Here and There :

2002.01.02

July 1929

AC—0025

AC—0025

KSHS Articles and Clippings

Boomer, Bertha M.

This article, a Flaming Sword regular feature, concerns the visit to the Koreshan Tea Garden by Thomas Edison. In typical Koreshan fasion, the tone is one that leads you to believe that Edison was somehow a "closet" Koreshan.

—THE. GOLDEN JUBILEE OF LIGHT
WHlLE A CELEBRATION WAS IN PROGRESS AT ATLANTIC
CITY COMMEMORATING HIS INVENTION', MR. EDISON
ENJOYED THE HOSPITALITY OF THE UNlTY FAIR
TEA GARDEN AT ESTERO
THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF LIGHT is the at—
tractive name of a celebration being held at At—
lantic City, New Jersey (to continue throughout
the summer), commemorating the ?ftieth anni—
versary of the'invention, perfection, and use of the
Edison electric light bulb. This invention has made
possible a veritable wheel of light around the earth, so
that the celebration is continuous and widespread.
Through the celebration of the invention being local—
ized at Atlantic Ci_ty, the value of its usefulness is
emphasized. Also thus localized. the focalization of
people's minds on the inventor should prove a reservoir
of power and health for him.
New Jersey is the summer home of Mr. Edison,
but he did not attend the opening of this Jubilee in
commemoration of his invention. The celebration at
Atlantic City began the ?rst day of June, and while
June is the ?rst summer month, Mr. Edison was still
in the South, where he plans to attend on June 15
Florida's Golden Jubilee of Light,—the celebration of
one thousand clays of sunshine in Fort Myers, Florida,
his winter home.
Atlantic City is also celebrating the diamond anni—
versary of its charter, and this most famous seaside
resort has a Shore Jubilee continuous throughout the
summer. Furthermore, a great auditorium was
opened June 1 with an inaugural ball and an exposition
and convention of the National Electric Light Associa—
tion.
At one time Atlantic City, on .—\bsecon Island, was
a primitive little settlement of a few people who kept
cows and chickens and who had to ferry to the main—
land to get supplies. Many of the principal streets of
today were then under water at high tide, and people
living therc either kept boats to pole from place to
place or were marooned. The government ?rst built
jctties to protect the lighthouse, and this resulted in
building more land by such means. Now the city of
sixty thousand population is secure from encroaching
tides.
While many years have intervened between Atlan—
tic City's period of crude illumination and this later
blaze of electrical splendor, it is still within the niem~
ow of old inhabitants when the ?rst hotels and homes
were lighted by candles and lamps. What a contrast
this summer of special illumination will present, with
garlands, arches and fountains aglow with rainbows of
light! '
At Atlantic City on the night of June 1 a colorful
drill uni'ler‘a canopy of light took place, and Creatore's
band played the Coronation March at the opening of
the auditorium, the Shore Jubilee, the Golden Jubilee
of Light, and the National Electric Light Association's
convention; but the man whose genius was thus being
honored was not present, for—_ Mr. Edison with his wife
and friends dined simply by candle—light in a rustic tea
garden on the Tamiami Trail at Estero, Florida.
This scene, however, was not without grandeur,
exceeding even that created with _electric light at At—
lantic City, for a tropical rain and electrical storm was
raging. The Edison party came out of the Everglades
to the south in the pouring rain and took shelter in the
unique palm—leaf thatched tea garden at Estero.
This building is octagonal in shape with the center
open to the sky. Some banana and other plants occupy
the center of the garden, and also a mirror ball. This
ball told the story of the night by re?ecting the light—.
ning that was unusually brilliant and incessant, as
though it played especially for the occasion of the elec—
trical wizard's jubilee. The party, in every comfort
‘and security, enjoyed a home—cooked repast in se—
clusion, except for the kindly attention of the three
hostesses of the l'\lSlZiC tea garden.
This partial out—of—door tea garden is on the
grounds of the Koreshan Unity, which is a communis—
tic and co—operative community, whose members feel
as comfortable and secure, in the knowledge that they
live on the inside of the earth, as did the distinguished
guests of the tea garden, who were safe and content
within the garden house on the opening night of the
Golden Jubilee of Light. ,
After refreshments Mr. Edison sat in a rocker,
with dry slippers on and enveloped in’a blue blanket
in place of a wet coat. Perhaps he thought of the bril—
liant jubilee at Atlantic .City as the lightning danced
about him. 1—le smiled when he plainly heard the
thunder roll as he sat there meditating. He might
have been thinking of the Koreshan explanation of the
universe, for the colored chart of the inhabited earth
hangs conspicuously on the wall.
With this conception of the Universe true coni—
munism readily accords, as it is plain that in the uni—
verse all the warring elements are controlled by the
larger force that harmoniously relates all things, from
a central sun to a crust or rind that takes its place
according to gravity. The social condition, men can
soon learrr from‘ this compact sphere which includes
everything, can be unified as successfully through cen—
tralization and strati?cation as _the cellular earth.
To further commemorate the incandescent light
invention and the inventor,'the government has issued
an Edison stamp. Next October special ceremonies
with Edison, the President, and others will become
pait of the Golden Jubilee of Light.
11

BK—000151

1 p.

Guiding Star Publishing House — The Flaming Sword

Estero Fl. :

Here and There
Boomer, Bertha M.
Boomer, Bertie
Edison, Thomas
Tea Garden——Koreshan Unity