye to commercial business before he left St. Joseph, Mr. Jennings invested all his means in a stock of groceries and brought across the plains three wagons loaded with this class of merchandise from which he realizedl a handsome profit in Salt Lake City. Shortly after his arrival, he joined the Mormon Church and became fairly iden- tified with the social and religious interests of the community. At that date, Utah stood in great need of such men as Jennings, Hooper, Eldredge, the Walkers, Godbe and Lawrence; and, as ola-

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HISTORY OF SALT LAKE CITY.

served in the opening chapter, it was at this time that such a class of men began the work out of which has grown the business and commerce of our Territory.

But the earlier activines of Mr. Jennings were engaged in the Butchery business, and in the establishment of several branches of manufacture naturally connected therewith. In the spring of 1855, he added to huis butchery business, -which he established on his arrival in Salt Lake,-a tan- nery, which in turn gave him supplies for saddle and harness making and his boot and shoe manu- factory. This line of business was as grand a success for the country as it was remunerative to himself.

In 1856, William Jennings was called on a mission to Carson Valley. It was the policy of the Church at about this period to send out men of his class to found new Territories which, however, at that time meant the extension of Utah. Thus Nevada was founded by the Mormons, and Car- son was the point for the mission of these business and commercial men. William Nixon was also sent to Carson Valley, and with him went Mr. " Rob " Walker as his wagon master, carrying with him a small train of merchandise. On his part, Mr. Jennings started butchery in connection with his mission, supplying the mining camps in that region with meat. He also cut logs from the sur- rounding mountains, with which he built a substantial house. Having remained sixteen months in Carson Valley, in the spring of '57 he returned to Salt Lake. This was the period of the "C'tah war." When he arrived home he found the people much excited over the Buchanan expedition. But in spite of the fact that Johnson's army was marching on Utah, for the avowed purpose of "wiping out" the Mormons, he set to work and built a large butcher shop, at a cost of $1,000, on the site where the Eagle Emporium now stands. Perhaps no example more striking in his career could be noted to show William Jennings' sagacity and foresight. Evidently he did not believe in Utah being turned into a desolation either by a United States army or the command of Brigham Young. Indeed, in building up the commercial corner on which he has since raised his colossal Emporium, he was very much forecasting the policy of Brigham Young and the real direction of coming events. In the Spring of '58, however, he joined in the general exodus of the Saints, and took his family and household effects to Provo ; but continued his business in Salt Lake City.

After the return of the Saints to their homes, Mr. Jennings purchased in 1860, somc $40,000 worth of dry goods of Mr. Solomon Young, and started in the mercantile business. From this date he became the leading Utah merchant ; and his example and gigantic enterprize did much to inaugurate a new era in our Utah commerce. In fact, the mercantile ambition of William Jennings became now well defined. He was aiming to make himself one of the great merchants of the West.

The following year he was engaged in supplying telegraph poles for the line between Salt Lake and Ruby Valley. The same year he went to San Francisco to purchase merchandise, traveling to Sacramento, a distance of 800 miles, by stage,

In the year 1863, in conjunction with his merchandising, he carried on a banking and broker's business. In fact, he was the first of Salt Lake's merchants to buy and ship Montana gold dust. Ile was also owner of the first steam flouring mill in Utah.

In 1864 he built the Eagle Emporium, a large and substantial stone building, in which he done a business amounting to $2,000,000 per annum,-thus making himself the leading merchant of the western country.

During the year 1869, he assisted in organizing the Utah Central Railroad Company, himself becoming its Vice-President, and remaining as such until the time of his death. He also took part in organizing the Utah Southern Railroad, and succeeded President Brigham Young as its President. At a later period he became one of the founders and directors of the Deseret National Bank.

He was elected a member of the Territorial Legislature under Governor Doty's administration, who also gave him his commission as lieutenant-colonel of the Nauvoo Legion of the militia of Utah.

Mr. Jennings being a strong believer in the principle of self-insurance, adopted this method of protecting himself against losses at an early period after his business transactions in Utah warranted such protection, using cattle as a basis. The amount he would have to pay insurance companies as a premium, he invested annually in cattle, until the income from this source netted him $10,000 per annum; this he invested in railroad stock until his insurance amounted to the enormous sum of $100,000, and his herd to nearly 3.000 head. He was an owner in Utah railroads to the amount of about $400,000, and was a bona fide millionaire.

