The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-07
RAPID SPREAD OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE Membership is Now Approxi-
 mateIy 25O,0OO EVERY PART OF THE EARTH Congregations Consist for Most Part of Wealthy PeopIe-Nearly Four
 Hundred Churches Have
 Been Built.
EVERY PART OF THE EARTH

Boston, April 6-(Special. )-No matter from what point of view one considers Christian Science one can but be inn pressed by the wonderful growth of Mrs. Eddys creatin. Starting little more than thirty years ago. it has spread to the four corners of the globe with a membership of approximately 250G0 in this country and 15,0c0 in foreign coun- tries. The success C. the church has been more phenomenal than that of any religious organization known in history.
 Mrs. Eddy has met bitter opposition at every step, eliminating in the present suit brought by her son and relatives and the several attacks directed at her and her cult from as many different quarters. The organization has literally thrived on opposition. Beginning in 1901, the agitation against the Eddy movement has since been almost incessant. Yet in that time there have been dedicated in different parts of the country many hand some churches that are second to none in architectural beauty and cost of con struetion. At the present moment plans are being prepared in several cities Tor Christian Science churches to cost any where from S50O00 to S2O0,0o0 each.
 It may be said that the cult of which Mrs Eddy says she is the founder, was set going in 1870. It was in that year that she published her first book, Ihe Science of Man." including chapter on Science and Health" which was the forerunner of Science and Health and Key to the Scriptures" Even as late as 1SS9 there were only 45o members or tho Christian Science church and ten years later there were only 1S,134 mem bers In 1889 there were eleven churches and in 1899 there were only 30l.
 To appreciate these figures one must compare them with the present statistics of the church, as given out by church officers There are now 9o5 Christian Science churches and societies In the United States and Canada with total membership of 250, ,000 already noted. In foreign countries there are forty-six churches and societies with a membership of 15 COG.
 Chicago Is the banner Christian Science city and Illinois is the first state in the number of followers of Mrs. Eddy. Massachusetts ranks second among the states and New York third. Chicago ex- ceeds any city in the world in the num- Der of churches and headers. The first church, dedicated there cost GOO and at that time was said to seat more per sons than any other church edifice in the city. The second church, which was built in 19ol cost s120, GOO and the sixth church, WnlCn ndS Just Deeil utulCdttu, COSi SfoVb- 900.
 The new church has met opposition in Chicago just as it has everywhere else. Other churches near the Christian Science churches, it was said, were only mod erately well eled at their Sunday serv- ices, and. of course, this started the agitation. But 1t ayailed nothing. The church has gone on and prospered Per haps one reason why the new cult has overcome all opposition is that it attract ed scarcely any but the wealthy and influential The poor and humble and non-contributing members which make up so large a part of the other churches are almost entirely absent from Mrs. Eddy's denomination.
 The handsomest of all the Christian Science churches is the Mother church in this city. which cost s20O0,0O0. A con- servative estimate places the value of all the churhes of the cult in this country at s10000,0 900. The seating capacity of the Mother church here is more than 5000, being greater than that of the great Catholic Cathedral in New York and greater than the auditorium in Chicago. Ul the eleven chime bells in the tower, which makes the great tower of the Massachusetts state house seem insigni- meant the lightest weighs 400 pounds and the heaviest 4000. The auditorium is man. moth, with its two tiers of galleries on