Comments on: John M. Bernhisel: The Doctor and the Library

By: Jeanette

Jeanette — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:12:41 +0000

Hello, Folks….

Just stumbled on to your conversation about Bernhisel’s book list. A friend of mine gave me a copy that she picked up at the “This is the Place” monument….so the info is out there. (I’m a great granddaughter of JMB and am proud of his efforts. My Mom had all his personal papers and donated them to BYU.)

By: George Wythe

George Wythe — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:22:39 +0000

As far as the discussion of Oliver DeMille, A Thomas Jefferson Education, and George Wythe College goes, here is a blog devoted to collecting facts about him, the school, and the book. Anyone is welcome to contribute to the discussion there! [I hope this isn't too blatant of a plug, Ardis!]

By: Christopher

Christopher — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:17:59 +0000

I know this is coming way late to the discussion, but I came across an insightful article on Public Libraries in Utah that I thought might be of interest to some readers here. Here's the citation: Suzanne M. Stauffer, "Polygamy and the Public Library: The Establishment of Public Libraries in Utah before 1910," Library Quarterly 75:3 (July 2005): 346-370. It is available here for anyone interested (library access may be required).

By: Rick Grunder

Rick Grunder — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:19:22 +0000

Ardis, you’ve found me out! While I did indeed have Moses’ autographed set of the stone tablets, I was not able to find a customer due to my speciality being Mormon material. Every likely customer whom I contacted listened politely to my sales pitch, only to counter with a request for another copy of the 1830 first-edition Book of Mormon instead.

Eventually, I donated the tablets to the library at Alexandria, Egypt. An unfortunate choice, I suppose.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:19:59 +0000

Bill, I didn’t know that! I’ve heard and read your account of the long bows, but never picked up this detail. Cool.

And Rick Grunder is immortal; I think he may have bought Moses’s autographed copy of the stone tablets and found a suitable buyer for them back in the day.

By: Bill MacKinnon

Bill MacKinnon — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:06:58 +0000

Partly because of Dr. Bernhisel’s skill in acquiring books from dealers in New York and Philadelphia, Daniel H. Wells, commanding general of Utah’s Nauvoo Legion, turned to him in late 1856/early 1857 when he was seeking miltary training and tactics manuals with which to educate the Legion. (We’ll leave aside for the moment for what purpose.) General Wells asked Bernhisel to seek this material from the War Department with the admonition that if they didn’t come across than Bernhisel was to scour the Atlantic Coast private book dealers. (Too bad Rick Grunder wasn’t in business then — or was he?).
While on the subject of the Utah War, during the course of my research I became aware that during October and November 1857 B.Y. had urged General Wells to outfit the Legion with long bows and cross bows for mountain warfare. When I first read this, I thought it a bit wacky, and put it down to a case of Brigham Young not being able to shake his role as a formner woodworker from his system or to a penchant for micromanaging. Then, independent of the Utah War, I became aware that Benjamin Franklin had suggested to Maj. Gen. Richard Lee during the Revolution that the young American army adopt the English long bow as a weapon. The letter in which Franklin made this suggestion was later (1856) published in a compilation of Franklin’s letters. I got to thinking whether B.Y. had ever read such a book and checked the inventory of the territorial library described so well by Ardis, and I’ll be darned if this volume wasn’t one of those that Bernhisel had gathered and shipped to Utah. Hmmm, now let’s see, where are those library card photostats for the letter “Y”?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:59:29 +0000

Thanks, BHodges — check your email. This sounds like what I want (free, easy, and local).

By: BHodges

BHodges — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:45:26 +0000

Ardis: Cool stuff. Thanks for your contributions.

By the way, a great way to back up your blog is by saving the actual site. I recommend HTTrack. It’s free and easy, allowing you to download your website to a local directory on your PC. You could get an external hard drive as your backup. HTTrack makes it so your website can be accessed completely locally on your computer. Email me if you want more info. Sorry if this sounds like a commercial. I don’t have any stake in the program other than that I use it myself for my blog.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:50:50 +0000

Rick, I have just typed up the text of the broadside, ready to post here one of these days. I’ll link back to this bibliographic description when I do — not quite the same as a scan, but it’s what I can do.

Thanks for this.

By: Rick Grunder

Rick Grunder — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:30:56 +0000

Years ago I had an original example of the circular itself . . .

Bernhisel, John W. [Broadside] To the Authors, Editors and Publishers of the United States: —The Inhabitants of the Territory of Utah, Through Their Authorized Agent, Desire to Address You on a Subject Wherein You Have Power Very Greatly to Assist Them . . . New York, November 12, 1850. 25 X 20 cm. on blue paper. One page with blank integral leaf. A very fine copy. A well-written appeal for books for the Utah Territorial Library, to which Congress had appropriated $5,000. Dr. Bernhisel, a friend of Joseph Smith and Thomas L. Kane, was acting as the Territory's first delegate.

I wish I had also owned a scanner in those days!