William Jennings' commercial career was marked with as many salient points as that of the Walkers and he has been quite as prominent a figure in history. On the Church side, he occupied

WILLIAM JENNINGS

a corresponding position to that of the Walker Brothers on the Gentile side. In their relations to Utah, among its founders, they are equally from the Mormon people; but, while the latter threw all their weight into a commercial warfare against the church and its co-operative movements, the former directed all his money, potency and enterprise towards its commercial supremacy.

Jennings was in business long before the Walker Brothers, but chiefly in the home-manufac- turing line, in connection with his extensive stock dealing and butchering. As the great home-manu- facturer of Utah, he filled a sphere of usefulness to the community, not only in starting several branches of home industry, upon which the very life and prosperity of the communities depend, and also thus emphasizing the home policy of the Mormon leaders. In this, Jennings has been the exception to all the other merchants, both Mormon and Gentile, particularly when speaking of the earlier times. Until the opening of the mines, he alone was the merchant-apostle of home-indus- tries, and even then, true to his precedents, he became a railroad builder with Brigham Young, and moved with sagacity towards the development of the solider resources and capacities of the Ter- ritory.

Thus William Jennings rose above the mere home-manufacturer to the merchant, the ban- ker and the railroad director. His great hit as a merchant was in 1864, the year in which he built his " Eagle Emporium ; " he bought early in that year a large amount of goods in San Francisco, $500,000 in New York and St. Louis, besides $100,000 of Farr & Co., and several smaller lots of goods in Salt Lake City in the same year. Major Barrows had brought to Salt Lake City a mam- moth train of goods, worth a quarter of a million dollars, at a wholesale bargain, which he desired to sell to one house. Jennings was the only one who could dare the venture at that period, and this he did against the earnest protest of his business managers, who feared so great a risk. He pur- chased the quarter of a million's worth, and "came to time" handsomely. It was the luckiest hit of his life, for, independent of large profits, it raised him at once among the great merchants of America, and enhanced the commercial standing of Utah herself. He said this was his chief object in purchasing that train of goods, rather than the temptation of a bargain. From that time Jennings was the merchant prince of Utah, and he held the sceptre until he resigned it to Brigham Young, as president of " Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution."

Undoubtedly Mr. Jennings' greatest service to the Mormon people, and especially his value to President Young, was in the establishment of that famous institution. This is more apparent from the fact that the President had to force it in the face of a commercial rebellion. The great merchant was of more service to him at that moment than a quorum of Elders.

Mr. Jennings was a lover of home magnificence. To his examples Salt Lake City owes greatly its fine solid appearance of to-day. With his Eagle Emporium he commenced the colossal im- provements on Main Street, in which he was followed by William S. Godbe and the Walker Bro- thers. His home is quite palatial, and, during the last five years, many of our most distinguished visitors, including General Grant, have partaken of his hospitality.

The following is culled from our article on the " Beautiful Homes of our City."

The first mansion reared in Utah that could fairly claim the initial place under the classification of the " beautiful homes of our city " was, undoubtedly, that of William C. Staines, Esq., which has since been transformed into the princely residence of the Hon. William Jennings. The grounds originally consisted of two very fine garden lots, of an acre and a quarter each, so that the ample grounds with their delightful cottage, made quite a mark in the growth of the city. Mr. Staines was an English gentleman of considerable natural refinement, and love of culture. Home, to his chaste and artistic mind, was a thing of beauty ; and horticulture being his profession his gardens were soon distinguished as the ornament of the locality near Temple block. The first flowers for the mar- ket were grown in his garden ; and his orchard was a rare one and under high culture. Deviating somewhat from the strict plan of the city, which was that every house should be erected in the centre of the lot, but only twenty feet fro n the front, Mr. Staines built his neat mansion near the centre of the grounds, on the spot where now stands the Devereux house, and set out in front the finest part of his orchard, consisting of the choicest fruit trees of every kind.

About the year 1865, Mr. Staines sold his home to the late Joseph A. Young, eldest son of President Young, for $20,000 ; Mr. Young also purchased the corner lot of the block, thus enlarging the grounds to three lots. In 1867, Mr. Jennings purchased the home and gardens of Joseph A. for $30,000. He afterwards bought out the Cooper property for $3,000; the Tripp property for $3,000 ; another part of the block of Brigham Young for $3,000 ; and Omar Duncan's lot for $6,000. The grounds now aggregated over five full city lots, being more than half the block and the entire frontage of the block on South Temple Street. After the purchase of the property by Mr. Jennings.

