William Dewson "Beaver" Lort
by Jon Ackroyd

tony@lort.ca

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This veteran votary of "the art preservative," known in earlier years from the Atlantic to the Pacific, wherever he traveled, as the Mormon newspaper man," has been a resident of Utah since the year 1851. During most of this period of residence he has been connected with the "Deseret News." Excepting the times of his absence upon foreign missions, his labors of nearly five years in the Temple, and a few weeks spent with the "Salt Lake Herald" he has been continuously with the "News" since 1852, making him that paper's oldest employee. During this half century of service he has seen the small printing plant brought to Utah by the pioneers grow, and has aided in its growth, until it has become one of the best equipped newspaper plants and publishing establishments in the West.

Mr. Bull is a native of Leicester, Leicestershire, England, where he was born January 25, 1832, the son of Daniel Bull and his wife Elizabeth Burdette. As an infant he was left motherless, and at the age of fourteen, having received a common school education, he was apprenticed to a printer, but did not serve out his apprenticeship, owing to the failure of the firm with which he was connected. To perfect himself in the art he moved to Birmingham, where, as he had first class credentials, he soon obtained employment in a leading book and job printing establishment. He retained that situation until December, 1850, when he graduated as a journeyman.

By that time he had become a convert to Mormonism, which he first heard preached in 1846. He was baptized in February, 1848; the only member of his father's family to embrace the faith. As assistant steward in a company of Latter-day Saints, presided over by James W. Cummings, Crandall Dunn and William Moss, he sailed from Liverpool on the ship "Ellen," January 6, 1851, and by way of New Orleans and St. Louis, reached Council Bluffs, where he worked for a short time in the office of the "Frontier Guardian," a paper established by Orson Hyde, in charge of Church affairs on the Missouri. On the 10th of May he set out for Utah, having an opportunity to cross the plains as a driver of stock for Mr. David Wilkin. He was given his board, but had to haul seventy-five pounds of baggage. Wilkin's outfit, consisting of ten wagons and about two hundred head of loose stock, was organized in Luman A. Shurtliff's company of fifty. Finding it dangerous to cross the Elkhorn, swollen by unusually heavy rains to a river about four miles wide, they took a new route toward the headwaters of that stream. After traveling over a hundred miles, they were overtaken by messengers from President Hyde, ordering them back to the Missouri river, to travel in larger companies, in consequence of threatened Indian hostilities. They accordingly returned, and took the old pioneer route near Fort Kearney. There Mr. Wilkin decided to leave the main company and travel separately. Owing to this decision, Mr. Bull, driving the loose stock the entire journey on foot, arrived at Salt Lake City on the 15th of September.

His first employment in "The Valley" was as an assistant to masons and plasterers. He also worked in the canyons, getting out wood. Early in January, 1852, he was engaged by President Willard Richards, the editor of the Deseret News, on the printer's staff of that establishment. In February of the same year he printed in colored inks and gold bronze the first ball invitation card for the first typographical festival held in Utah. He made the inks himself from dry colors he had brought with him.

Two years and more had passed when our printer friend determined to enter the state of wedlock. He chose for his companion Miss Emma Green, formerly of Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, who had left Liverpool February 5, 1853, on the ship "Jersey" and had come by way of New Orleans to Salt Lake City, arriving here on the 10th of October. She walked nearly the entire distance of thirteen hundred miles from Keokuk, Iowa. She was the daughter of James Green and Eliza Cheshire, and the only member of her family who joined the Latter-day Church. The date of her marriage to Mr. Bull was October 28, 1854. She was the pioneer professional dressmaker of Utah, and a member of the early dramatic association, making her first appearance in the character of "Hermon" in the play of Damon and Pythias.

In April, 1855, Joseph Bull was called on a mission to California, his companions being George Q. Cannon and Matthew F. Wilkie. The special object of the mission was the printing of the Book of Mormon in the Hawaiian language, and afterwards the publication of the "Western Standard." In company with Charles C. Rich, they left Salt Lake City on the 10th of May, proceeding with mule teams to San Bernardino, and from San Pedro by steamer to San Francisco, arriving there in the latter part of June. The type-setting and printing of two thousand copies of the Book of Mormon kept Elders Cannon, Bull and Wilkie busy until January, 1856, and on February 23rd of that year they issued the first number of the "Standard." From April, 1856, to July, 1857, Elder Bull was president of the San Francisco conference, and had made arrangements to fulfill a mission to the Sandwich Islands to publish a newspaper in the native language, when a call from President Young for the Elders to return to Utah, on account of the "Buchanan war," broke up the Western Mission. He returned in company with Orson Pratt, Ezra T. Benson, John Scott, John M. Kay, George Q. Cannon and others, arriving at Salt Lake City in January, 1858. He found his wife in good health, and saw for the first time his eldest-born son, Joseph, then two and a-half years old.

Having resumed his labors in the "News" office, Mr. Bull was appointed by President Young to execute for the Deseret Currency Association the first copper plate printing done in Utah; David McKenzie being the engraver of the plates. He was engaged in this work at the time of the general move, and in the summer went to Provo, taking the press and material. Returning, he resumed work on the "News" in the fall. The war status having prevented the establishment from obtaining its usual printing materials from the East, Mr. Bull was dispatched to San Francisco, to purchase a supply. He made the round trip between February 21, and May 27, 1859, an unprecedentedly rapid journey for those times. On the home trip from San Pedro he assisted in driving one of the eight-mule teams that carried the freight, and from Santa Clara traveled day and night by stage, with a supply of paper, thereby preventing the "News" from suspending publication.

