The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-29
FRIENDS OF SPIRITS
WILL Observe
ANNIVERSARY
st. Paul Adherents Of Creed
Which Sprang From
Strange Manifestations to
Fox Sisters Fifty-five Years
Ago Are to Celebrate To
day.

"The limits of the universe are not
cO-eXtensive with what our senses. per
ceiye, though aided by the best micro
scopes and other appliances; there ex-
lists besides and beyond the yisibly
material world a world of spirits, who
occasionally prove their activity among
men by unmistakable manifestations"
That, in a nutshell. is the creed Of
modern spiritualism, the fifty fifth an
niversary of which is to be celebrated
today by the adherentS of this faith in
st. Paul and Minneapolis, at odd Eel
lows hall, corner Fifth and ~Wabasha
streets.
Modern spiritualism dates from the
publication of the singular manifesto
tions received by the Fox sisters, in
Hydesville, n. Y, in 184S.
These sisters, Margaret and Kate, at
that time both young, it is said, were
playing in the field when one noticed
a strange and unaccOuntable noise is
suing from a stone beside her. Look
ing at the stone she saw nothing strike
it, but was Mortified to hear a noise, as
if the stone was being pounded with
stick. This phenomenon was repeated
many times in the hearing OF both
girls and they told their mother of it.
Mother Was Terrified.
The performance was repeated in
the hearing of the mother, and she, a
good Methodist, was terrified, and
quickly summoned the minister. Upon
being informed of the occurrence, that
dominic, as became his cloth, imme-
diately pronounced the thing to be the
work of Satan, and warned the girls to
beware.
But the dawn of a new faith, the
Spiritualists maintain was not to be
Obscured by superstition or prejudice.
The fame of the little girls spread far
and wide, and the manifestations con-
tinued. AS a result, scientific men and
philosophers investigated the reports
concerning the girls and became con-
WINGED that there was something I'M
canny about them.
The girls were taken to Europe and
to many places. and a number of peo
pie became curious, and philosophical
investigation following, creed was
formulated on the principles which now
form the basis of modern spiritualism.
The various forms which spiritual
ism has assumed have been developed
through application at the shrine of the
spirits, and today there are thousands
of people in the United States who
have acquired such acquaintance with
spOOkS as to be able to converse with
them and to receive messages from
them through material things. Clair
Voyance, clairaudience, personation,
are some of the accomplishments Of
the spiritualists.
Alliance Fifteen Years Old.
The spiritualistic movement first
reached St Paul about fifteen years
ago, when the st. Paul Spiritualist al
lance was organized. The alliance has
at present an active membership Of
over 100, and hundreds of st. Paul peo-
pie are interested in the subject. The
meetings of the alliance at Odd Eel
lows hall are always large. Many are
regular attendants, and many are at
tracted through curiosity. Hundreds
who have come to sheer have remained
to wonder at receiving some remarka-
BILE message from lost relatives or
friends, or some warning of impending
events that subsequently n1aterialized.
Joseph z. WhitWell is now president
of the alliance. He succeeded w. c.
Edwards. The first president of the
alliance was Samuel Kenyon, and NJ
T. c. Flower, Frank E. Irvine and J. s.
Maxwell have also been presidents Of
the organization.
There will be three meetings today,
in celebration of the anniversary. In
the morning, commencing at 10: 80,
there will be an address by Mrs. J. P.
Whitwell, music by Miss T. Bergstrom
and tests by Mrs. John Sauer.
The afternoon programme includes
addresses by Mrs. S. M. Lowell and
Mrs. Asa Talcott, tests by Mrs. Sauer,
and musical numbers by Prof and
Mrs. Zumbach and Mrs. White The
evening programme will include an
address by Mrs. ]. P. WhitweIl, tests
by Mrs. Mary Jacobs and Mrs Manni-
we'll, with musical numbers. Lunches
will be served at the hall at noon and
in the evening ,-...