The Greeley tribune., 1908-03-12
First Paper.)
Where Mormonism Was Born.

IL
try, Central New York, on the gen
tie declivity that slopes from the
central ridge or backbone Of that
portion Of the state northward to
Lake Ontario, is a series OF peculiar
hills-"hog backs they are vulgarly
called-that run north and SOUTH
generally more pointed and often ao'
rupt and somewhat precipitous III
the northern end They seem to
have been formed by the erosion OF
glacier or water action in an earlier
geologic age. while the Ontario was
receding to its present basin. Some
four miles south OF the charming
village of Palmyra, Wayne county.
is one of these eminenceS, which now
bears the name of Mormon Hill, but
was previously called Cumorah. The
hill itself, however, lies In the ao-
ioining township of Manchester on
tario county, and the property Is IN
the hands of the. family of Admiral
Sampson.
AS was passing one day along
the highway which skirts the western
foot of the hill, the driver OF the
vehicle, pointing to little up
thrown bank Of earth, two-thirdS or
more OF the way to the summit, SAID
There Is the hole from which Joe
Smith dug out the golden plates OF
the Mormon Bible. And over the
fence by the roadside were still TO
be seen short sections of sawn tree.
trunks which, he said, furnished the
foundation for the Smith shop.
The Smith Family.
Joseph Smith, senior, and Lucy
Mack, his wife, moved from Yer
mont to New York state 10 1916.
They had nine children, of whom
Joseph, junior, was the fourth. Joe
was born in Sharon, Windsor county,
VT, Dec. y, 1905. The parents
seem to have been the sort of folk
whose departure is pleasure to
those who are left behind; for they
are spoken Of as "a poor, ignorant,
thriftless, and not too honest couple
(BritAnnica. NV. D s25). They
settled in Palmyra, then compara-
lively new section Of country called
The Wilderness. and accounted to
be In the far west Smith, SEN
ior. put up sign, Cake and Beer
Shop" and, to exc out their scanty
subsistence, he and such other mem
bers OF the family as could work did
such odd jobs as they could find to
do. /. e, when they were obliged to.
Later they 'squatted'' on some land
not far from the Hill, the owners Of
which were non resident, and here
they had permanent home,
The wife of clergyman, who be-
gan his ministry in Palmyra fifty-
nine years ago this month Of March,
l90s-a woman whom know we'll,
and whose veracity ] regard as sac
ond to only that OF Scripture. thus
writes Joe Smiths mother moved
in the lowest walks of life, but she
had kind Of mental power which
her son shared. Both mother and
son were noted for habit of extray-
agant assertion. They would look a
listener full in the eye, and, without
confusion or blanching, tluently i'm
provise startling statements and ex-
citing stories. the warp and woof of
which were alike sheer falsehood
An old man who knew them well
said to me, You couldn't face them
down they'd lie and stick to it. :
Mrs. Smith used to 60 to the houses
of the village to do family washings.
But if the articles were left to dry
upon the line and not secured by
their owners before midnight, the
washer was often the winner; and in
these nocturnal depredations she was
assisted by her boys, who favored in
like manner poultry yards and graiI
bins. "
Eleven or the most prominent cit.
izens Of Manchester signed declara
tion which said: We, the under.
signed. being personally acquainted
with the family of Joseph Smith
senior. state that they were not onl,
a lazy, indolent set of OF men, bu
also Incorporate and their word was
not to be depended upon -
Sixty-two residents of Palmyra
who were acquainted with the Smitl
family, signed declaration, which
said: We have no hesitation IL
saying that we consider them desti
tute Of that moral character which
ought to entitle them to the conf
dence of the community. +"
Mother Smith and her Great Plan.
Mrs. Smith, ignorant, cunning, de
ceitful, superstitious, was thorough
ly imbued with an ill-regulated re
lfgious enthusiasm. She early gave