The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-09-12
4 KORESHAN
RAPS PRIESTESS
D. n. SILVERFRIEND INTERVIEW
EDIN WASiiNGTON-THE STU
ALTON AT ESTERO-WcE PRES
IDENT OF KOREsHAN UNITY
UNBOSOMS HIMSELF.

Koreshan Unity, one OF the
strangest of the ultra modern cults, is
considerably torn up over the loss of
its head, Victoria GTatia, officially its
Pre- Eminent Leader of Ecclesia, a
celibate order, she has been mar
ried. and has been declared out OF the
order, says the Jacksonville Me-
tropoIis.
II. D. SdlverfHend, of Estero, Lee
county, Florida, a vice president OF
the Koreshan Unity at that place, Is
well known in Jacksonville He is al
present in charge of the KOTeshan
Headquarters at Washington, D. c.,
and the following interview tele-
graphed the New York Herald, from
Washington, will be read with in
terest:
Mr.. SiIverfriend's Interview.
Here is the Herald dispatch;
There are said to be $4,000 Kore-
shans scattered throughout the world
and the order has 5000, 900 worth of
communistic possessions at EsterO,
Fla. Recent reports had it that the
community was insolvent, but Mr.. d.
H. SiIverfriend, of Washington, vice
president of the Unity, denies this,
and says its finances are in good
shape His fear that contributions
might be sent to Victoria Gratla, as
in the past. led him to announce that
she is no longer Pre- Eminent OF
Unity She has taken up her resi-
dence at Tampa, Fla, and MI Silver
friend says, is Mrs. G. A. Graves, the
wife of a dentist The responsible
head of the Unity, Mr. Silverfr1end
says. it its board of directors.
For many years Victoria Gratia
was Unity'5 pre-eminent, always to be
found by the side Of DR.. Cyrus K.
Teed, who established the cult and
who officially was Koresh, prime
counsellor. Before she entered Unity,
she was Mrs. A. G. Ordway, OF Chi
cago. There she is said to have been
divorced and later met Dr. Teed.
What Or. iced Claimed.
DIR. Teed claimed through electro
alchemical research to have d1scoV-
erred the philosophers stone Not con-
tent with that he set himself to IN
ravel the mystery of eternal life. In
his illumination of KoTesh' he de-
scribes how, when sitting 'contem-
plating he experienced relaxation at
the occiput or back part of the brain
and a peculiar buZZing tension at the
forehead or sinciput-' His body was
then enveloDed in "a vibration so
gentle, soft and dulciferous that was
Impressed to lay myself upon the
bosom of this gently osclllatlng ocean
of magnetic and spiritual ecstacy.
Then appeared a female figure Won
| derfuIly delicate and beautiful, Wnlch
rose through a luminous atmosphere
| entrancingly described by the auIhor'
In brief, the angel OF vision in
| formed DIR. Teed that he was COM
missioned to redeem the race. AS
result he founded the faith OF ko-
! reshanity. One of the beliefs Is that
| we live on a cOnCave world. when
| incIoses the universe.
| Mrs, Ordway Teed's Ideal.
| Or. Teed believed at Chicago thai
! he had found in Mrs Ordway the
| earthly decentralization Of the divinity
| of his vision. She became Victoria
| Gratia. pre- eminent Of the colony al
! Estero Everything went on Jne
| community idea and every one WORK
| ed except Victoria Gratia- Some OF
+ba other KOreshans were inclined tC
| remark upon this, but KOTeSh quieteO
| them by Hkening the pTe-eminent &C
| the queen bee, who ruled the hive
| vas rendered homage, but did mol
| work When DR.. Teed died Victoria
| Cra+ia's rule became difficult, and al
| for many differences she resigned
| from the board of directors severa
| weeks ago, and hard on the heeIS Ol
| that came news of her marriage.
1T is now conceded that the ap-
| pointment of Mrs. Ordway was mis-
| IL said MIR. SiIverfTiend, for the
| evstem teaches that 10, the Ecclesia
or home center, is a group OF persons
wherein are conserved the potencles
of life. Such only as are prepared Of
who desire to become first fruits OF
immortality through virginia. life Oh
tbroUgh chastity and celibacy are no
| to be married, and if they are mar
RED are to live as though they were
! not