The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-10-05
4 Lost ROmdnce-1He OriosH of
MOrnpOnisD,,

NOrn1OHtSW.
Remarkable local testimony has been
discovered by the Springfield Republican,
sustaining the Charge that the religion nf
Joe splikh aEG Brigham Young had it's
origin ia q romance written by the Rev.
solomon Spaulding, of Ohio, half centu-
ry o. more ago. The story is furnished by
MIR. J. \. McE;pssry. of I.ongmeadow, a
son of tls ,a!e DR.. McKinistrs, oS Monsou,
saa grandson of the Rev. NJ. Spaaii;Gg.
MIR. Mckinstry is employed iE the Main
street store of Newsdealer Brace. The
R'V. NJ. Spaplding's widow who after
ward became Mrs. DAWSON. came east froI..
Ohio TO live with her daUghte,' at Monsou
many years ago, but before her death a
plausible yoYnE man frGm Boston came to
NopSon to see and get the Spaulding wri-
ting. It was time of considerable e.,-
.ciieanent concerning the Aormons, and he
claimed to represent some Chris. ian yeeple
who wanted to expose Morll,onisn;. lie
therefore begged the loan Of the manu-
script for publication. Much against the
wishes of Mrs. DR.. Mcginstry. Mrs. Dayi-
son consented to let her husbands unpub-
ssshed romance 60. Nothing was evsr
heard from 1t again. epS the family have
always considered ttSt the bland Young
gentleman wGs ga agent of Brigham
oung's to destroy this convincing evidence
nt
very e2rtAly origin.
The stc-y cf how the Rev Mr.. Spaulding
came to prepare his romance, which Mr..
Nckiustry remembers as n child to have
seen, Is -resh and Interesting. He was ont
OF the active ministry i'll Ohio-the name
of the place Mr. McKinstry does not recol-
lect but il was near Palmyra, we believe
Tpuning small iron foundry, and, being a
pan OF literary tastes, employed his leisure
time when the work of the Mound Builders
was creating wide interest, iEe implements
of cookery and war Being urearthed show
ing the existence of forgotten race. This
furnishes the inspirations for the chronicles
of he story writer He entitled bis pro-
duetion Manuscript Found" tie idea
being that the romance woven by tas ex-
preacher was erg mp out of one of the
mounds in that region. 1t was "A history of
ancient America, not all written ~ once,
but At leisure spells, and as the fancy fell
20 him Mr. Spaulding would add to il. His
writing was u9t secret III the neighbui hood.
In that then .frcEt,,er region, with few op
portunities fer literary enioyments the
Rev. Mr. Spaulding was prevailed upon TO
lead his production to his neighbors as it
progressed. It written IN Bible
phraseology and made as quantity olden
as possible. SO as to carry out the cOnceit
Gf it's alleged uound origin. Amerg the
attenttve listeners at these readings were
Joe Smitl gnd Sidney Pigdon, the same
who founded Normonism. Not only did
Saith hear tie manuscript read, but ou
one occasion, as Mrs. Dawson frequently
testified besure her death, he borrowed it
for one week or so, giving as reason that
he wanted to read il to- his family, Haho % bad
been unable to attend on Mr.. Spaudiug s
readings. Not long afterward, ~ viii lie
remembered, Smith claimed that au angel
had revealed to HIN ,tae existence of a
buried history Of aboriginal america, the
plates of which, it s.allsged, were dag ap,
and the book of Mormon made as trans
lation of their inscriptions. The widow Of
Mr.. Spauldiug and her daughter, MIS- DR..
Mckinstry, of Monson, compared the
Smith bible with the parson's romance and
they we're essentially the same. The sim
ilarity was so overwhelming as to leave no
doubt that Smith copied ~ full the Rev.
Mr.. Spaulding's writing, and made out of
it bodily his divine revelation"
The character - TIE .nti.ts.,teI's romance
was such, and his elaboration az it so
thorough, as 70 strike the fancy of Smith,
who was giveH 10 the mysterious. His
family s,,aG been noted for divination,
treasure seeking, etc, and Joe found
Mr. Spaulding's work Just in his line.
That tue results of this appropriation of il
have -Deen so stupendous was always
great cross to Yr. Spaulding' s good widow,
Mrs. Dawson. She mOurned that, even
innocently, her husband should have beeu
the means of foisting upon the world So
great an evil. This WAS the real reason of
her Willingness to allow the manuscript Ia
be taken to Boston for publication. 1t is
TO be regretted that her family have not
better preserve d Mis-. Davison's recouec-
tions of her husbands writings, now for
ever lost to the world. Enough has been
handed down, however, TO establish beyond
doubt the truth Of the claim that here was
tile source of Joe Smiths 'inspiiation."
Mrs. Davison's story has long been fami-
liar to leading men of MoHson, aud so inn
pressed was the late Rev. DR.. Ely with il
that he prepared considerable accQpnt #
it years ago.