HISTORY OF SALT LAKE CITY.

u changed from its distinctive character of gardens to ornamental grounds of a palatial residence ; while by the addition of the adjacent lots it lost nothing of its former garden importance. The area in front of the mansion was cleared of the fruit trees and transformed into ornamental grounds with iron gates at the entrance and broad carriage ways sweeping up to the mansion, giving to the place quite an aristocratic appearance. The magnificent piece of property now consists of the man- sion, ornamental grounds, the finest kitchen garden in the Territory, besides grapery, hothouses, thoroughly appointed stable, and carriage house as seen in the picture of Devereux House.

Here, after this property came into the possession of Mr. Jennings, a meeting was brought about by the tact of the merchant citizen between President Young and a personage of far greater national importance than Governor Cumming. That personage was Secretary Seward. The visit of this famous statesman to our city, after surviving the tragedy which put our nation in mourning will doubtless be remembered by many of our citizens, as also the very favorable impression which was made upon the Secretary's mind by the opportune visit. Not unlikely, that visit for a period counteracted some of the pernicious effects of the Colfax visit at an carlier date ; and something of the pleasurable tone of Seward's experience in the "City of the Saints " was due to the sagacious management of Mr. Jennings.

The Secretary dined at the house of the munificent merchant. Brigham, at the time, was away from home on a visit to the settlements ; but Seward expressing a desire to meet the founder of Utah, Mr. Jennings invited the statesman to dinner again on Saturday, this being Thursday, promising the presence of Brigham Young. Seward was pleased with the arrangement, and the appointment was made for a private dinner and a cosy interview between the two great men. Mr. Jennings thereupon telegraphed to President Young and was answered by him that he accepted the appointment to dine with Mr. Seward at Jennings' house. The Saturday came ; the famous personages met and dined and drank wine together. Mr. Jennings, on all notable occasions, cultivated the style of the Eng- lish table, especially that prolonged intercourse of guests, so pleasing both to the genial nature of the gentleman of society and to the luscious self-love of the epicure; so that the founder of Utah and the illustrious American statesman could have met nowhere to better advantage for rehearsal of national reminiscences and the exchange of personal courtesies than at the epicurean table of William Jennings. Brigham Young. too, had infinite tact in conversation. He was not the man to play the august priest and oracle to a Seward. He was simply an historical American, meeting one not more historical than himself; and Seward was quite conscious that Brigham Young was his equal. National affairs rather than the " Mormon problem " formed the topic of conversation. Brigham sustained the conversation of several hours with his marvellous natural sagacity, ever and anon put- ting in his wise appreciative views of national policy, which at length he climaxed with a fine com- pliment to Seward. Drawing back from the table, he enquired, admiringly :

" Mr. Seward, how is it possible that you can carry the multitudinous affairs of this vast republic so perfectly and connectedly in your head ? "

" Mr. Young," replied the statesman, " my life training has made me as much at home in the complex affairs of the nation as you are as the religious leader of a people !"

Secretary Seward afterwards visited President Young at his office; but the interview at the house of Mr. Jennings was the marked historical meeting between these two famous personages.

A few years afterwards, General Phil. Sheridan and staff come to Utah to plant another mili- tary post in our Territory. At the time, it was apprehended by the Government that the Mormons would resist the rigorous measures which were then contemplated. President Grant, prompted by Vice-President Colfax, had resolved to end forever the dominance of the Mormon authorities over this Territory.

Probably President Grant, himself, at the time, desired to place our Territory under a semi- military rule ; it is certain that Governor Shaffer directed all his movements to that end. But Phil. Sheridan was not insensible to the social influence of the Mormon people. Like General Sherman afterwards, he stole away from the anti-Mormon circle, which fain had captured him, to enjoy an hour's social intercourse in the elegant home of Mr. Jennings. Here, though our merchant citizen had been a polygamist, the General met nothing suggestive of the necessity of harsh measures to be applied to Mormon society Here was a home of refinement and wealth, with an estimable lady presiding over it who had united two branches of her husband's family together as her own. General Sheridan was susceptible to this home influence. Mormon society, after all, was not bar- baric. The people had made the wilderness blossom as the rose; but this was not the whole, nor the most promising to the eye of an intelligent visitor. Here, in a Jennings and a Hooper, the one a native American, the other English, Sheridan saw growing up, representative of the Mormons,

