Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-18
BRAKES INFLUENCE.
Through the Former Rock islanders
Efforts One OF the Most 'FRONT.'
nent Exponents of Spirituaiism Re-
tires to Private Life.

tires TO Private Life.
Our former esteemed townsman, Mr.. j
s. Drake at one time, one of the co pros
prietors of the ARGUS, and who not long
since deserted the ranks Of bachelorhood
and became a benedict, has been the
means of taking from public life one of
the most eminent opponents of spiritual>
ism. He and his wife are enjoying life
al Lake Pleasant, famous resort in
Massachusetts. Ii WAS there that the
editor of the Springfield Mass Irdde
journal CHANGED to be one day, and he
wrote his paper the following, which will
be read with interest by many in this
city
In passing about the grounds of
Lake Pleasant and visiting old friends in
their tented and cottage homes, our re-
porter found MANY changes, while at the
same time he encountered numerous ia,
miliar faces Maud Lords" cottage on
the bluff is still there, in all its old time
naturalness, but Mrs. Lord is Maud
Lord no longer She has married typi-
cal westerner. Mr.. J s. Drake, formerly
of Rock island. Ill whose headquarters
are in New York city, and is now spoken
of among her wide circle of friends as
Mrs. Maud Lord Drake. She is no longer
engaged in giving seances; indeed il is the
wish of her husband that she abstain en-
tirely from public work He is gen
tleman of wealth and education and
wishes to withdraw his wife as much
as possible from the pubic-a
disposition people sincerely regret,
for, during, the twenty-five years she
has been before the public Mrs. Lord, as
| she has so long been called, has been
palnstaking and conscientious medium
She has demonstrated the phenomena of
spiritualism from high plane, and no
one has ever accused her of fraud or of
dishonest dealing. On the contrary. as
she retres to private life, after SO many
years spent in public service, she has one
proud satisfaction, an ability tn look
backward upon all these Years. with the
knowledge that she has Conscientiously
performed her duty according to the best
light given her. And her reward is met
in the appreciation of a public that has
found her ever reliable aud truthful in all
her demonstrations of spiritual phe,
nomena
She has addressed audiences of the
best people IN the chief cities, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and an ovation
has greeted her every appearance. She
has entertained the most learned sci
enusts of the day, and assisted in their
Splutuallsllc Investigations. She has
sounded the depths of public opinion
and esteem and friendship have been
her reward upon every side Not a
| breath of SANDER has ever touched her
fair fame, and her reputation rome
can gainsay. While ohiecting to her
holding public seances Mr.. Drake does
not object to her using her remarkable
gifts IN the interests of scientific invesii.
CATION of this great subject, nor does he
object TO her occasionally sitting in cir
Gle of honest Investigators, who are bent
on ascertaining truth.
In his wife's mediumShip. Mr.. Drake
has the strongest belief for having tested
and proveI its truthfulness to his own
satisfaction, he speaks with the voice of
positive conviction when he says, in the
parlauCe of the true westerner II
stand ready to back il against the world"
While the public can but regret the
withdrawal of Maud Lord from public
life it cannot, al the same time. refrain
from congratulating her upon the
changes that have brought about thi,
end. But while the public will lose its
old-time favoritc, spirituallsm will not
lose her influence. 1t will rather witness
her blnssoming out in the wider field of
scientific research and side by side, with
the names of the learned scientists whose
life and fortunes have been devoted To
this end, the name and fame Of Maud
Lord-Drake will go down to p0sterity as
one, who, having passed through the
crucible of spirituaistic trial and expert
| cnce, comes out refined and pure, repre-
senting the very best embodimenls of a
| science as grand rs it is wonderful in its
nature, and mysterious in its origin.