Albuquerque evening citizen., 1907-02-18
An Incident in Early Mormon
History Very Nearly
Forgotten
BUT REVIVED BY THE
SMOOT SENATE TRIAL
Joseph Smith Walked on the Water
Once Too Often For His Rep
utdtiOn For Miracles.

Washington, d. c., Feb. 1S.-The
long discussion in the senate of the
various phases of the Reed Smoot
case has had the effect of stimulating
Investigations of a number of the
obscure features of Mormonism. A
mass of historical matter has been
brought to light by students of the
growth of the cult and a great volume
of material, widely scattered, has
been rediscovered and added to the
data of origins
Among this material is the story
of the miracle that failed, involving
the tragedy of a budding prophet,
who could not deliver the goods,
misfortune which came very near
costing Joseph Smith a tight-fitting
coat of tar and feathers as the penal
ty of his failure. The tale is told
in an old history of Chenango coun-
ty, New York, and has been over
looked by many of the historians and
critics of Smith and the church he
founded.
1t happened at the little town of
Alton, where Smith was married in
1927 and where he had lived for some
time. Here he organized his society
and practically began the strange pro-
paganda that as the years passed trail
ed itself nearly across the continent
until 1t reached the promised land
on the shores of the great Salt Lake.
At Alton Smith drew about him a
body of earnest converts, and his
vigorous preaching, his strange per-
sonal magnetism, and his startling
n Of
attracted large crowds to his services.
Finally, to put the capstone of
achievement to his monument of pre-
tentions, and to prove to the sneer-
ers and revilers, of whom there were
many, that he had divine attributes,
he walked from shore to shore upon
the waters of a creek that flowed near
the town.
The feat came as the dramatic eli
max to a powerful sermon by which
his hearers had been aroused to the
point of frenzy and the ocular dem
onstration of his professed divinity,
greeted with a Greek chorus of
"Amens," removed the last vestige OF
doubt from the minds of converts.
According to the relation in the old
county history, the news of this mar
velous feat spread like wildfire
| throughout the adjacent countryside.
1t was discussed at every crossroads
store and was the one topic of con-
versation at every farm house and
village home, even the revilers were
subdued for the moment, and the
flock of converts increased rapidly.
Still there were many skeptics, for
the Smith family had very unsavory
| reputation in the neighborhood, and
Joseph Smith in particular, accord
ing to the affidavits of some sixty OF
| the prominent men of the vicinity
was held to be a person of absolute
| ly no moral character, and of vicious
drunken habits. They doubted and
waited.
| Smiths success was his undoing
according to the old history. The
converts hungered for miracles. They
wanted Some more of the water-walk.
ing business as ocular proof for the
| flock of new adherents, and Smitf
rather reluctantly consented, for non,
knew better than he how repetition
cheapens. When the day came grea
crowds lined the shore of the creek
every one upon the tiptoe of ex
pectancy. At the appointed hour
Smith appeared, and. with tread o
dignity and assurance, approached
the bank at the spot roped off 70
him to make the trial. He removed
his shoes and stockings and wadeC
in. The great crowd held its breath
Necks were craned and staring eye
watched every movement of tn
prophet.
A murmur of surprise, a gasp o
wonder swept over the crowd a
Smith slowly and dramatically walk
ed toward midstream. the water, wei
known to be ten or twelve feet dee
at this point, coming only half wa
between his feet and knees. Wit
unbelieving eyes the skeptics watch
ed the progress OF his majestic glide
Then suddenly, with a splash tina
threw the water of the muddy cree
high in the air, the prophet dis
appeared, to come to the surface
moment later putting and splurgin
around like any ordinary mortal un
der similar cold-bath circumstances.
A roar of laughter swept over tn