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Daniels, James Ephraim, a High Councilor in the Utah Stake, is the son of James Daniels and Elizabeth Salthouse and was born Feb. 9, 1825, in Manchester, Lancashire, England. He was baptized in November, 1841, by Chas. D. Miller. He emigrated to the United States in the fall of 1842 with his mother's family, in the ship "Medford," and landed at New Orleans. In passing up the river they were icebound at St. Louis, Mo., during the winter. In the spring of 1843, he went to Quincy, Ill., where he had a sister living. From here in 1845 he moved to Nauvoo, where he worked at cabinet making. After the exodus from Nauvoo he moved back to Quincy, Ill., and fitted out for the trip to. Great Salt Lake valley. Crossing the plains in 1850, in Captain Milo Andrus' company, he arrived in Salt Lake City the last of August, of that year. He had married the year previously, and stayed in Salt Lake City until December, when he moved to Utah county and assisted in founding the town of Payson, his being the fourth family that settled at that place. He next moved to Provo in the fall of 1854, where he has resided until the present time. He worked at the carpenter business until 1870, when, on the resignation of Elijah F. Sheets, he was appointed assessor and collector for Utah county. In 1874 he was elected county recorder, and also county treasurer, which offices he filled until 1882. He was elected to those offices years later. He also served two terms in the Provo city council as alderman, and figured to some extent in the military affairs of the county. He was with General Pace in the Blackhawk war in Sanpete, acting as adjutant on his staff. He served in the famous Echo canyon expedition, and was afterward elected lieutenant-colonel of the first regiment of Utah county militia, under L. John Nuttall, colonel. He was commissioned by Governor Durkee, and held that rank when the Utah militia was disbanded. Elder Daniels has always taken great interest in musical matters. He was for thirty-five years chorister of the Church choir in Provo, which gained quite a reputation under his leadership. During the time he conducted the choir he was under the necessity of providing some simple means by which the organ accompaniment could be had, as organists were very, very scarce in those days. He therefore invented a transposing keyboard, an instrument which by being properly adjusted could be made to play in any key desired. This invention was afterward sent away together with the organ upon which it was used, and a number of years afterward was patented by a man in Montana, and Bro. Daniels was deprived of the honor of its invention. Elder Daniels has always been an active Church member. In 1887 he was called on a mission to Great Britain, and he has acted as a High Councilor since 1889. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4 vols. Salt Lake City 1:498 |
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