The Indianapolis journal., 1885-05-17
NEW YORK THEOSOPHISTS.
Where Nine. Blavatsky's Apostles Meet
and Discuss Occult Phenomena.
What Brahmin Doctor Has to Say of Theos-
Ophy in its Relations to Human Life
Russia and England Must Fight.

get into the papers. In private house on Fifth
avenue there is unique and curious basement
room, where, every Friday evening, company
of gentlemen assemble informally for recreation
end converse 1t is a low-ceiled apartment.
completely lined with mirrors, even to the doors.
except for the space occupied by the fire place
and a single bookcase. Camp chairs and small
refreshment tables stand about the floor and at
one end there is a long table well supplied with
cigar boxes. decanters. jugs and silver hot
water urn. The host is genial gentleman a
retired lawyer, with taste for literature,
who has given some entertainments of
original sort. On one occasion he invited few
friends to a supper served as nearly as
possible in the style of the ancient Romans; the
guests reclining on couches at the meal and
being crowned with roses. Another time he
celebrated what was called the marriage of the
Atlantic and the Pacific before numerous as
sembly. A bottle of water from the Pacific
ocean had been brought across the continent for
the purpose, and with due ceremony the con-
tents were mingled with an equal quantity of
Atlantic sea water, in a silver bowl. Appropriate
rites and orations pronounced by we'll
known gentlemen in emblematic allesorical
costume and several poets read verses commem
orative of the union. But in the room of mir
rors-down stairs, which is playfully called
''Brain Center" the gatherings are purely social.
A few literary men. other men known in public
life, and still others who represent the oldest
Knickerbocker families drop in, sit the
camp chairs, smoke, drink moderately, and
chat on themes of interest. Recently
i met there Chauncev Depew, Judge
Shea Admiral Nicholson (who commanded
the American squadron present at the lombard
ment of Alexandria, and Colonel Chaille Long
formerly chief of staff to General Gordon when
the latter was Governor of the Soudan But
@ still more decided representative of the East
was full blooded Brahmin from india who is
now studying medicine in this city. 1t is, by
the way, genuine tribute to the high reputa-
tOn of American medical science, that native
of British India should have skipped Paris and
passed over England, preferring to take course
IN medicine here. Our Brahmn is we'll made
gentleman of rather short stature, with a light
bronze tinted complexion, small, black, mus
tache, teeth Of perfect whiteness and regularity,
and soft, mysterious black eyes. His features,
however, are not so intellectual in their mold as
one might expect The doctor had been written
down" at the Union Club, but when he called
there one evening and asked for the gentleman
whose guest he was to be- the attendant at the
door assigned him to chair in the hall reserved
for messenger boys and informed the gentleman
that "colored man was waiting down stairs.
His physiognomy gives some excuse for this
mistake, but his manners are charmingly re-
fined and modest. He is a member of the
",
written about in connection with Mime. Blavat
sky, who formerly had temple" here and did a
great many magical things, such reaching her
hand into the air and plucking from empty
space few fresh rosebuds at will
The object of the Theosophical Society is the
propagation of occult phenomena" The mem
bers believe that by e careful mode of life and
the cultivation of holy spirit valuable power
ever the secret forces of nature may be OBJ
tanned. "Tbe society will not flourish in Amer
ica," said the Brahmin DOCTOR" because there
is not enough simplicity of life here and very
little sense of sacredness People here
more about money than anything else. But
In India have several friends who have joined
us who are downright atheists They have been
brought up under English influence he ex-
planned with unconscious sarcasm, ''and believed
in nothing. But now, since they have become
Theosophists, they are able already to produce
some of the slighter phenomena. Then there
are others who have power to cnre the SICK"
asked him about the marvels of Hindu jugglers.
many Of which he has seen performed; for ex
ample, throwing down piece OF paper and max
ing 1T turn into live serpent, orcausng mango
tree to grow up under ones very eyes out of
tho barren ground. Could these be accounted
for by hypnotism--the exercise of mesmeric
power by the jugglers upon the spectators, induc-
ing them to imagine that they saw the serpent and
the mango treei He laughed quietly, and said that
that was impossible. His explanation was that
the jugg.ers had acquired control of certain evil
or frivous spirits, which enabled them to create
these appearances. Bearing in mind that it is
an intelligent, cultivated Brahmn who gives
this answer, and that he is also scientific
student of medicine, we may find it an interest
ing thing to consider The late DIR. j. Garth
Wilkinson, of London, regular physician with
a large practice, wrote book in which he main
tanned that the highest and best mode of heal
ing was by touch and that the ability to prac-
tice it could be developed by thorough knowl-
edge and a proper cultivation of ones physical
and spiritual nature. This tallies with the
theosophical idea, for members of the society
if they wish to master occult forces, have to
give up the use of tobacco, wines and liquors
and must diet carefully. besides leading pure
life in every sense. American believers in the
faith cure ought to investigate this cognate
movement.
The Brahmin doctor believes that England will
have to fight Russia ultimately in order to pre-
serve India, and declares that the people of In
3ia will sustain England heartily. Col. Chaile
Long who joined in the talk, says that the war;
If it comes, caniot be deferred long perhaps no
more than a few months. but he does not think
that England can pIs enough men i'll the field to
win Nor. with all the bravery of her troops is
she successful in land wa~fare, while Russia is
great military power. and can outnumber and
outgeneral tie British. So. in his opinion, Great
britain VIII 10 forced TO yiell India in the end.
Colonel Long also advanced peculiar theory as
TO dordons possible .atc. lie suggests that, as
the Soudan is a country os mrages Sir Charles
Wilson. who commaaded the steamers sent to
toum at all, Notwithstanding that he
thought he did. Three miles north
OF the junction OF the Blue Nile with
the White Nile at Khartoum the river narrows
and is inclosed by high hills The Mahdi had
occupied these hills some time before Sir Charles
Wilson's approach. Colonel Longs theory is
that the British officer was deceived BY mirage
into thinking that he saw Khartoum lying just
beyond the hills and consequently imagined
that the rebels We're in possession of it. All the
accounts Of Gordons death are indirect and con-
Trajectory. Therefore, it is possible that when
Gordon found himself hard pushed, and that the
Of ad M haoly 40 hIo
port with British troops on board he took his
remaining steamers and sailed away up the
White Nile, while Colonel Wilson returned to
Goubat. beaten by the enemy's cannon and de-
ceived by a mirage. If this was tho case, there
is still a chance that Gordon may come ont
alive somewhere. But he will have TO come out