The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-09-20
A Lost ROmance-The Origin of Nor.
mOniSm.
fSpringfield Republican,

Remarkable local testimony has been
discovered by the Republican sustaining
the charge that the religion of Joe Smith
and Brigham Young had its origin in
romance written by the Rev. Solomon
Spaulding of Ohio half a century or
more ago. The story is furnished by
Mr.. J. A. McKinstry of Longmeadow,
son of the late Dr. McKinistry of Mon
son, and grandson of the Rev. M. Spauld-
ing. Mr.. McKinstry is employed in the
Main Street store of Newsdealer Brace
The Rev. Mr.. Spaulding's widow, who
afterward became Mrs. Dawson, came
east from Ohio to live with her daughter
at Monson many years ago, but before
her death plausible young man from
Boston came to Monson to see and get
the Spaulding writing. 1t was time of
considerable excitement concerning the
Mormons, and he claimed to represent
some Christian people who wanted to ex-
pose Mormonism. He therefore begged
the loan of the manuscript for publica-
ton. Much against the wishes of Mrs.
DIR. McKinstry Mrs. Dawson consented to
let her husbands unpublished romance
go. Nothing was ever heard from it
again, and the family have always con-
sidered that the bland young gentleman
was an agent of Brighmam Young's to
destroy this convincing evidence that
Joe Smiths Mormon Bible was of very
earthly origin.
The story of how the Rev. Mr.. .Spauld-
ing came to prepare his romance, which
Mr.. McKinstry remembers as child to
have seen, is fresh and interesting. He
was out of the active ministry in Ohio
fbo Df +ho MoK
does not recollect, butit was near Palmyra
webelieve- running a smalliron foundry,
and, being man of literary tastes, en-
ployed his leisure moments in weaving a
romance. 1t was time when the work
of the Mound Builders was creating wide
interest, the implements of cookery and
war being unearthed, showing the exist
ence of forgotten race. This furnished
the inspiration for the chronicles of the
story writer. He entitled his produc-
ton, Manuscript Found" the idea
being that the romance woven by the ex-
preacher was dug up out of one of the
mounds in the region. 1t was a history
of ancient America, not all written at
once, but at leisure spells, and as the fancy
fell to him Mr.. Spaulding would add to
it. His writing was not secret in the
neighborhood. In that then frontier
region, with few opportunities for liter
ary enjoyment, the Rev. Mr.. Spaulding
was prevailed upon to read his produc-
tion to his neighbors as it progressed. 1t
was written in Bible phraseology, and
made as quantity olden as possible, so as
to carry out the conceit of its alleged
mound origin. Among the attentive
listeners at these readings were Joe Smith
and Sidney Rigdon, the same who
founded Mormonism. Not only did
Smith hear the manuscript read
but on one occasion, as Mrs. Dawson
frequently testified before her death, he
borrowed it for one week or SO, giving as
a reason that he wanted to read it to his
family, who had been unable to attend
on Mr.. Spaulding's readings. Not Ions
afterward, it will be remembered, Smith
claimed thatan angelhad revealed to hin
the existence of a buried history O.
aboriginal America, the plates of which
it is alleged were dug up, and the bool
of Mormon made as a translation of thei
inscriptions. The widow of Mr.. Spauld
ing and her daughter, Mrs. DIR. McKins
try of Monson, compared the Smitl
bible with the parsons romance, ant
they were essentially the same. TIL,
similarity was so overwhelming as t,
leave no doubt that Smith copied in full
the Rev. Mr.. Spaulding's writing, an,
made out of it bodily his divine " revela
tion."
} The character of the minister's ro
nance was such, and his elaboration o
it so thorough, as to strike the fancy O
Smith, who was given to the mysterious
) His sfamily had been noted for divination
, treasure seeking, ETC., and SO 10
T found Mr.. Spaulding's work just in hi
line. That the results of this appropria
! ton of it have been so stupendous wa
t always a great cross to Mr.. Spaulding'
, good widow, Mrs. Dawson. Sh
2 mourned that, even innocently, her hus
. band should have been the means Q
foisting upon the world so great an evi
This was the real reason of her willing
d. ness to allow the manuscript to be take
| to Boston for publication. 1t is to b
e regretted that her family have not BET
t ter preserved Mrs. Davisons recollection
s of her husbands writings, now foreve
c lost to the world. Enough has bee
e handed down, however, to establish bt
. yond doubt the truth Of the claim tina
l here was source of Joe Smiths {" II
i spiration." Mrs. Davison's story ha
long been familiar to leading men c
a Monson, and so impressed was the lat
Rev. DIR. Ely with it that he prepared
u considerable account of it years ago.