| Show MAJOR JOHN H GILBERT on th the e of J january an u ary last t there biere appeared appealed in the NEWS an announcement of the at palmyra N Y on january 26 of major john if gilbert known as the first bret printer of the book of mormon the rochester N Y union and advertiser gives given the follow following sketch or 01 his me lie major john H gilbert the oldest printer in now new york state stale died satur batur day evening at at hia bin home on gates street at the age of 92 years and 6 months major gilbert was born august 13 1802 and at the early age ol of twelve years yeara he be was thrown upon his own resources his bis father dying and leaving a widow and a large family ot of children in reduced circumstances circum mr gilbert Gil beit text when a lad of six sixteen Leen entered the office ol of toe old canandaigua and graduated into one of u the beat mil all round printers in this section after remaining there several years yeara and thinking more money could be made in city t iff icer tie he resigned bin bid position and worked for a short abort time in Utica Albany and other eastern points not liking city work he came to palmyra in the early and went to work on the old wayne Son sentinel tinel pomeroy tucker being the proprietor at about this time the mormon excitement cit ement broke out under joseph timily who claimed he had bad dug up plates platea in the side aide of a hill some three miles south of this village which to ie now BOW known all over the civilized world an aa mormon hill with divine mee mages upon them from the mormon bible was wag printed th tb is ie book was brought to the theand senti nel nei office to be irin rioted teas and it fell to major gilbert to do the typesetting type setting getting proofreading proof prof reading and presswork press work upon this abla volume mr gilbert was known over the united states as the man who printed the first mormon bible in 10 1827 mr gilbert was wao married to mrs miss coloe P thayer who died some fifteen years ago twelve children were born to 0 them five cf whom are still living miss sarab barab of this place who kept house and oared cared for toe tae major in late his years charles a uti business alness man mad at detroit mich william ot of rochester mrs J C williams williame of new york city and miss belle of the same city maor major gilbert was authority on matters to the mormon bible and the period of the mormon excitement ment in this thin county and when the faithful from tar far off utah visited palmyra he was always sought out for a personal interview and piloted tile the over mormon hll hill while they gleaned from him interesting bits bite of the Prop prophets hots early life and doidge in this thin place in printing the mormon bible mr gilbert kept the first bret true sheet unbound which he sold to HOD HD pliny T sexton bexton of thin place who is the tb possessor of the first mormon bible ever printed mojor major gilbert was a lifelong life long democrat tf the jackson type and had bad hold held local offices being at ono one time collector at palmyra for the erie canal when whelk that waterway was in its palm pal lest days he was wan an expert violinist on each birthday the major used to visit our local printing offices and set got his stick full of type as he be would say just to show the buys boys bow the old man did it and tell them jokes of his early career as a printer when local offices as the occasion demanded demand eds used carpet tacks fur for type in the passing away of maor major oil bert the connecting link jink of early mor mon times with the present Is gone in the early training days when the local militia was each towns pride and glory mr gilbert was IR a well known figure and it was here he be won his bis title of major 20 being in command of the local organization for some time |
