Ben-Hur & J.K. Lilly, Jr.

Lew Wallace, Jr.

In the mid-1930s, Josiah K. Lilly, Jr. noted Indianapolis philanthropist and partner in the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical business was acquiring papers and memorabilia significant in Indiana history. One of the documents he acquired was the original manuscript of Ben-Hur. He purchased the document, hand-written in purple ink by Lew Wallace, from the author’s grandson, Lew Wallace, Jr.

J.K. Lilly

Upon closer inspection, Lilly realized that the manuscript was missing the opening pages of several chapters including the pages from Book 1, Chapter 1. Lew, Jr. had no idea where the missing pages had gone, but speculated that his grandfather might have taken the pages and had them bound in a long missing special edition. A total of twenty-seven pages were gone. Lilly searched for almost twenty-five years, but never found the missing pages.

J.K. Lilly, Jr. donated over 20,000 books and 17,000 manuscripts to Indiana University in the 1950s. These gifts became the foundation for the Lilly Library at IU which was dedicated on October 3, 1960. At the dedication, Frederick B. Adams, Jr., director of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, was one of the featured speakers. Adams diverted from his prepared script to say: “It is not easy to hit the moon with a satellite and it is almost equally difficult to plan the right conjunction of mind and book and time. The proper conditions are here in Lilly Library . . .ready and waiting.”

The audience did not understand Adams’ point until with a broad smile he announced that “Here in my hand are the missing leaves to the original Ben-Hur manuscript.” Confusion turned to disbelief and then to cheers as the audience realized the magnitude of the announcement. Wallace’s original manuscript was on display for the dedication and the pages held by Adams were taken over and matched to the torn edges in the original manuscript. All twenty-seven pages were there!



Ben-Hur. First Edition, First State

Adams explained that Harper Brothers, the original publishers of Ben-Hur had held the missing pages until 1959. At that time, the publishing house gave them to the Pierpont Morgan Library. When the Lilly Library dedication was announced the trustees of the Morgan Library and Harper Brothers decided the pages should be reunited with the Wallace’s original work. On October 3, 1960, after a separation of almost eighty years, Lew Wallace’s masterwork was again whole thanks to the generous philanthropy of the Pierpont Morgan Library, Harper Brothers and Josiah K. Lilly, Jr.

Source: Montgomery Magazine, November 1980, article by Pat Cline

Lew Wallace and the "Doctor"

Josiah K. Lilly, Sr. was a generation younger than Lew Wallace but the two men shared a great friendship. Josiah’s father was Eli Lilly a colonel in the Civil War and founder of the pharmaceutical company. Josiah received his college diploma in pharmacy in 1882 and in the fall of that year he married a second cousin named Lilly Ridgely (making her Lilly Lilly). Josiah had a keen interest in the mixing of medicines, but as the Lilly enterprise grew he was shifted into managerial positions and elected to the Board of Directors.

Around the turn of the century, Josiah and Lew Wallace went on a duck hunting trip. One morning, Lew woke up with a severe stomachache. Josiah jumped into action; digging up some Hydrastis canadensis roots (more commonly known as Goldenseal) he had seen near the duck blind. Josiah ground the roots in whiskey, tasted the brew and finding it suitable he named it Yaller Root Bitters. The drink was then given to the ailing General. According to Lilly, the results were highly satisfactory and he stated: “I do not believe the General was more enthusiastic over his capture of Fort Donaldson in the Civil War.” In his memoirs, Lilly failed to note just how large a medicinal dose Wallace took prior to his enthusiastic response. After taking the cure, Wallace always referred to Josiah as “Doctor.”

According to Wikipedia, Goldenseal is often used as a multi-purpose remedy, and is thought to possess many different medicinal properties. In addition to being used as a topical antimicrobial, it can be taken internally as a digestion aid, and may remove canker sores when gargled. Goldenseal is often used to boost the medicinal effects of other herbs it is blended or formulated with. Wikipedia does not address the medicinal boost offered by mixing Hydrastis Canadensis with whiskey and a couple of duck hunters.

Information for this Tidbit from: All in a Century: The First 100 Years of Eli Lilly and Company, by E.J. Kahn, Jr.