"The larger proportion of the time of the Smiths, however, was spent in hunting and fishing, trapping muskrats ("mushrats" was the word they used), digging out woodchucks from their holes, and idly lounging around the stores and shops in the village. Joseph generally took the leading direction of the rural enterprises mentioned, instead of going to school like other boys -- though he was seldom known personally to participate in the practical work involved in these or any other pursuits."

. . .

"But it is a noticeable incident in the whole process of the imposture, that the uneducated and ignorant character of Smith was turned to his advantage over his followers. His want of cultivation in respect to "the world's wisdom,"precluded in their minds the idea of the exercise of any natural or acquired faculties in producing his wonderful revelations and translations. Their reasoning was: "He is unlearned of men, therefore how could he acquire the ancient learning displayed, if it were not supernaturally communicated to him?""