Evening star., 1909-08-31
VESTAl WON BY CUPID
Victoria Gratia Marries Her.
self Out of Koreshan Unity.
NO LONGER PRE-EMINENT
Vice President Silverfriend Reads
Her Out of Order.
DIRECTORS NOW IN AUTHORITY
Former Leader Was Associated
With Founder in Government
Of Community.
DIRECTORS NOW IN AUTHORITY

koreshan Unity. strange religious
body with headquarters at Estero, Fla,
and a cooperative industrial branch In
Washington, is much perturbed over the
loss of its head, Victoria Gratia.
She was officially the Pre-eminent of
the Ecclesia, the celibate order OF the
Unity. AS she was recently married to
doctor in Tampa, Fla. She has been
declared out of the order.
There are said to be $1,000 Koreshans
scattered throughout the world. The Or
der has communistic possessions at Es-
tero worth about 100000.
1t was reported recently that the COM
munity was insolvent. H. d. Silverfriend
of Washington, vice president of the
Unity, asserts that the reports are un-
true, and that the finances of the COM
munity are in good shape.
Read Out Of Order.
Fearing that contributions might be
sent to Victoria Gratia. as in the past,
Mr.. Silverfriend decided to announce that
she is no longer the Pre-eminent of
Unity. She now lives in Tampa, Fla.
and is Mrs. c. A. Graves. wife of a dem
tist.
According to Mr.. Silverfriend. the re-
sponsible head of Unity Is now its board
of directors.
Victoria Gratia for many years was
Cnity's Pre-eminent and was always to
be found by the side of DR.. Cyrus r.
Tweed, who established the cult and was
official keresh. prime councillor. Before
she entered Unity Victoria Grata was
Mrs. GA Ordway of Chicago
DIR. Tweed's illumination occurred in
the fall of 1869. Through electro-alchem-
ical research he claimed to have discov-
cred the philosophers stone. and set him.
self to unravel the mystery of eternal
life.
In his illumination Of Koresh" he de-
scribes how, when sitting 'contemplat-
ing" he experienced "a relaxation at the
a peculiar buzzing tension at the fore
head or sinciput" His body was then
enveloped in "a vibration SO gentle, soft
and duciferous that L was impressed to
lay myself upon the bosom of this gently
oscillating ocean of magnetic and spir.
itual ecstacy.
Vision of Beautiful Woman.
The author then describes how a won
derfully delicate and beautiful female fig
ure appeared to him, rising through an
"entrancingiy luminous atmosphere"
This angel or vision informed DR.. Teed
that he was chosen to redeem the race.
AS n result lie IOuilucu -fS cult OI more
shanty. One of the teachings is that We
live on concave world which incloses
the universe.
DIR. Teed taught that Mrs Ordway was
the representative of the woman he saw
in his vision. and would hold her posi-
tion until the august motherhood should
appear again and then remain on earth.
Mrs. Ordway then became Victoria
Gratia, pre-eminent of the colony at Es-
tero.
In tho community everybody uoyked ox
cept Victoria. When some Koreshans
commented upon this. Koresh quieted
them by comparing the pre-eminent to the
queen bee. who received humage from
all the hive. but did no work.
Found It Hard to Govern.
When DR.. Teed died Victoria Gratia's
rule became difficult. After many trials
and tribulations she resigned from the
board of directors a few weeks ago.
Shortly afterward the news spread
through Unity that the pre-eminent OF
the celibate order had become the wife
of a dentist
THE appointment of Mrs. Ordway
was a mistake, said Mr.. Silverfriend,
for the system teaches that the Ec-
clesia, or home center. is a group Of
persons wherein are conserved the po.
tencies Of life. Such as desire to be-
come first fruits of immortality through
virginia. life or through chastity and
celibacy are not I'd be married. and
If they are married are to live a
though they were not