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Show Flil Mil BIBLE; W IT IS BllltO Grandson of the Printer, Who Is With Louis James Company, Tells the Story. With the Louis James company, now playing at the Salt J.akc theater, is John I Gilbert, who is the property man of the company, lie was born and raised In Palmyra, X V., and his ancestors for several generations also made their homo iu that city. Away back in the long ago. when the plates, upon which Mormonifim ha a Its foundation wen- found in f T ill Cmnorah and were translated, no printing establishment estab-lishment could bt found that would print tho Mormon book. ar. the necessary cash could not be obtained. At that time tli great grandfather of young Gilbert, who had Hie title 01 major, and was known as Major John Gilbert, was a printer on the Palmyra Herald. He was also a bookbinder. After a numbers num-bers of efforts had been made t get, the Mormon bible' printed, all of which failed, Major Gilbert was seen and he finally agreed to set the type for the book and also bind It after it was printed, this to be done after offlee hours, and ho to take chances on being paid for his work-Should work-Should he receive any money for his work, then ho wss to turn over to the Herald owners a certain per cent for the use of the material. ' . According to young Gilbert's atory. which has been handed down for several generations, his preat grandfather had the blbU- dictated lo him from behind a screen, he not knowing who did the delating, de-lating, nnd from the copy thus obtained he pet up Into tyTV printed and bound the first Mormon bible. The edition was small. Original Bible in Palmyra. The original first bible he retained himself him-self and It was bequeathed to his eldest son. who in time disposed of It to the president of the First Xatlonat bank of Palmvra. Sergeant by name, and who was a Quaker in religion, who now has it laid away in the vault of. that institution. |