The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-28
AsTROLOGERs AND THEIR DUPEs.
Their Headquarters Is at Boston, the
City Of Refuge Of Cranks.
New Orleans T>imes-Democrat I.


ut seems paradoxical at first blush" said
a member of the faculty of Tulane Unver-
sity, but the extraordinary fads and deiu-
sions that are multiplying every day are
tific progress of this century. The more
We see of natures marvels the less in
clined We are TO brand any statement as alb
solutely false. The public is disposed to sus-
pend judgment and wait for evidence, ard
this attitude of tolerance Is taken advan-
tage of by innumerabe cranks and inn
posters. i was surprised not long ago when
very level-headed business man asked me
seriously what i thought of astrology. L
supposed he was chatting me about some
astronomical work OF my own, until IL
leaked out that he had been a regular pa
iron of a so-called astrologer who lives in
Boston and makes commercial forecasts
at s. apiece. l saw one of the circulars OF
this modern Cagliostro. He claims to be
particularly successful in advising opera
tons in corn, wheat, cotton and speculative
securities and my friend told me / could
laugh as much j pleased but there
was certainly something In IT.. He took
the thing very seriously. but the idea OF
planets a million times vaster than Ibis lit
tie world of ours. threading their mighty
orbits through unimaginable CULTS of space
the bare idea of that stupendous heavenly
procession arranging Itself with special ref
erence to the swindling Vaccinations OF
few Board of Trade sharpers in Chicago or
New York-struck me as being uproariously
funny. The incident excited my curiosity.
however, and 1 learned that the Boston
astrologers have quite a number of occa-
incredible, but IL Is true. The cult lately
established very pretentiouS magazine
called the Sphinx. i saw one copy, rubbed
my eyes and wondered whether 1 was really
living in the nineteenth century. Ii seemed
to me that had been suddenly transported
backward at least three hundred years
Il found out incidentally in the course or
my slight investigation" continued the pro-
fessor. that several individuals in different
parts Of the country are now giving what
are called absent treatments for success
in business and evidently making good
thing out of st. AS nearly as / could gather
from one of their circulars, the principle is
the So me as that of Christian Science heal
ing. The fellow who has been a chronic
failure all his life takes a few treatments
and becomes a bowling success. L don't
know whether a four-carat solitaire blos-
but Ii is only reasonable to suppose that
such IS the case. A man afflicted with
Bright'S disease and a yearning for wealth
can get rid of one and acquire the other by
precisely the same methods, but both
money and sickness are supposed to be pure
ly imaginary the operation involves spe-
cies of mental gymnastics that have been
unable TO master. Nevertheless. the circu-
lar / saw was fairly loaded with testimo-
malls. number of which were from preach
ers, and / looked them over 1 couldn't
help wondering what effect a course OF
green goods man. There is nothing curious.
by the way, in the fact that Boston is the
great national center for this kind of thing.
Its atmosphere Is peculiarly favorable to
fads-spiritualism, telepathy, thought trans
ference, table tipping planchette reading,
palmistry. theosophy. faith curing. mesmer-
ism and other cults too numerous TO men,
ton. have all focused at the Hub. From
time out Of mind IT has been the City Of
Refuge for cranks."