My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

344 MY LIFEhow, under similar conditions, such effects can beproduced.During my lecturing tour inthe United States in1886-87, I stayed some time in three of the centresof American spiritualism—Boston, Washington, andSan Francisco, and made the acquaintance of manyAmerican spiritualists and inquirers, with whom Iattended many remarkable seances. At Boston I metthe Rev. Minot J.Savage, whose latest work, "CanTelepathy Explain ? " contains such a collection ofpersonal experiences as have fallen tc the lot of fewinquirers ; Mr. F. J. Garrison, a soi of the greatabolitionist ; Mr. E. A. Brackett, a scufptor, and authorof a remarkable book on " Materialized Apparitions " ;Dr. Nichols, author of "Whence, Where, and Whither";Professor James, of Harvard, and sereral others.I attended several seances at the house of Mrs.Ross, a very good medium for materializations, inthe company of one or more of my friends. I willstate what occurred on one of these occasions. Theseance took place in a front downstairs room of asmall private house, opening by sliding doors into aback room, and by an ordinary door into the passage.The cabinet was formed by cloth curtains across thecorner of the room from the fireplace to the slidingdoor. One side of this was an oiter wall, the otherthe wall of the back room, where tlere was a cupboardcontaining a quantity of china. I was invited toexamine, and did so thoroughly— front room, floor,back room, rooms below in basenent, occupied by aheating apparatus ; and I am postive there were nomeans of communication other 1han the doors foreven the smallest child. Then the sliding doors wereclosed, fastened with sticking-pkster, and privatelymarked with pencil. The ten visitors formed a semi-