Joseph C. Rich: In Memoriam

JOSEPH C. RICH— IN MEMORIAM. BY S. A. KENNER.

In speaking of one who has "shuffled off the mortal coil" and joined the "innumerable caravan" in the great beyond, it is cus- tomary to begin with a statement of the time, place and cause of the death, following this with the principal circumstances leading up to and attending dissolution, then following with a statement of the birth, life and characteristics of the departed. If this were a more perfunctory article than it is, if it were written for a news- paper, or for hire, or for any other reason than a desire to say something of a departed friend in a manner that would (perhaps will) be most acceptable to him, the more orthodox if not more acceptable style might be followed here. Joseph C. Rich was a young man and I was getting along that way when first we met, this being in Salt Lake City. Natur- ally the occurrence was a good many years ago, before his char- acteristics had fully developed or mine were suspected, but despite the difference in years and otherwise, we soon became well ac quainted. Some portions of our respective families had known each other back in the "States," even before the expulsion from Nauvoo. It is a belief founded on unimpeachable hearsay that his father first brought the gospel to the household which subsequently con- tained among other questionable effects the writer of these lines who, after coming to Utah in the early sixties, also became ac-

quainted with the said father. He was one of the pillars of his Church against whom I never heard a man, woman or child say an unkind or unpleasant word. He was not a notoriety seeker, found his (apparently) most pronounced enjoyment in the society of

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family and friends and the doing of those things which church and domestic responsibilities required at his hands. He was always doing, find him where you would, and never seemed to be weary, or out of patience, or in want of relaxation, or disposed to com- plain about anybody or anything. He always had so much to do that was useful, beneficial, worthy of emulation, that he had little if any time to waste upon such groveling pursuits as making money. It is questionable if he knew how much of that article he had in

his possession or at his disposal, or cared about it in the least. His religious duties, public and private, were bis first considera- tion; other things had to follow. Without assuming to be a judge in such matters, I should say he was about as correct a Christian as was ever read of outside of the New Testament. So much for the father, Apostle Charles C. Rich. What of the mother of the subject of this sketch? Would that justice could be done her by such in- elastic, unemotional and inadequate means as cold type! Sharing in the hardships and turmoils poured out so me rcilessly and un- stintedly upon her chosen people, emigrating to Utah at a time and under circumstances which made it a long, continuous night- mare, settling at last in a refuge where peace was so seasoned with poverty, and tranquility so spiced with toil, that it must have been questionable at times whether the goods were worth the price or not, this saintly and sainted woman never permitted any thought of faltering in the line of duty, or turning aside from the straight and narrow path which leads to the glorified life, to enter her mind. She died as full of honors as her husband had; volume s could not make the story any fairer. Such was the parentage of Joseph C. Rich, and it was clearly a physical impossibility that he could be a bad man; that he could,

in fact, be heart other than gentle, honest and loyal. at No matter that he did not at all times impress others with his inner

characteristics; that to them, and more particularly to those who did not know him well, he seemed to be more of a humorist than enjoyed too one given to serious thoughts; that he apparently Fair give earnest attention much the entertainments of Vanity to

to the sacred estate which crowns the hill of tribulation. And surely he did enjoy the enjoyable things of life. He had a fund person out of a spell of jocularities to draw on, and could pull a

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of chronic "blue devils" better than a minstrel show could. But beneath it all his heart ever beat true to the cause in which he was born and to whose upholding he was pledged. He never was known to place relatives or friends at a disadvantage because of eccentricities or otherwise, and when in his judgment it became his duty to say or do anything helpful to or defensive of his faith — and those who bore it with him such times being by no means infrequent — the word or the deed was never wanting. There was enough that was earnest and serious in his nature to enable him to occupy creditably that triple station in life which may not be gained by accident or fortuitous circumstances — a maker, an ex- pounder, and an interpreter of laws. Incidentally he spoke to the people through the medium of the press and from the political forum, in both gaining marked attention and carrying conviction to his readers and hearers of his personal sincerity and honesty, as well as his belief in the worthiness of his cause, whether they followed in the way he led or not. On the trail, at the campfire, in the hills or on the plains, wherever found he was the life and spirit of any gathering of which he was a part, and those who ever met him in any such capacity have not forgotten him and will not until they forget all else. Above and beyond it all were the facts that he was God-fearing, neighbor-loving, fearlessly just and genuinely charitable, and there was not a scintilla of hypocrisy in his entire fibre. Mourned not only by two worthy families— his father's and his own — his untimely taking off in his very prime, lamented by a host of friends, leaving behind him not one enemy, may we not indulge the hope that, like his people who blazed the trail to Zion for the rest of us to follow, he has but gone before and awaits us with that warm, welcoming hand that never was extended without the heart going with it. Salt Lake City, Utah.