St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-24
STRAY SUNBEAMS.

The national theosophical convention
which assembled in Chicago yesterday calls
to mind some persons and incidents con-
nected with the first organization Of this So
ciety in New York about fifteen years ago.
The doctrines of theosophy are set forth
in Nine BLAvATsKY's book entitled Isis
Unveiled" and the society was organized
for the purpose of introducing Buddhism
into this country. Countess BLAvATsKY, a
Russian noblewoman, was the founder of
the sect In this age of fsms, when all sorts
of cranky people are peddling all sorts of
cranky notions, there was nothing remark
able about Nine. BLAvATsKY's theosophical
adventure except the number of prominent
people she succeeded in converting to her
views. WILLIAM HENRY HURLBERT then
editor of the World, was suspected of
being convert to the BLAyATsKY
school. Among the charter members of the
society were Col. HENRY S. OLcoTT a
prominent New York lawyer; Maj. Gen.
DOUBLEDAY. of the United States army;
LINDA DIETz, then famous actress;
CHARLES SoUTHEARN, a representative of the
great SoUTHEARN book firm; Baron Won
PALM, an old German nobleman of London;
Judge WIMBRIDGE, the artist and founder of
the Tile club; the Princess HELEN Won
RAcowITz, the heroine of FERDINAND
LAssALLE's sad romance; MABEL COLLINS,
the novelist; DIR. PANcoAsT, the eminent,
but eccentric Philadelphia physician; EDI-
SON, the electrician, and host Of others of
equal celebrity.
~
Soon after the organization of the
theosopical society, Baron Won PALM died,
and the funeral afforded an opportunity for
81, \
the new sect The funeral was the most
unique thing in the way of burial cere-
monies that was ever seen in
this country. Col. OLcoTT as presi-
dent of the society, officiated as
high priest in the funeral services, which
were modelled after Eastern rites The body
of VoN PALM was laid in vault during the
winter, and in the early spring was taken
down to Washington, Pa, and cremated in
DR.. LEMoYNE's establishment, which was the
fisrt crematory ever builtin this country, and
Won PALM was its first subject.
80
1t was at the Won PALM cremation the
writer of Sunbeams met Madame BLAvATsKY
and Col. OLcoTT, and in two hours inter-
view heard from their lips the proclamation
of views which have since been more elab-
orately set forth in Madame BLAvoTsKY's
book. That was in the spring of 1876. AT that
time Col. OLcoTT looked to be man forty
wife years of age, square-built man, of dig
nified manner, and fluent taiker. One eye
was defective, which gave him an oglish look.
When talking to you he seemed to be looking
at some one else, which detracted from the
interest of his conversation. He has made a
good reputation as soldier in the civil war
and held a good social position in New
York.
80
It was evident. however, that BLAvATsKY
was the inspiring genius of the new religion,
or rather the revival in a new country of an
old religion. Physically, she was not attract
i've. Rather an elderly woman and I'M
gracefully fat, there was nothing in her ply
sique suggestive of spiritelle nature, ex-
cept those large, innocent beautiful eyes,
which flashed like diamond points amid the
darkness OF the weird, funeral surround
ings. The strong intellectually of the WON
an beamed in those lustrous orbs. She
talked with her eyes even more than with
her tongue, although the latter was not
bridled. Between the two tongue and eyes,
she invested her conversation with peculiar
charm, and it must have been a hard hearted
and hard-headed person who would not have
been beguiled into temporary acquiescence
in some of her widest notions. Countess BLA-
vATsKY is reputed to be a woman of wonder
full purity of life, and resolutely avoids all
mercenary schemes. The worst thing that
has ever been said about her is that she
smokes cigarettes.