The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-21
MoRMONISM'S BEGINNING.
RECoLLECTToSs OF OWE WHO KNEW
JOE SMITH VERY WE'LL.
Smiths Untidy Attire-The Finding OF tho
Golden Plates and How tho inscriptions
Were Translated - Printing the Bible.

NEAEN TRANSLATED - Printing the EtLntts
uu.s ,o.. c,o,. n.nooro,
"a, J,c,yro "a, Foh Daniel Hendrix
49,. =, a. - - I,uinn ,,ho ,voro %,
saois,as Su,,h H. ~a-s..a ~ o.r,,o,. Ntor.
80. r.,..h =. oil. NJ W it,. 81, ho homo
-, his con IN thio ,,o,r;tv uoi. ~ vears NJ aoe.
ga no,.i,. Nc. Ell, 80, toor,,Io. A,thorsh
I. dioho,,oror =, anrnor 80 ,ho NJo-r,on ToIth
he 4. o,ton r,.,,aa ~ so,oondant. - '1osonh
su,i,, - -, si5nau pIy,on a. onn5on.o ~ No..
iNho 'is"o",
monism, for "Reminiscences OF the carly days OF tho
Latter Day Saints in Wayne county. N. Y. Ed.
gar smith, a grandson OF Joseph smith. tod the
writer less than a ycar ago that he found Daniel
Hendrix, tho last man living who Ind the closest
norsonnI ncon.,ntanno VIZ, hio aranS.nnront
poi'o"ui "'quain.au'o "i.n nS sr"nu,paroh'
al the time OF inc hnding OF tho golden bibie.
NJ events NJ siytr-evo yo,rs - 10 has a to,v
VI eNeh.So, elHty,hNe years ago ro mas nc"
printed by Major John Gilbert at Palmyra in
&sa, a,5 a. ona tIn,a hna ~. a..
complete Bible. He sold it twenty years ago for
5000 to q gentleman who acted as an agent for
Lord Bcaconsfeld. He has since learned that two
Mormon Bibles of the first edition have been
bought in Europe for about 500 each. Tho
present Joseph Smith has tried hard to procuroa
copy OF that edition for Mr.. Gladstone, who sent
'" :, > ban sand sann', ne1oa s1 aas nc NO %oulo % Wiling
"p1y uas nen ps.ee ,or u, .ne oook,
. Woo q Vig youhB hIhh III u III II alIDy
ra, N. ", from 1922 until 1890" said Mr.. Hen.
dri1 20 ma recortIv a. taIttno 30 ~ rn..,ia.tsn.
of tho origin of Mormonism, land among the
daily visitors at the establishment was Josepb
smith. .Jr. Every one knew him ma In. smith
~. n'o.y Wv MIC" III" u 'oo omith.
he had lived in Palmyra a few years previous to
my going there from Rochester. Joe was the
most ragged lazy Fellow In the place. and that's
saying n good deal. He was about 25 years old.
l can see him now in my minds eye, with his
pair OF suspenders made out Of sheetinF. With
his calico shirt as dirty and black as the earth,
holes in his old battered hat. In win.
ter / used to pity him. for his shoes were 80 old
snow and slush: yet Joe had n jovinl. easy. don't
care way about him that made him a lot Of
would have made a fine stump speaker il lie had
had the training. He was Known among the
Inc first water. never knew I,eV So isn rInnh S mn on
as Joe was to have such a fertile imagination.
daily life without emBeIIisbinS the story IN viii ~
his Imagination; vet l remember that he was
grieved ono day when old Parson Reed told Joo |
Mrs. Smith, Joc's mother. was a stanch Pres. |
and was a great admirer Of her son, |
his shiftless and provoking ways. Sho
always declared that be was horn with a pcn;msp
and did not have to work. Never mind about
pioyer had rallied her upon her heirs useless
ways. for the boy will be able some of these fno
dSSs to !, buy y, The whole Of Palmyra and al Tho
boy has under that old hat
ton was digging f for To I9G nj 1I nirbt $ s enicf s GIccnRa,
In the daytime. He Was close. moutbed on ne
Of his gold seeking operaiions aroma ~
of gold was ever mined. and when people jooked
MIN too severely concerning his progress in get.
ting the precious metal. he would tnrn his haci,
Upon the jokers and bvstanders and 20 hS oee = Z
as possible, With some OF us young men
,S SSs,.s ! Who were always serious With him and
~ ~
re n,sS Fo1 and nd 1 be l mn m wheFs So there e Was ,hn hidden
bout that region. which TESTIFIED that be couid
t 'tiiion IS Of 5fs ss sp5 mab mST Sidcs He u had ,hs al I'm the a super;
which was that the digging must be done at
irst nttorance the gold Would !, ~ sP0 aWar i4 3o az so 1he
'thcr locality; in fact, Joe claimed that he had
more than once been on the point Of reaching
ONE 1nlucky exclamation wnuid escane him'
md, presto! the treasure would vanish from
Finally in the fall--in September. 7 believe-
1923, Joe went, about the village OF Palmyra
ound.. i remember distinctly his sitting on
non, who did not believe n word thrv heard ali
bout his vision and his and. R,t loo Went into
uch minute and careful details about the size
s sbis1s, and beauty Of the carvings On the golden
mart1st men 'h IN pa fi1nlssi rub he t hsGe e S9mf in OF w the
sen. a nms sS %omsn Of w ,hs G not Sc sksPii,1hl as the
cyan to feel at once thai .Joe vros a renartahIo
nan after all. ~ A
Joe declared. with tcars i, bis Voc md ,b.
lost earnest eynrcssion Won rnn nacS"n ~ =.
G had found The gold mates on n Hi sX ,n lie
outh of Palmvra. on The main rnaI 10, wnen
hat place and Canandairra loo haJ ,insendd
ug there for gold for fomr ven md t- nus , nv
line the hill has been known as Cold HiIII 'nH'
For the first n,onth ar , 90 2 'io ons AES;n
Id not say himself thnt The nIo ~ Hor MIN
ew revelation or that thcv bnI - roii,a u
ignifcancc. but s;rniv sai,3 ,hai h !" aSSutsi m
valuable treasure in The shane ~ "% n rc" Ird
I some ancient peonic yhirb hal ' hoau
lscribcd on impcrisSahlc rnid far oecn
alton. The nrctcndcd raSd" nia ~ pfvsur,
eyer allowed to no soon g muro
card Joe's mother say ,hat sbn IA
fled them when covered viii cIntb nn5S
ley were very boavv'sn hnar 1'I,nn' "uu
lat she could scorcciv raise ,hhnnn III 'attc
.ns n very robust Sr3n,an uttbat lnousn sne 4
me cxpecfcd 70 ncrnnnItsh "co ~ 5 q az tnat
Understand. hut n" sonn hcynn : ~ nit;, -
claimed 10 he Comics ~ ~, 'oobvsNrmt"tt mna' {
ravCd on tEe nloIns tbnrr ~ IA nv.uis on. {
ere distressed 10 fbint thntsh u. ircNortnt ,
rbted IN Tho rbo rnntnrs nr ~ m"s hiolc ", !
nests md in histcries ~ 'thh a ~ ,n.la ios 7
abyloninns tban 70 my n,atn, 70 hniais anu !
rnr PnInnvra Refaro rn.oS no nau auE up I
,rty apnenrcd nm no scon oHs momuncr. ~ new a
Idncy Rirdon' and ibcncnSo ~ ~ pcrsom o one '
as mn n5on thn ybn'n oIM"ru ne" aspect
:" / remember R;sion as n man NJ obo,, ,,r,r :