San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-24
SPIRITUALISM.
TWENTY YEARS OF GROWTH IN SAN
ANTONIO.
From Handful of Adherents the Believers
Now Are Numbered by Hundreds.
A Wonderful Young Me-
dunn Develops.

dunn Develops.
San Antonio for twenty years
past has always had some mem
bers of the spirituslist faith as
residents. In the early years OF
this period, OF course, with the
city's population then at hardly
$4,000 souls, the ratio was very
small, as any one taking the
trouble to read Augusta Evans VIII
sons "Angel of the Alamo" can
readily perceive. Then only an
occasional "circle" was held, and
in it you might have COUNTED the
earnest members with the fingers
of one hand, among them the aged
dentist, a secretary OF the largest
corporation we then had, the
mother Of an old Virginia family
and a couple of others. The "me-
diums" were usually self developed
and unsatisfactory in getting
manifestations" or "proofs," or
else high-priced professionals far
out of reach of the modest circle,
except on rare occasions, when out
side contributions were solicited
and received to obtain one sitting.
The spirits, however, kept pace
with the growth OF our city, and
five years later fortune tellers,
chairvoyants and mind readers
began dropping in and raking in
the shekels from the "searchers"
and others, with but poor returns (;
albeit, they did have the good effect
to the cause Of producing a quick.
ening of the people that enlisted
many converts and called the at
tention of the curious.
Ten years later the little circle
had greatly increased and num-
bered among its members many
ladies and gentlemen prominent in
social life or in business, and sit.
tings OF friends became much more
frequent aud interesting. A splen-
did medium was discovered in a
young lady Of English birth and
education. Her readings were
marvels and her appearance at a
circle was always the signal for a
large attendance. In her attend
ance at circles or ia the private sit
tings she gave the spirits lowered
thick around her and so filed the
individuality of all present that
other fairly capable mediums soon
developed, and where one had been
there were two or three who could
obtain manifestations, sometimes
OF wonderful nature and truly
startling and real.
The fortune tellers, mind read
ers, and other characters, kept
coming apsce, and fed well on the
crumbs of the banquet, while the
sleight-of-hand artists also swoop-
ed down and showed the happy
incredulous how it was all done by
exposes" well calculated to cause
any spiritualist to shudder at the
incougruities of his faith if such
"exposes" exposed any thing that
he believed in, which they did not.
Quietly, yet steadily, the
spiritualist congregation gathered
strength, aided a great deal by the
Liberal Minded or Free Thinkers
club that was then in existence,
aud marching rapidly down the
last decade to his majority the
stall wart young scion OF the new
faith has recently become very
much manifest in our city.
Where formerly five were gath
cred together enthusiastically,
now weekly meetings, attended by
hundreds OF ladies and gentlemen,
are held. They have sprightly
periodical that makes good stand
for the faith, have secured from
time to time noted, able lecturers
and exponents of the mysteries
they believe in, and have regular
circles during evenings in the resi-
dences OF their members which are
attended by all who can get in.
Recently these circles have de-
veloped some wonderful truths and
startling denouements. A young
man, who has been slight cripple
from birth, OF good psrentage,
though not of great means, has by
the recent gathering OF several
noted spiritualists and mediums,
felt the influence descend upon
him, and scarcely knowing his
power, has been solicited by
his friends to join the circles. Here
the influence has seized him and,
all unconscious he was dis.
covered to the company home
secrets, in some cases skele-
tons, in others warning, to others
success, and seems to have given
great satisfaction to all. In one
instant he discovered for a gentle
man the address of long I'M
known wealthy uncle, and this by
giving him the exact postoffice
boXi number of the uncle, in a
northern city.
To.another gentleman, who has
Il