--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Done, Willard collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 10 number: 1 published: 1906-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Willard Done, "Governor John C. Cutler," *Improvement Era* 10, no. 1 (November 1906): 50–53.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera101unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera101unse start_page: 50 end_page: 53 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera101unse publication_year: 1906 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Governor John C. Cutler governor. —Editors.] John C. Cutler, second governor of the State of Utah, was born in Sheffield, England, February 5, 1846. His early boyhood was spent in that city, where he received the rudiments of a common school education. At twelve years of age he obtained a situation in the city of Manchester. During his absence from home he continued his efforts at self-improvement, spending his spare time at the Mechanics' Institute and the Athenseum. It is inter- esting to note that these organizations were similar in aim to our Mutual Improvement Associations, having as their purpose the betterment of their members physically, morally, and intellectually. On account of the benefit he received from his association with these influences, Governor Cutler has always been a strong supporter of the auxiliary organizations of the Church. Having become converts to the gospel, the family emigrated to America in the year 1864. After landing in New York, they went by boat to Albany, thence by rail to St. Joseph, by boat up the Missouri river to a place called Wyoming, near Nebraska City, and by ox team from that place to Salt Lake City, arriving in the fall of the year nameil. During the first year of their residence in Utah, the boys of the family were engaged in the labor common to the time, including canyon work, farm work, etc. In his early manhood the subject of this sketch decided upon a commercial career. While in England he had received a thorough training in business methods, at the wholesale house of S. and J. Watts & Co., and he turned his knowledge and experience GOVERNOR JOHN C. CUTLER. to excellent account in the various positions he afterwards held. In 1877, he became general agent, and later manager, of the Provo Woolen Mills. Out of the business done in this capacity, grew the present firm of Cutler Brothers Company, formed in 1885, John C. Cutler's two brothers, Thomas R. and Heber S., joining forces with him. As indicated by his connection with the woolen mills, John C. Cutler has always taken a lively interest in home manufacture. He was one of the first to make knit goods in Utah, a line of manufacture which his firm still follows with marked success. When the manufacture of beet sugar was successfully instituted in Utah, he became interested in it; and is a large stockholder in the various companies of Utah and Idaho, and a director in most of them. For years Governor Cutler was a director in the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, which conducts the great State Fair each year with the aim of encouraging home manufacture by bringing Utah products prominently before, the people. In these various capacities he is a large employer of labor; and if anything can be said to be his hobby, it is giving employment to home people and keeping money at home. In addition to the business connections enumerated above, John C. Cutler is a director of various banks throughout the inter-mountain region, and is connected in a similar capacity with other commercial enterprises. Governor Cutler has been consistently active in Church work. In the years 1890-92, he filled a mission to his native country. For a number of years he was a member of the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union. From 1892 to 1904, he acted as treasurer and chairman of the finance committee of the Latterday Saints' University. He served as High Councilor in the old Salt Lake Stake, and later in the Pioneer Stake. In the year 1870, John C. Cutler married Miss Sarah Elizabeth Taylor, and from this union seven children, four sons and three daughters, have been bom. Of the sons, John C, Junior, is a prominent stock broker, Herbert E. is manager of Cutler Brothers Company, and Alfred T. is bookkeeper for that firm. Of the daughters, Elizabeth is the wife of Edward E. Jenkins, and Mabel is following a course of study in the New England Conservatory of Music. 52 . IMPROVEMENT ERA. In politics Governor Cutler has been an earnest Republican since national party lines were formed in Utah. He has not been a seeker after political office, on account of the close, urgent attention required by his private business. Yet he has found some time to give to public affairs. From 1884 till 1890' he was clerk of Salt Lake County and ex-officio clerk of the Probate court. For a number of years he acted as United States Jury Commissioner. In 1904 his friends prevailed on him to become a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor. Mindful of the high honor involved in being Chief Executive of an important state, he accepted tha nomination, and was elected in November, 1904. He entered upon the duties of his office January 2, 1905. Governor Cutler has given his close personal attention to the duties of his office. He considers it his duty to give the same painstaking attention to the affairs of state that he gives to his private matters. It seems inevitable that this conscientious work will make his administration highly successful. Mention may profitably be made of some of Governor Cutler's personal traits, as they are the basis of the success he has achieved in private and public Tfe. He is essentially self-poised, and always keeps himself under complete control. No matter what the provocation, he avoids giving way to anger. He is strictly temperate in his personal habits, and urges others by precept and example to avoid intemperance. In his personal dealings with his fellow-men he is scrupulously exact and honest. He acts along the line of strict integrity, in the management of his private affairs and the affairs of state. He possesses the utmost confidence of his associates, and that is one great reason for the honors his fellow- citizens have conferred upon him. His attitude on matters of religious and political belief and practice is broad and tolerant. While devoted to his own beliefs, he willingly concedes to all other men the enjoyment of their political and religious privileges, so long as their literty does not degenerate into license. All in all, Governor Cutler's labors have met with a gratifying degree of success, and his position in the community is most enviable. Salt Lake City, Utah. HOW TO OBTAIN FAITH BY ELDER F. B. HAMMOND, JR. No doubt there are many people who, sometime in their lives, were without faith. They have a faith today that an earthquake couldn't shake. The transition from doubt to faith has not come in one big bound, but faith has been given them, here a little and there a little, in the ratio as their thoughts and actions increased in righteousness. There may be many in Zion, even now-whos^ faith is weak. It would be strange were it not so. The gospel of our Lord is inseparably connected with his servants. It seems to be the privilege of all, and suivly it is the delight of soim% to hold up the lives of these servants as very faulty, and, in some instances, for ridicule. We read it in our dailies; hear it un the corners; often it is discussed in the family circle and, if. we will read between the lines of most of the political gatherings, we can hear it from some who share to some extent the responsibility of those whom they malign. This error, with the strenuous American greed for gold, is causing many of our youth to grow up with less faith in the gospel than their forefathers. Many of them have serious thoughts at times, and often ask,