N. Hayes, Wm. H. Thain, Members of State Board of Land Commissioners; John Hafen, A. B. Wright, Virginia S. Stephen, Edwin Evans. G. Wesley Browning, M. M. Young, Members of Governing Board of the Utah Art Institute; L. N. Stohl, Member of Board of Trustees, Agricultural College; F. S. Bascom, Member of State Board of Health; C. A. Hickenlooper, J. Edward Taylor, J. D. Wadley, Thomas Judd, Members of the State Board of Horticulture; Leslie S. Hodgson, Member of Board of Utah Art Institute (appointment due to refusal of Senate to confirm appointment of S. T. Whitaker); D. C. Budge, A. S. Condon, Charles L. Olsen, A. C. Ewing, Elias S. Wright F. E. Straup, R. W. Fisher, A. P. Hibbs, Ralph T. Richards, Members of State Board of Medical Examiners (Dr. Wright afterward resigned, and Dr. Fred W. Taylor of Provo was appointed); C. E. Loose, Member of Board of Agricultural College (Mr. Loose afterward declined to serve.) APPOINTMENTS SINCE THE ADJOURnment of the legislature.

John Walsh, County Commissioner, Davis (on account of resignation of J. H. Larkins); E. A. Wedgwood, Adjutant General (on account of resignation of R. C. Naylor); H. M. H. Lund, Assistant Adjutant General; Wm. J. Lynch, W. D. Candland, Members of Land Board (on account of refusal of Senate to confirm their appointments); H. S. Joseph, Trustee Industrial School (on account of refusal of Senate to confirm appointment); W. S. McCornick, Wesley K. Walton, Arthur L. Thomas, Fisher Harris, Commissioners for Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition; John E. Austin, L. R. Anderson, J. S. Ostler, Members of State Board of Sheep Commissioners (change of law by recent Legislature); J. W. N. Whitecotton, A. S. Condon, Trustees Agricultural College (declination of C. E. Loose and resignation of W. W. Riter).

New San Francisco and New Calamities.-On the 18th of April, San Francisco celebrated the first anniversary of the great earthquake and fire in that city. The day was generally observed as a holiday, and the progress in rebuilding the great city was widely observed and commented upon. Its recuperative power is wonderful when the difficulties of strikes, labor unions, grafting officials, and other obstacles thrown in its way, are considered. A new building has been completed, it is said, in about every hour for the past few months, and we may soon behold a new and more beautiful city, rising Phoenix-like from the ruins and ashes of the old San Francisco.

As if to remind the world of the fearful catastrophe, there were earthquakes in divers places, about the time of the anniversary. In parts of Mexico, many plantations, and several small interior cities were laid waste, and many lives destroyed. On the 19th fire consumed Iloilo, the second largest city in the Philippines, and 20,000 people were rendered homeless. Earthquakes added horror to the situation. In the last days of March a typhoon swept over the Caroline group in the Pacific where many lives were lost, and many of the 57,000 population were made to suffer or lost their all. Add to this, the terrible and numerous railway accidents in our own country; the fearful famine in China, where thousands die daily; and the like calamity in some of the Russian provinces where millions are threatened, or are actually suffering, with starvation, and it would seem that the year 1907 is keeping well up with last year in great calamities.

DR. WILLARD RICHARDS

Born June 24, 1804; Died March 11, 1854.

(From a portrait loaned by Willard Richards, Salt Lake City.)

IMPROVEMENT ERA.

VOL. X.

JUNE, 1907.

No. 8

WILLARD RICHARDS-THE MARTYRDOM OF JOSEPH AND HYRUM SMITH.

BY HON. PRESTON D. RICHARDS, A GRANDSON.

Willard Richards had an inherent love for freedom and religious liberty, his ancestors belonged to the Plymouth Colony, and his father is now immortalized with the patriots of "76" who gained the world's greatest victory for political freedom. Broadened by such a lineage, he was a fit and powerful instrument in the hands of the Lord to assist in establishing his work in the land and his people in these magnificent mountains.

He was born in Hopkinton, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, one hundred three years ago on the 24th of this June, being the youngest of eleven children. He attended the common schools until he was fifteen, and then entered the Richmond high school; in fact, he lived the characteristic life of boyhood, there being nothing recorded of him to indicate that he was not a boy and not human. His parents were Presbyterians, so he was sprinkled, catechised, and educated according to the prescribed forms of that sect. witnessed several sectarian "revivals" at Richmond, where the family had removed when he was ten years old, and offered himself to the Congregational church when he was seventeen years old, but the total disregard of that church to his request for admission led him to a more thorough investigation of the principles

From that time,

of religion, which convinced him that the sects were all wrong, and that the Lord had no church on the earth. he kept himself aloof from sectarian influences.

In 1820, he commenced teaching school, and taught four years in New York and Massachusetts, and during his spare time he constantly devoted himself to the acquisition of knowledge.

In 1827, he commenced lecturing on electricity and other scientific subjects, which he continued to do at intervals, for several years, throughout the New England states. There are numerous testimonials preserved in favor of his lectures from men of high standing in the literary and scientific world. Seven years later, he studied medicine, and while practicing at Southborough, near Boston, he observed on the table a Book of Mormon,* which Brigham Young had left with his cousin. He opened the book without regard to place, and totally ignorant of its contents, and before reading half a page declared, "God or the devil has had a hand in that book, for man never wrote it." In ten days he read the book through twice, and so strongly was he impressed with its truth that he began making preparations to go to Kirtland, Ohio, seven hundred fifty miles west, that he might give the work a thorough investigation. He arrived in Kirtland in October, 1836, where he was most cordially received by his cousin, Brigham Young, with whom he tarried and gave the work an unceasing and untiring investigation, until December of the same year, when he was baptized by Brigham Young, the ice being cut from the river in order to perform the ordinance.

He was ordained an Elder March 6, 1837, and a few days later set apart to accompany Brigham Young on a special business mission to the Eastern States, from which he returned June 11 of the same year. On the day following, he was set apart to accompany Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde and others on a mission to England. These were the first missionaries to Europe.

The gospel door was successfully opened to Europe, at Preston, after which Elder Richards was sent to Bedford and surrounding country to inaugurate the work in that part, which he

*This copy of the Book of Mormon is now in possession of President Joseph F. Smith.