Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-15
TRAVELS OF A BIBLE.
The Extraordinary Manner in Which
Mr.. Frank Semple Recovered
HIS DEAD FATHERS LOST BIBLE.
Returned to Him by Methodist Minister
Who Was Given It While
ON A LATE TOUR OF THE HOLY LAND

Mr.. Frank Semple, manager of the Thaw
estate, has suddenly recovered his deceased
fathers lost Bible in a rather extraord mary
manner. The story forms q pretty little
sequel to the recent tour of the Holy Land
by the three Methodist ministers from Pitts
burg, Rev. W. b. Pearce, D. D.; Rev. I.
j. Leak, D. D., and Rev. J. A. Ballantyne.
Nearly two months ago, when the party,
bound homeward, reached the Me diterranean
Sea, they boarded vessel at Alexandretta.
This is small town on the Syrian coast at
the very head of the northeastern corner OF
the Mediterranean. It is over 5000 miles
from Pittsburg. Some official of the levee
followed the gentlemen aboard, and going
up to Rev. DIR. Pearce, handed him small
hand-Bible. The man explained that it
had been left there by some person years be-
fore, and as it would probably be sadly
missed by its owner, it had been carefully
preserved at Alexandretta, awaiting the
visit of other Pittsburgers to carry 1t back
to its owners home.
NEARLY FIFTY YEARS OLD.
So DR.. Pearce was requested to place the
book in the hands Of the right man at Pitts
burg. He brought it home with him. The
volume is one of the old-fashioned Poly
glott Bibles, which are quite rare now. On
its dyleaf is written in lead pencil: John
B. Semple. PIttsburg, December. 1874. -
The name is repeated on the next page. The
imprint mark shows that the edition to
which it belongs was only printed at Phila-
delphia in 1874. It is very neatly and sub
stantially bound, and has upon its age
stained back the embossed figure Of a cross.
In various places through the book mar
ginal notes have been made with pen and
pencil. 1t had evidently been we'll used.
Beyond the two signatures on the fly
leaves there was absolutely no other clew
as to the identity of the owner. All three
OF the clergymen are comparatively new
residenters in PIttsburg, that is to say, they
have not been in the city long enough to
have thorough knowledge OF the old in
habitants. They did not recognize this par
ticular name, although they knew there
were several families of the Semples in
Pittsburg. The owner of the Bible had
written his name in it nearly half a century
ago. and it may have been score of years
since he lost 1t in the Orient.
A SACRED HEIRLOOM.
A few days after his arrival home DR..
Pearce sought the assistance of The DIS
PATCH in finding the owner of the book. A
reporter of this paper made inquiries among
the older residents of Pittsburg, and found
that John B. Semple, a once prominent
business man of the city, had been dead
nearly 25 years. That was the only Semple
that could be learned Of with the same ini-
tials.
Frank Semple, who attends to the admin
istration of the estate of the late William
Thaw, is son OF the gentleman alluded to.
Hho nOrfa orrso Al
of Mr.. Frank Semple, on Fourth avenue,
this week. As soon as it was shown him he
recognized it.
For years it lay in our family pew at
the Third Presbyterian Church." he said.
1T was given father by gentleman who
became missionary among the Choctaw
Indians. He priced it highly, as we used it
every Sabbath at church. When I was q
boy used to read the texts out of this same
book in church. Well do 1 remember it."
Mr.. Semple is now a grey-haired gentle
man. His father died in 1877. The Bible
was missed good many years ago, but as it
was simply used Tor church purposes no
search was made for it.
"But your father carried it abroad with
him, suggested the reporter.
THE MYSTERY ABOUT IT.
"No, he never went abroad" replied the
gentleman. 81 have not the remotest idea
how the Bible turned:up 5000 miles away
from Pittsburg. 1 can form no conception
how it got that far away. Certain it is,
though. 1 am glad to get it back again. II
recalls very vividly my father, and my own
boyhood days"
Mr.. Semple sent his thanks to the Law
minister for carrying the Bible to
him over the seas. Its adventures make it
all the greater value to him.
Another gentleman who is member of
the Third Presbyterian Church said that the
only way he could think of to explain the
long voyage OF the Bibe was that at some
time or another the congregation must have
made up box of old Bibles with which to
fit out some foreign mission, and that this
was among them. In Europe, then, it
might have drifted into the hands of some
minister or tourist Or he thinks it NAV
have gotten lost from the church in Pitts
burg, and the finder, never discovering the
identity of the owner, adopted it 90 personal
either giving it away or bearing it