He now became a member of the Mechanics Dramatic Association, of which the veteran actor Phil Margetts was president. During his connection with that organization he sustained such roles as "Old Mike" in Luke the Laborer, "Duke Aranza" in the Honeymoon, and "Iago" in Othello, His wife was also a member of this association.

Mr. Bull had been a special agent for the "News"-traveling on horse-back through the Territory-until April, 1860, and in August of that year had been appointed foreman of the printing department, when he was called by President Young to accompany George Q. Cannon, then an Apostle, to Europe on a mission. September 27th witnessed their start with mule-teams across the plains, and December 12th their landing at Liverpool. Elder Bull presided over the Bedfordshire conference until 1863, when he was appointed to preside over the Leeds District, comprising the Sheffield, Leeds and Hull conferences. He also labored in the "Millennial Star" office, and under President Cannon's direction superintended the publication of several of the standard Church works. As one of the presidency of a company of over eight hundred emigrants-his associates in charge being Thomas E. Jeremy and George G. Bywater-he left Liverpool May 21, 1864, and arrived home in September, having crossed the plains in Captain Joseph S. Rawlins's train, of which he was chaplain.

From October, 1865, to February, 1866, he was absent on another trip to San Francisco, where he purchased a year's supply of printing materials for the "Deseret News" and a year's supply of paper for George Q. Cannon, upon which to print the first volume of the "Juvenile Instructor." He remained with the "News" until the fall of that year, when he was released by President Young to take charge of the publication and business of the "Instructor" for Apostle Cannon. That paper on the next New Year's day appeared in its new dress, enlarged to eight pages. In December, 1866, Mr. Bull, with Edward L. Sloan started "The Curtain" for the Salt Lake Theatre, the first theatrical program printed in Utah.

His next special business trip was to the Eastern States, to purchase materials and solicit advertisements and subscriptions for the "Deseret News," of which George Q. Cannon was now editor, Mr. Bull had been released from the "Instructor," and appointed foreman of the "News." Starting in February, 1868, and bearing an autograph letter of introduction from President Brigham Young, he visited many of the manufacturing and commercial cities where Salt Lake merchants had been purchasing supplies, and set before the business houses the advantages of advertising in the "News," especially as a new era in mercantile matters was about to open, upon the completion of the Union Pacific railroad, then built as far west as Cheyenne. In Chicago, where only three firms had been doing business with Utah, he remained for some time, securing advertisements for the daily, semi-weekly and weekly issues of the "News." New York and other cities were visited with like success. He also purchased presses, type, book-binding materials and supplies for the home paper mill. He returned after an absence of about seven months. So well pleased was Editor Cannon with his success that he sent him the same year on similar business, with like results. Until the fall of 1877, with the exception of three trips made by others, Mr. Bull continued every year to go East, and occasionally to California, for the "News," resuming charge of the printing department as often as he returned.

Another mission to Great Britain now came, his wife accompanying him on a visit to her relations. They arrived in Liverpool November 15, 1877. She came home after a very pleasant year spent with her kindred, but her husband remained abroad until the fall of 1879, when he again had charge, with Elders William Bramall and Andrew Watson, of a company of emigrants bound for Utah. During his mission Elder Bull labored in the Liverpool and Birmingham conferences, but in October, 1878, was appointed by President William Budge to work exclusively in the printing department of the Liverpool office. December brought Apostle Orson Pratt from Utah, he having been appointed, with Elder Bull as his assistant, to procure the electrotyping of the Book of Mormon with foot-notes. Proceeding to London, they completed the book in about three months, and then obtained electro-plates of the Doctrine and Covenants, with references; Mr. Bull in this work superintending his department. During this period, while he superintended the general printing of the British Mission, besides editions of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, there were issued from the press editions of Spencer's Letters, Pearl of Great Price, Orson Pratt's Key to the Universe and about a quarter of a million tracts.

In November, 1879, he resumed his labors in the newspaper and job departments of the "Deseret News." In February following he went on his usual Eastern and Western business trips. In 1887 he was appointed superintendent of the newspaper, book, job and press departments. Returning he continued to act as purchasing agent and advertising solicitor for the "News," and by his straightforward course gained the confidence and respect of those with whom he had business relations. Being a practical printer and press-man, he was enabled to buy to advantage, and his purchases gave satisfaction. In 1890 he bought and shipped to Salt Lake City a first class Bullock perfecting press, with latest improvements and a complete stereotyping outfit, the first brought to Utah. He also assisted in starting the "News" type foundry. During his association with the paper he had several opportunities to engage in other printing enterprises, but preferred to remain with the pioneer establishment.

His connection therewith ceased-permanently he supposed-temporarily as it proved-on the last day of September, 1892, when the management underwent an entire change. In January following he made a successful business trip to the Eastern States for the "Salt Lake Herald," replenishing its columns with first class advertisements. He then went back to the "News" for a short time.

Soon after the opening of the Salt Lake Temple-May 23, 1893-he became one of its attaches; his wife also being one of the regular workers there. Mrs. Bull died of pneumonia on the 24th of October, 1895, and on January 8, 1897, the widowed husband married again, choosing for his wife Miss Zina V. Hyde, a daughter of Apostle Orson Hyde and his wife Marianda. This lady had been a Temple worker for several years and it was within the sacred building that she and her husband were wedded, the ceremony being performed by President Lorenzo Snow. After his retirement from the Temple, Mr. Bull was again connected with the book and job department of the "Deseret News," and at this writing he is employed in the newspaper department of that journal.