A smash hit, the books supplanted mah jongg as the biggest fad of the day and sold nearly a million copies in a year.
Estimates vary widely on the actual number of members.
From just 2,000 in 1920, membership grew into the millions by 1924. The opportunity for organized hatred is not the only reason for the quick rise in membership. Recruiters and initiates who also recruited were promised quick riches as part of a recruitment pyramid scheme. Only two of the planes make it back to Seattle successfully. Travel time, including 57 stops, is 351 hours.