The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-04-25
JOSEPH SMITHS STONE.
1T WAS KNOWN AS THE PRoPH-
ET'S SEEING STONE.
II Was simple orecn Pebble to All APP
pearsnces, but smith Credited 10
with the Most Wonderful
Properties and Value.


The germ OF Mormonism originated
in this city, says the Syracuse Journal.
About the year 1918 a teamster In the
salt works by the name OF Joseph Belch-
or found a peculiar stone, or a stone
that the owners claimed contained
great powers. Soon after Belcher and
family removed to Susquehanna county,
Pennsylvania, where Joe Smith was
engaged as gold hunter, prophet, and
treasure hunter. Belcher called his
find n seeing stone 1t was green.
with brown. irregular spots on It, and
about tho same shape and size as q
goose egg. In those days the country
was very wild and the people very su-
perstitious. and strange stories were
told OF lost animals and children that
were found by the aid OF this stone.
The modus operandi was to conceal
the stone In dark place, and Belcher's
little boy could then see from its UNI
natural powers the exact location Of
any object he desired to find. Joe
Smith heard Of this miniature informa-
ton bureau and soon sought out Belch-
er. secured the stone and renewed his
researches.
In 1925 Joe had in his employ set
OF men who were called money diggers,
and his occupation was that OF seeing
or pretending to see, by means OF this
stone placed in his hat, and his hat
closed over his face. In this way he
claimed the power to discover minerals
and hidden treasures. 1t Is said he
was insolent, poorly educated, and very
careless In appearance. Ono story told
OF Smith is that struggling Indian.
who was gassing up the Susquehanna
river, had told OF buried treasures. Joe
hunted up the Indian and induced him
to tell the place where it was buried.
The Indian told him point a certain
number OF PAGES due north from a GER
tain point on the river. Joe's ex-
chequer was very low ut this time, and
30 it became necessary to get well-to-
do farmer by the name Of Harper to
assist him In the scheme. II seems
that farmers were '.taken in" in those
early days as we'll as now. They COM
menced digging on farm near the
river and continued as long MS Har-
per's cash held out Smith now de-
| clared to Harper that there was IN en-
chantment about the place that was
| moving the treasure further of; that
Harper must get a perfectly white dog
| and sprinkle his blood over the ground.
and that would prevent the enchant-
ment from removing the treasure.
Search was made all over the country,
but no perfectly white dog could be
| found. Joseph said he thought white
sheep would do as we'll. A white sheep
was killed and the blood sprinkled as
directed. Tho digging was then re-
sumed by Harper. After digging for
several weeks more and an outlay oil
81, 900 more OF the farmers shekels,
Harper refused to '.come down" any
further and the digging was aban-
doned
Joe now said that the enchantment
had removed all the treasure; that the
Almighty was displeased with them for
trying TO palm of on Him a white
sheep for q white dog. He would sit
for hours looking into the hat Mt the
round stone, and tell Of seeing things
far away and supernatural. On one
occasion neighbor had q piece OF corn
planted rather late and on moist
piece OF ground, and, feeling little
doubtful about Its ripening, got Smith
70 bless it. 1t happened that It wa,
the only piece OF corn killed by the
frost In the neighborhood. When the
prophets attention was called to the
matter he got out OF the difficulty by
saying that he made a mistake, and
| put curse on the corn instead OF q
blessing.
About this time Smith procured q
box OF plates. which 1t is supposed he
brought from Palmyra, N. Y, whore
he lived for short time, which he
kept carefully looked. They were
alleged to contain great quantity OF
characters and hieroglyphics, which no
one but himself could interpret. From
these plates Smith, with the assistance
OF Martin Harris and Oliver Cawdry,
produced the manuscript for the Book
OF Mormon. The book was compiled
In small building on the Susquehanna
river, about two miles from the side
hill village Of Susquehanna, and was
printed in 1880, the manuscript being
taken to the printing Office each morn
Ing and, together with the proofs, &C.,
taken away each night. The first
account we have OF Joe and his follow
ers trying to start colony was in the
year 1881, in remote corner OF
Luserne county, where the climate
soon got too warm for them and they
vacated. Their next colony was near
gainesville, o.