The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-03-03
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 1886
A LITERARY CURIOSITY.

NocS ylIituS' lnc ITtOUUC SuuShO
us in the error of cabling as a new
poem one which had been published
two years before. Now the Tribune
publishes in long telegraphic de-
spatch from Chicago the discovery
in Honolulu of that Spaulding manu-
script of Mormon interest, of which
our Hawaiian correspondent sent us
word about year ago, and which
has since formed the basis of long
and learned discussions. Indeed
we saw lately an examination paper
of theological class in church
history, in which it was fully con-
sidered. .-Ner York Independent.
Running across the foregoing
paragraph in the last number of the
Independent received here, we ap-
piled to Professor w. ID. Alexander,
Superintendent of the Government
Survey Department, as a gentleman
likely to be able to give some infor-
nation upon the subject of so nota-
ble discovery in this quarter as
that referred to. Nor were we dis
appointed, for the Professor, besides
verbally telling us "all about it,"
has kindly loaned us printed copy
of the remarkable document. The
title page of the book reads rs
follows: "Thc Manuscript Found,
or Manuscript Story of the late
Rev. Solomon Spaulding; from
Verbatim Copy of the Original now
in the Care of Pres. James III. Fair
child, of Oberlin College, Ohio.
Including Correspondence Touching
the Manuscript, its Preservation
and Transmission until it came into
the Hands of the Publishers.
Lamont, Iowa: Printed and Pub
lished by the Reorganized Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
1885" The ecclesiastical body
bearing the imposing title just quoted
is known as the "Joseph Smith or
"Non-Polygamous Mormons. This
church, the Utah Mormons and
several people presenting claims to
the custody of the manuscript, when
its discovery was made known, had
applied for the original. The Nor
mon bodie were eager TO secure it,
because it served to refute the state
ments of opponents of their systems,
to the effect that Spaulding's Manu-
script was the basis of the Book of
Mormon. 1t is also, for that reason,
to be published, if not already done,
by the Salt Lake "Saints." DR.. l..
l.. Rice, of Honolulu, the venerable
retired missionary familiarly known
as "Father Rice" has the honor of
bringing to the light of day the
document, to which so much and
varied interest seems to attach. DR..
Rice was formerly an anti-slavery
editor in Ohio, and for many years
State Printer at Columbus. When
President James ii. Fairchild, of
Oberlin College, was in Honolulu
more than year ago he suggested
to DR.. Rice 'that he might have
valuable anti-s lavery documents in
his possession, which he would be
willing to contribute to the rich
collection already in the Oberlin
College Library. In pursuance of
this suggestion, Mr.. Rice began
looking over his old pamphlets and
papers, and at length came upon an
old, worn, and faded manuscript of
about one hundred and seventy-fve
pages, small quarto, purporting to
be history of the migrations and
conflicts of the ancient Indian tribes,
which occupied the territory now
belonging to the States of New
York, Ohio and Kentucky" DIR.
Rice and President Fairchild ex-
amined the document, and decided
that it was the long-lost story about
which the Mormon controversy had
ragged for years; also that it bore
no resemblance to the Book of
Mormon, further than that both
profess to set forth the history of
lost tribes. In letter written from
here ON March 28th, 1885, DR..