I wanted to slip this into the site before the end of 2013, only because it once again, gives us some insight into the everyday life inside the Unity. These two articles appeared in the Flaming Sword which would have described events that occurred in December 1926, and 1933 — 87 and 80 years respectively. As we approach the end of another year, it is always good to look back and get an idea of what life was like in the “Unity”. I also wanted to put this in the perspective of what was going on in the rest of the world. Economic conditions were fairly robust in 1926 and bleak in 1933. In November 1933, Franklin Roosevelt had been elected President. In January of 1933, the month this Community Current Events was published, Adolph Hitler came to power. Yet, life in the Unity went on as it had pretty much gone on for some time:
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THE UNITY was delighted with a few days’ visit from Mrs. Jeannie Miller of Hood River, Oregon. Mrs. Miller is one of the many loyal friends of the Koreshan Unity which dates back to the early days of the movement in Chicago. It is about eight years since Mrs. Miller was here last and since then she has been for a trip around the world and naturally had many interesting things to relate of her travels. She came direct to Florida from the Sesqui-Centennial, recently closed in Philadelphia; while she saw much to enjoy at the Sesqui, it didn’t begin to hold her interest, she says, like the Centennial Exposition held in the same city in 1876. Mrs. Miller is in Florida for the winter and is staying with her relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Miller of Chicago and Fort Myers.
Messrs. Alfred and Robert Graham of Miami, Florida, pleasantly surprised us by appearing unannounced recently for a few days’ visit with the Unity. Since our last notes the writer, in company with Raymond Trebell, had the pleasure of visiting the Grahams at their home in Miami, and everything possible was done to make our short stay there a joyous one. Miami is a city of many charms, situated as it is on beautiful Biscayne Bay and the shores of the Atlantic. This city and surrounding territory caught the full brunt of the hurricane September last, and while it was tremendously hit, the recovery has been very remarkable. Motoring through Coral Gables, with its magnificent wide streets and beautiful homes, we saw very little to remind us of the hurricane; but continuing through Coconut Grove, an older residential section of Miami, we were made conscious of the ravages of the storm, not so much, however, to dwellings as to trees and shrubbery. We stopped en route to see some of the interesting sights, such as the remarkable Venetian bathing pool at Coral Gables, with its unusual rustic features of Nature in the form of coral rock fully preserved in the construction. The Biltmore Hotel at Coral Gables has in connection with it also a most remarkable swimming pool. This hotel is one of the most ornate structures in the country, built at a cost of ten million dollars; but space does not permit a recital of its many interesting features. The Bryan Memorial at Coconut Grove is also one of the attractions, and the effects of the storm were quite noticeable here. It will take more ” than one storm, however, to rob Miami of its well merited title, the Magic City. From West Palm Beach to Miami we had the pleasure of the company of Dr. Benedict Lust of New York City and Tangerine, Florida. Dr. Lust had but recently returned from a visit to his fatherland, where he received many honors for the great service he has rendered the cause of drugless healing and where naturopathy takes precedence over other systems of healing. He was happy to note for once the converse to be true that: ” A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.” Dr. Lust came to America over thirty years ago from Germany with a direct commission from Father Kneipp to teach Americans the virtue of naturopathy. That he has succeeded in his mission is amply testified. by the thousands of naturopaths practicing in this country today, and we hope to see the day when he will be nationally acclaimed for the wonderful work he has accomplished in behalf of Buffering humanity.
Brother Henry Silverfriend has arranged with the caladium king, Dr. Nehrling of Naples, Florida, to dispose of his stock of caladium bulbs this season, so in the interest of this business, he and Laurence Bubbett called recently upon the leading nursery men between Fort Myers, Orlando, and St. Petersburg.
The Seaboard Air Line expects to run its first passenger train through Estero to Naples (its terminus) January 7, 1927. Pres. Warfield expects to bring with him a party of 350 notables and great preparations are being made in Fort Myers for their reception. To quote from The Palm Leaf: “Two hundred members of the party will board the special at New York when it leaves for the sunny South and Fort Myers on the evening of January 5, and 150 more guests will be picked up on the journey south. The celebration, with a mammoth motorcade, banquet, and gala events, is being sponsored by the Pageant Association in cooperation with all the civic clubs in the city. Fort Myers will appear at her best, arrayed in many colors, and neat as a new pin for the reception of her famous guests.”
Mr. August Naeselius of Brooklyn, N. Y ., is a guest of the Unity at the present writing. He came to visit his brother Theodore, who is a member of the Colony. Mr. Naeselius is so impressed with our wonderful climate that he will very likely make his future home in the sunny South.
Sister Cora Stephens, accompanied by her daughter Alafae, Irene Wyka, and Raymond Trebell, motored to Montverde, Florida, and back to Estero the same day, a journey of about 400 miles. Mace Stephens, who is attending. the Industrial School at Montverde, returned with his mother and will spend the holidays in Estero.
