Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17
THE EBO0K OF MORMON.
How the Original of the Latter Day
Saints Scriptures Was
WRITTEN BY REV. S. SPAULDING
In an Obscure Village in Western
Pennsylvania.
THEMYsTERYOF TIE LOST MANUSCRIPT
WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPArcH.I


but still like most other small places, itE
history contains one fact, which distinguishes
it from other villages and which at the
same time has served to make it widely
known, This one fact is that Rev. Solomon
Spaulding, the reputed author OF the Nor
mon Bible lived, died and was buried there
7s years ago.
Amity is most conveniently reached over
the Waynesburg and Washington Rail-
road, narrow gauge line, which extends
from Washington to Waynesburg, Greene
county, This is clever little road whose
trains creep noisily up and down the sides
of the hills of Washington and Greene
counties and haul passengers and freight
from Greene into the world, and carry car
loads of the same sort back into Greene.
The only passenger train on the road viii
deposit the traveller who seeks the tomb of
Spaulding at Hackney's station, two miles
distant from the village of Amity, and then
he can walk or take chances in getting to
ride there on farm wagon.
Amity lies ten miles south of Washing
ton, in the center ot a rich agricultural dis
trict and the people who make up the COM
munity contiguous to the village are intel
hgent and thrifty farmers, and hold quite
different views from the village folk with
respect to work.
A great many people go to Amity to see
the last resting place of Solomon Spauiding,
and about the first question which suggests
itself to them is, wny should a man of
SpauIding's talents seek such forlorn and
desolate place in which to live. 1t
is one of the Oldest towns in Wash
Ington county, and it still tenaciously
-
1t seems never to have caught the spirit of
improvement so noticeable in other small
towns in Washington county. Perhaps the
town is satisfied with the reputation 1t has
gained because Solomon Spaulding was
buried there, and will continue to hibernate
during the remainder of its existence.
sPAULDING's RESIDENCE.
The location of the place is picturesque,
but that is about all that can be said in its
favor. 1t lies in a depression in a high
ridge, and its dive lings all told only number
twice bakers dozen. The houses are old
frame structures, some of them log, which,
weather beaten aud painless look as if They
had, for 100 years, been the prey of the
violent winter winds which sweep across
the high hills. Its only street is the town.
ship road, which, an old resident informed
me, in the spring of the year, becomes so
deep in clay mud that it is impossible, and
the citizens of the place can only visit the
neighbors on that side of the street on which
they happen to live.
The people, with few exceptions, consist
OF the shiftless class. who make up the resi-
dents Of most small places, where there are
no industries save those carried on bv the
blacksmith, shoemaker and the merchant
who keeps small store in a small way.
The men lounge about in the single store
blacksmith shop or shoemaker shop, in the
winter; and in warm weather they loaf
upon the mounting block or empty store
boxes, and whIttle them with jack knives
while they talk about the trivial affairs of
the neig borhood. The women of the vii
lage scrub snuff as their mothers did, and
gossip about each other just as all women
do.
If stranger appears in the village every
body runs to the front door or window to see
him. If he stops in the place half hour
without making known his business some
one will be sent to interview him as to his
mission there. A gentleman with whom 1
talked about the Rev. Spaulding said that
he passed through AmitY once, and he be-
ieved that every man, woman and child in
the place came out to see him. He said he
inquired OF an old fellow why the people
stared at him so, and the native replied that
he was the first man who had appeared in
the town for two months, and that the peo-
pie were awful glad to see him.
BASIS OF THE MORMON SCRIPTURES.
This village was the home of Solomon
Spaulding, the author Of a romance, en-
titled the Manuscript Found, upon which
the "Book of Mormon" is said to be founded;
and the little burying ground which sur
Ie 81 al Al,
the moldering bones of the romaneer and
preacher, who, 1t is alleged, was the unin-
territorial creator of one of the most remark
able delusions the world has ever witnessed.
The grave of Spaulding is almost in the
center of the church yard and is marked by
q plain headstone of white marble. The
stone was originally four feet high and
Is inches wide, but it has been Clipped
and chipped by souvenir hunters, until
1t is more than half gone, and a ragged
edged, rOund-topped stump of stone is all
that remains. A portion of the last two
lines Of the inscription on the tombstone is
all that is visible The entire insc ription
which was copied by Rev. Adler jackson,
is as follows:
IN MEMORY OF
Solomon SpauIding, who departed this life,
October q, A D., 1916 Aged IS years.
"Kind cherubs, guard the sleeping clay
Until the great decision day,
And saints complete in glory rise
To share the triumphs of the Skies"
Solomon Spaulding was of vaci,latinp
disposition, and, although a man of talent,
his life is a good illustration of the adage
that rolling stone gathers no moss. He
was born in Ashford, Conn.,, in 1761; was
educated at Dartmouth College, New
IL
tuition in 1785. Three years later he en-
tered the ministry of the Congregational
Church, and preached three or four wears.
On account of failing health he gave up his
sacred calling, removed to Cherry Valley,
New York, and engaged in the mercantile
business in small way. He succeeded no
better as 8 merchant than as a preacher. and
after few years trial at storekeeping, in
which be lost considerable money, he again
removed, in 1909, to Conneaut, Ashtabuls
county, o. Here he became an iron manu-
fscturer, and built a large blast furnace,
In this business, as in his former ones, he
failed, and as a consequence became largely
involved in debt.
He continued to reside at Conneaut for
three years, and while there his attention
was drawn TO the great number OF Indian
mounds and remains of Notifications in that
vicinity. Being a man OF literary tastes.
and particularly fond of history, he con.
ceived the project of writing a romance
which would purport to account for the exist
ence of the mound builders on this continent
and at the same time relate their history
This employment beguiled the tedious hours
of his enforced leisure, and when he had
completed the romance, the idea suggested
itself that by the publication of the book
g. 4 Il
to enable him to discharge his indebtedness.
PREPARING HIS ROMANCE.
The time of Spaulding's residence at Con-
neaut was chiefly spent in the preparation
Of this historical romance. As the work |
progressed and the pages grew into chap
ters and chapters into q book, the author |