The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-29

was sent on mission 20 the sandwich
Islands. 1 sailed from San Francisco
on the steamship Mariposa on the End
dav of February following, remaining
mon this mission until July, 1887. Not
long after my arrival on the Islands,
I received communication from Elder
George Reynolds, enclosing the fellow
ing letter over the signature of James
II Fairchi1d, at that time President Of
the OberIin College, Ohio, the same
being a clipping from the New York
Observer of February 5, 1885, which
had also been copied into Frank Les
lies Illustrated Sunday Magazine.
Brother Reynolds suggested that call
upon Mr. L. l. Rice, of Honolulu, with
the view of inquiring more particularly
into this matter, which / did at the
first opportunity. l subsequently mar
rated the circumstances OF my inter-
views with that gentleman in a. COM
munication which was published in the
Deseret News, over the nom de plume
islander which gave a detailed ac-
count of a subject which ] think still
sented to the readers of the Era
IF
SOLOMON sPAULDING AND THE
BOOK OF MORMON.
The theory of the origin of the Book
of Mormon in the traditional manu-
script of Solomon Spaulding will prob
ably have to be relinquished. That
manuscript is doubtless now in the
possession of Mr.. L. L. Rice, of Homo
lulu, Hawaiian Islands, formerly an
anti-slavery editor in Ohio, and for
many years State priLter at Columbus
During a recent visit to Honolulu, ]
suggested to Mr.. Rice that he might
have valuable anti-slavery documents
in his possession which he would be
willing to contribute to the rich collec-
ton already in the OberIin College Lii
brary In pursuance of this sugges-
ton Mr.. Rice began looking over his
old pamphlets and papers, and at
length came upon an old, worn
and faded manuscript of about
IFS pages, small quarto, purporting to
be history of the migration and con-
ficts of the ancient Indian tribes which
occupied the territory now belonging
to the States of New York, Ohio and
Kentucky. On the last page OF this
manuscript is a certificate and sigma
ture giving the names of several per-
SONS known to the signer, who have
assured him that to their personal
81 sowledge the manuscript was the
" ting of Solomon Spaulding- Mr.
Rice has no recollection how or when
this manuscript came into his posses
sion. It was enYeloped in a coarse
piece of wrapping paper, and endorsed
in Mr.. Riee's handwriting, "A manu-
script story"
There seems no reason to doubt that
this is the long lost story. Mr.. Rice.
myself and others compared it with
the Book of Mormon, and could detect
no resemblance between the two, in
general or detail. There seems to be
no name nor incident common to the
two. The solemn style of the Book of
Mormon, in imitation of the English
scriptures, does not appear in the man
uscript The only resemblance is In
the fact that both profess to set forth
the history of the lost tribes. Some
other explanation of the origin of the
Book of Mormon must be found, if any
explanation is required.
JAMES H. FAIRCHILD.
The letter to the News, under date
of Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, June
"a, 1885, follows:
On the morning of the 18th of April,
my companion and made our way to
Punahou, about two miles from Homo
lulu to the residence of Mr.. j. M.
Whitney. son-in-law of Mr.. L. L Rice.
with whom the latter is at present iv-
ing.
On going to the house we met very
aged but inteIligent-Iooking man at
the rear of the dwelling, whom we
found to be Mr.. Rice. After introduce
ing ourselves, 1 informed him that 1
had seen an article, published in the
pe4aeF by Mr.. James II. Fairchild, rela-
tfJHy to Mr. Spaulding's romance, from
which it was alleged the Book of Nor
mon was derived, and that interest and
curiosity had led US to call upon him.
in the hopes of seeing it, and of hav-
ing some conversation with him on the
subject. He invited us into the parlor,
and when we were seated he asked:
Are you Mormons?"
OF course to this we had but one I'M
equivocal answer. He then enquired
how long we had been in the country,
our business, etc, to all of which we
gave appropriate answers, so that he
seemed satisfied that we had come no
great distance for the special object of
our visit. He then began to talk about
as follows, to the best of my recol-
lection: . a.
81 have no objection to showing you
the manuscript; you shall see it, but
it is of no value to anybody. I have,
with others. compared it with the Book
of Mormon, and 1 undertook to copy
it. but ran out of paper before got it
finished and so discontinued it. There
is not one word or sentence in it in
common with the Book of Mormon.
The only possible resemblance is, they
both purpose to give an account of
American Indians. This manuscript