We deeply regret to record the passing out of our faithful Sister Susanna Ehrisman. She was eight years beyond the allotted three score and ten, and thirty-six of these she spent in loyal devotion to the Master and his Cause.
Flaming Sword 1933
LLOYD GRAHAM motored from Miami to spend Thanksgiving day at the Unity. His mother, Sister Ella Graham, accompanied him on the return trip to Miami to remain over Christmas. Mrs. Jeannie Miller, who has resided in Fort Myers for some time to be under her physician’s care, has taken up her residence at the Unity again, being much improved in health. Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Boomer, little daughter and Mr. Ole Slatede, all of New York, arrived in Estero to spend some weeks at their River Bend estate. Mrs. Walter H. Thomas and her young son, Benjamin Brooks Thomas, arrived from Philadelphia to spend the winter at Mirasol Grove, the Boomer home. Mrs. Thomas is a daughter of Mrs. B. S. Boomer and sister of Miss Bertha Boomer. Laurence Bubbett left by car December 9, for Baltimore, Md., to visit the Rahn family there. He reported fine weather till he, reached Sumter, S. C., when he encountered winter in full blast. Sleet and snow covered the windshield and he was detained at Fayettsville, N. C., a day or two. Mr. and Mrs. Fred McConnell and son, Duane, Mrs. Lovelle Ahrano, and Will McCready, all of Tampa, were here recently for a Sunday visit with friends and relatives. Michael Rubin, Irwin Myers, Jack Martin, and Morris Kohl, of New York, visited here recently with a view to locating a vegetarian colony in this vicinity. They seemed to be favorably impressed with the climatic and other advantages of this section of Florida. Sisters Bella Armour and Alafae Stevens, Brothers John T. Watson, Alfred Christensen, and Will Fischer drove to LaBelle a few days ago, for a visit with the Newcomb family. Sister Florence Graham entertained several members and a few friends at a card party. Recent visitors and guests were: Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Pulcifer of Warwick, Mass., Emil Tessier of McDonald Heights, Pa., Henry and Floyd Moreland, of Alva, Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Lewis of Everglades, Dr. Myrtle Seller, Miss Lydia Pierce, Miss Meta Monsees, Miss Genevieve Bisbing, and Mr. Percy Bisbing, all of Fort Myers. A dinner which was attended by a number of Unity members was enjoyed at Mirasol Grove, the Boomer home, on Thanksgiving Day. Judging from weather reports received from cities to the north and west of us, we have been enjoy- ing ideal weather while the rest of the country was in the grip of a severe blizzard. The remarkable thing about this is that with the sun 93,000,000 miles away, as supposed in. modern astronomy, there can be such a great difference in temperature between two points separated only by a little over a thousand miles. The weather during the past month has given striking evidence of the absurdity of the contention that the sun is so many millions of miles away. Mrs. A. Camphausen’, Miss Elin Lindberg, Miss Inez Lindberg,-and Mrs. Edith Johnson enjoyed a fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico and Estero Bay. We were pleased to have as guests for several days Dr. and Mrs. Edward R. von Maltzahn of New York City, who stopped here en route to Miami. Dr. von Maltzahn is a nephew of Baron von Maltzahn, former ambassador to the United States, and is a scion of a distinguished German family. Dr. and Mrs. von Maltzahn expressed deep interest in Koreshan Universology, both being of a decidedly scientific turn of mind. From all appearances, they were as charmed with their visit and the things they learned as we were delighted to have them with us, and to impart as much as possible concerning Koreshan teachings (in such a short time), especially the Cellular Cosmogony. Dr. and Mrs. von Maltzahn are touring Florida in what is literally ‘a touring palace. Attached to a Jordan roadster was a commodious aerocar, and attached to this was a motorcycle and side car; on top of the aerocar was a mahogony speed boat with out- board motor, the entire ensemble being painted the same color. The interior of the car was furnished in ultra-modern style with German-built furniture, a library, sleeping outfit, Bohemian glassware, a steam radiator, and other comforts and conveniences. The equipment represented an outlay of over fifteen thou- sand dollars. The von Maltzahns have toured a large part of the world, but prefer to spend their winters in Florida. Because of his deep interest in the Cellular Cosmogony Dr. von Maltzahn took a number of large- sized pictures of the model of the concave sphere, a section of the rectilineator with which the geodetic survey (which had established the .concavity of the earth) had been made, and of some other mechanical apparatus which we use in demonstrating the Cellular Cosmogony. Mrs. von Maltzahn, who was graduated from the University of Vienna with. a Ph. D., degree, is an authority on archaeology, having written many articles on this subject. She expressed the wish to translate the Cellular Cosmogony into the German language. The Unity membership and guests enjoyed a very pleasant Christmas day. An excellently prepared chicken dinner was served at noon and the many greetings and good wishes sent by friends were read during the course of the dinner. We feel deeply grateful to them as well as to the good friends who contributed fruit, nuts and other things to make the day one to be long and pleasantly remembered.