Better Way, The.
An Advocate of Spiritualism as a Science, Philosophy and Religion.
The Truth Shall Make You Free. Seek and You Shall Find It / Creeds Without Virtue Are Paltering Vanities
1887-1892 Weekly
Cincinnati, OH. Publisher: Way Publishing Co./Better Way Publishing Co.. Editor: Captain L. Barney; A.F. Melcher; G.H. Romaine; Sidney Dean, editor, C.C. Stowell, manager, A.F. Melchers, assistant editor.
Succeeds: Spiritual Offering; absorbed: The New Thought (bought from Moses Hull, 1889); Light in the West; Mind and Matter; Current Fact; Light for Thinkers Succeeded by: The Light of Truth
1/1, July 9, 1887-11/16, October 15, 1892.

Like several other journals, this had two issues called 1/1, the first being heavily laden with errors was redone and reissued the next week. Massive 8 pp., 48-column newspaper pages-about 3 million words a year. $2.00-$2.50-$1.00 a year. This advertised itself as the "largest and most eclectic spiritualist journal in the world." It was the largest, at least in physical size, but even its own estimations of its circulation failed to show it as equal to its more famous contemporaries. The American Newspaper Directory for 1891 showed its circulation as "exceeding 2,500," while the National Newspaper Directory the next year listed it as having a circulation of 15,000. The first number is probably closer to the truth. The journal is remembered today because it printed in its issue of November 7, 1891, the famous letter from Hannah M. Wolff-Mrs. Hannah McL. Shepherd) on her acquaintance with H.P. Blavatsky (later printed in The Religio-Philosophic Journal, January 2, 1892, and The Two Worlds, December 11, 1891) in which she told of Blavatsky's attendance at a seance in 1873 or early 1874 held by E.V. Wilson, her coloring of photographs and passing the work off as that of the spirits, and her use of opium and hashish. The journal, however, was far more important than that and covered in great detail the side of spiritualism that was largely excluded from the better-known journals of the time: the work of second-tier mediums or of mediums in the circuits of the smaller cities and towns, and regional developments, especially in the South (Melchers was from South Carolina). Melchers was brought in as editor at the end of January 1889 after a year-long debate in the pages of the journal over Barney's emphasis on Christian spiritualism. Barney went on to edit and publish the short-lived Onward in Cincinnati, and Melchers ended up as editor of Light of Truth. The journal also published articles by Hudson Tuttle, G.W. Kates, A.J. Swarts, J.D. Buck ("Christian Socialism for Today"), Ida C. Craddock ("A Period for Messiahs: The Ghost Dance and the Sun Myths in the Plains"), Lois Waisbrooker, etc. See the note under The Light of Truth for the financial irregularities of M.G. Youmans and C.C. Stowell, respectfully the president and secretary of the Way Publishing Company, the publisher of this journal, who transferred themselves and the assets of the journal to the Light of Truth in October 1892, leaving liabilities and shareholders of the Way behind. University of Illinois, Ohio Historical Society; Cincinnati/Hamilton Public Library; Western Reserve Historical Society Library; NSAC, Lily Dale.

IAPSOP materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
IAPSOP respects people's privacy and personal data rights.