The San Francisco call., 1899-04-17
GAINS STRENGTH
YEAR By YEAR
Growth of the Universal
Brotherhood.
GRATIFYING REPORTS MADE
LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
FOR MEMBERSHIP.
Katherine A. Tingley Tells the Con-
gress of the Humanitarian
Work Done at Santiago
de Cuba.
BY MRS. ii. II. SOMERS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN DIEGO, April 16.-The Saturday
session of the Universal Brotherhood
Congress being held on Point Iona was
called to order by Chairman Harris.
After a rendition of classical music the
chairman called upon f. M. Pierce,
secretary general of the organization,
for his annual report He made an in
formal report, in which he brought to
the attention of the representatives
present a rough outline of the. matters
Of Importance coming within the circle
of his office during the past year. The
facts enumerated by him in his speech
were eloquent with nope and promise
for the speedy success and rapid de-
velopment of the principles which the
congress is engaged in promulgating.
They showed that the organization had
made tremendous progress within the
year; that the number of lodges was
greatly in excess of the number year
ago, and that his office was receiving
q constant stream of applications for
membership. Mr.. Pierce's address was
received with enthusiasm, and was
greeted by round after round OF ap-
plause.
The chairman next called upon E. a.
Neresheimer, treasurer general of the
brotherhood, for his annual report. In
his CAPACITY as treasurer general Mr.
Neresheimer made four reports, cover
ing. respectively, the finances Of the
Universal Brotherhood, the Interna-
tional Brotherhood League, the Iheo-
sophical Society in America and the
emergency fund. These reports showed
that the treasury had balance on
l,n
ments had reached much higher hg-
ure than in any previous year.
The next report was by II. L. Pat
terson. superintendent of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood League, which fur-
nished a glowing description OF the IN
teresting work of the league during the
past year.
Chairman Harris introduced Mrs.
Elizabeth c. Mayer, superintendent OF
the children's work through the world
Mrs Mayer gave a charming and
inspiring account of the work OF her
department among the children in this
country, Europe and Australasia. she
gave an elaborate account OF work
among the newsboys and bOotblackS OF
Toledo. o.. the children of the lotus
homes in New York and Buffalo and
the ''Do-Good" Mission of the East Side
Of New York.
The next order of business was a re-
port by F. NJ. Pierce, representative of
the School for the Revival of the Lost
MYSTERIES of Antiquity. on the present
status Of the school. Mr.. Pierce made
a word picture of the scene stretching
out before his vision from the eminence
on Point Loma on which he was stand
ing. The picture w" painted in living
color, and his application of it to the
purpose of the school was extremely
graphic Mr.. Pierce declared that the
L. ia !, Af,,A IA
be an accomplished fact, when the light
and influence radiating and flowing
from its open portals would illumine
the night of ignorance and shed bless
ing and a benediction on everything
within its reach.
The event of the session of yester-
days congress was an address by
Kather. e A. Tingley, in which she
gave the audience a clear, definite and
profound Interpretation of the Greek
play "Eumenides, which is to be pre-
sented to the members of the congress
and to the public generally on Monday
and Tuesday afternoons.
The leader then gave an extensive
and detailed account Of the work which
she and her fellow crusaders had re-
Gently done in Santiago de Cuba. This
account was so vivid that the harrow
ing scenes and experiences through
which the crusaders had recently
passed were made almost actual before
the eyes of her hearers. She said the
restitution and suffering were pitiful,
and many of her audience shed tears
of sympathy. Immediately upon her
arrival there she commenced the hu-
manitarian work of relieving the dis
tress and suffering. which labor of love
continued for period of five weeks.
Mrs. Tingley declared that the most
distorted reports and erroneous concep-
tions in regard to the Cubans were
prevalent in the United States She
says that they have some noble and
substantial qualities.
Another interesting fact in connec-
ton with her trip to Cuba was the
planting of two liberty trees, one repre-
senting Cuba and one the United
States. She referred to the grant of
thirteen acres of land by the Mayor of
Santiago to her for a site for an or
phanage. Mrs. Tingley announced that
She attended to erect the necessary
buildings as soon as she could COM
mand the time to attend to the matter.
Funeral of Lieutenant French.