WILLIAM JENNINGS.

wealthy society men who belonged naturally to the commercial progressive class rather than to the hierarchal orders ; and it is a social axiom, held by practical men of the world as well as by States- men, that the class who represent wealth and social independence are the best hostages of civiliza- tion. President Grant had positively instructed Sheridan to take counsel with Mr. Godbe and his friends, so the General himself stated, and now, when reconnoitering on our social basework, he saw other strong independent men, who, while remaining inside the pale of the Church, were, in their social potency, outside of all priestly dominance. With such a view, General Sheridan hon- ored William Jennings, and it is a similar appreciation which has led so many illustrious personages in latter years to visit the homes of Hooper and Jennings, even when they have not so condescend- ed to the President of the Church ; nor is it too much to say that those visits have brought Mormon society into better repute both in America and Europe.

On the visit of President Grant to our city, Devereux House was again honored. The Presi- dential party remained in Salt Lake City but a day and a half. The president and his wife gave audience at the Walker House to ladies and gentlemen of the city, but excepting a call upon a rela- tive, the only home he visited in this city was that of William Jennings.

On their way to the train, the President and his party drove up to Devereux House and alighted Here they tarried for nearly an hour. The President drank wine with the wealthy Mormon mer- chant and encouraged a cordial social spirit which he could not have done in the home of a Mormon apostle-at least he would not have done so, which was significantly exemplified in the meeting be- tween him and President Young.

Mr. Jenningsand his daughters, Jane and Priscilla, when in Washington, returned the visit and were received with particular consideration by the President and his wife. When they were leaving, Mrs. Grant sent a bouquet down to the coach to the young ladies. Their father got the bouquet pre- served at Philadelphia, and it is still treasured in Devereux House as a souvenir of the exchange of visits between President Grant and wife and the Jennings family.

Mr. William S. Godbe was at an earlier date received in like manner by President Grant. Such examples afford proof of the fact that though anti-Mormon delegations sent to Washington may be encouragingly patted on the back by members of Congress, yet after all these representative society- men, who have come up from the Mormon people, are esteemed as the best guarantee that Utah and the United States will by and by come into family harmony.

A similar view may be taken of a more recent visit of General Sherman in the Hayes party. It will be remembered that two committees offered to do the honors to President Hayes on his visit to our city. The one was that of the City Council; the other that headed by Governor Murray. The latter was accepted ; but President Taylor, with a select party, also went to Ogden by special train to receive President Hayes. On their way to the city General Sherman enquired for his " friend Jennings," whom he presently met with much warmth of manner, and soon the two were in cosy conversation. During the journey, some disparaging remarks were made about the Mormons by the Governor's party, which General Sherman rebuked.

"You must not attempt to tell me anything against this people," he said, " I know all about them."

And then the General expatiated upon what the Mormons had done in the West, and of their great service to the nation. Their religion aside, this is the proper view of the people ; and no man could speak with better point on the question than General Sherman, one of the founders of Cali- fornia.

The Presidential party were scarcely two hours in the city when General Sherman with ladies s'ole away to visit the home of his " friend Jennings." Mrs. Hayes afterwards expressed her regrets to Mrs. Jennings that she was not one of the party ; for the ladies had spoken to her enthusiastically of their visit io Devereux House

Many distinguished persons from abroad have also honored Devereux House with their pres- ence. The Japanese Embassy came down and drink wine with the merchant prince. The wife of Sir John Franklin was several times entertained by Mrs Jennings. Lady Franklin expressed great delight in finding a home in Utah so like the elegant homes of her native England. She was charmed with the English style of the family and especially interested in Mrs. Jennings and her daughters. During her stay, the merchant citizen took Lady Franklin to the Lake and other places of local note.

Among the many distinguished visitors may be named Lord Dufferin, Governor of Canada and his Countess; but enough has been said of the historical memories of Devereux House, illustrating the rare social influence which these beautiful homes of our city exercise over the minds of visitors

HISTORY OF SALT LAKE CITY.

who are equally conscious as our own people that not long since this spot where now is found the laon of the Mormons was marked on the map as a part of the American Desert !

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History of Salt Lake City, Part 131

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194