(November 1891)
Publications:
- The Path, vol. VI, no. 8, November 1891, pp. 259-261
Read:
CTD entry in Russian: Джадж У.К. - Турне генерального секретаря (1891, ноябрь)
DATA
Title for references: Judge W.Q. - The General Secretarys Tour (1891, November)
Short description: A detailed, day-by-day account of Judge's Pacific Coast lecture tour from September 8 to October 27,...
Report
259 The General Secretary left New York on Sep. 8th and passed 8 hours in Chicago, where he saw Bros. Wright and Phelon, learning from them, to his very great satisfaction, that the Chicago T. S. has taken a room in the Athenæum building which is to be kept open all day and evening. The location is good, being in the central part of the city and near the lake.
Mr. Judge reached Omaha on the 10th, and left on the 11th for Seattle, where he was the guest of Bro. F. L. Blodgett, and where on the 15th he lectured to an audience of 600 in the Opera House. He held also a meeting of the T. S. Then on the 16th he went to Tacoma and was entertained by Bro. Schwagerl, lecturing in the Unitarian Church to 250 people, and having a large T. S. gathering at his host's residence. On the 19th he went to Portland, Oregon, and lectured in the evening in the Unitarian Church to 250. The T. S. met on Sunday morning, and in the afternoon Mr. Judge spoke in the Hall of the Grand Army of the Republic upon "The sevenfold constitution of man."
On Tuesday the 21st he descended by rail to San Francisco, and was met at Oakland by a delegation from the Golden Gate Lodge. Dr. J. A. Anderson was his host. A meeting of the new "San Francisco T. S." was held that evening, and on the 22d a large private meeting of F. T. S. On the 24th the Golden Gate Lodge met at the Headquarters, the rooms being crowded, and heard an address upon the T. S. and the general doctrines and duties of members. Many were present from Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Jose, questions were asked and answered and, then came an informal reception. The evening began at 7.30 and ended at 10.15.
On Saturday evening, 26th, he addressed 180 persons at Alameda. At 11 on Sunday morning he visited the Sunday School in S. F. and saw its very interesting workings. It was a sort of "Mystery Play", with characters representing all the great teachers. The instruction and results impressed him as good. "These people are far ahead of New York", he writes. He spoke on Sunday afternoon at Oakland to 325, all standing room being taken and many persons turned away. His first lecture in San Francisco was on the same evening. Odd Fellows' Hall, seating 1800, was completely filled. Dr. Jerome A. Anderson used a most felicitous phrase in introducing him: "Mr. Judge", said he, "has devoted a lifetime—perhaps many of them—to the great subject of which he will speak to-night". Monday's papers gave large space to their reports of the lecture. Its success had been promoted by an attack in poetry from a distinguished local satirist. These are the poet's opening lines:—
"High old Theosopher, Welcome among us,
William Q. Judge. Blavatskian man;
Spook-priest philosopher, Chin us and tongue us
Prophet of Fudge, As hard as you can."
On the evening of Monday, 28th, he spoke in another hall on Reincarnation, and repeated this lecture at Oakland on the evening of the 29th.260On the 30th he went to Santa Cruz and lectured to 350 at Bierman's Hall. Intelligent questions were asked, and a number of inquirers called the next day. Here also he met the Branch and held private meetings. On Oct. 1st he went to Soquel, where he met the new Branch at the house of Mr. Wm. R. Wilson, and on the 2d went to Gilroy, lecturing at Masonic Hall in the evening and holding meetings of members. On the 3d he left Gilroy for San Jose, where a good audience heard him at Odd Fellows' Hall. The next day he returned to San Francisco for a lecture upon "Karma and Ethics", but visited Berkeley by special request of the Progressive Spiritualists in camp-meeting assembled, and lectured to them upon Reincarnation. At the reception given to the President-Founder the General Secretary was of course present, and to him said Col. Olcott, "Take your seat by my side as you did at New York in 1875: we were one in the work then and are now". Mr. Judge presided at the monster meeting in Metropolitan Temple on the evening of the 7th, and introduced Col. Olcott to the audience. The 8th and 9th he passed at Stockton, lecturing each evening and holding both Branch and private meetings. The press reports in Stockton were exceptionally able. On the 10th he departed for Los Angeles and arrived on the 11th, being received at the station by a delegation from the local Branches. So much interest was manifested and so much work needed attention that he remained in Los Angeles and the neighborhood nearly a week. On the 12th he lectured at Ventura to 200 in Union Hall; attended a reception on the 13th at Miss Off's, and lectured at Campbell's Hall in East Los Angeles, 25 persons standing, about 200 in all; on the 14th held a private meeting and gave lecture, and lectured at Pasadena in the evening; on the 15th he held a T. S. meeting at Headquarters and lectured in the evening; on the 16th he addressed the Ladies' Club, about 200 of the most important Los Angeles women being present. On the 17th he went to Santa Ana for an address, and on the 18th to San Diego for lectures, Branch and private meetings. Here he remained until the 21st, then departing to San Bernardino for an address in the evening. Returning to San Francisco, he gave his final lecture in San Francisco Oct. 26th, upon "The Inner Constitution of Man". He left for Sacramento on the following day, intending a lecture and private meetings there, and then proceeded to Salt Lake City.
All through Mr. Judge's tour on the Pacific Coast have been exhibited unmistakable signs of popular interest in Theosophy. Not only has the attendance at his lectures been excellent, at times even crowded, but the press has been copious in its notice of him and of his words, and has even given columns to his accounts of Indian life and the phenomena by fakirs, and to his exposition of Theosophy in interviews. The Pacific Coast Committee, always efficient and fore-seeing, had secured from him the titles of the lectures he would give, and had furnished them in advance to the Branches for selection. Thus each could choose that or those best adapted to local wants. The 4 subjects were:—"Theosophy; What it is, and What it is not"; "Reincarnation"; "Karma and Ethics"; "The Inner Constitution of Man". Three of these were delivered in San Francisco. Of the enormous value to Theosophy in America of this tour, no computation can be made.
Mr. Judge's route East is expected to be thus:—Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux City, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee,261Darlington, Chicago, Muskegon, Dundee, Clinton, Decorah, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Toledo, Jamestown (N. Y.) This will bring him to New York City Dec. 4th, but some alteration is possible.
W. Q. J.