“He is an artist in thought, an idealist in belief and a dramatist on the platform.”-Appeal Avalanche, Memphis

I know that Swamiji will reach Detroit in February 1894 and hence want to rush through the earlier events. I personally love the Detroit part of His American stay.

He arrived in Memphis on 13^th Jan.’1884 and was guest of Mr. Hu L. Brinkley at Miss Moon's establishment, Third Street, near Poplar. Miss Virginia Moon was fondly known as "Miss Ginny" in Memphis. She had turned a academy building into a boardinghouse for six or seven bachelor gentlemen. She was around 50 when Swamiji visited Memphis and one of the most extraordinary characters. Swamiji must be surely delighted to meet this emancipated woman with a spirit of independence.

On 14 Swamiji gave an interview for the local Memphis Commercial and spoke on 15^th for the first time in Memphis. He gave 3 lectures and the report came in the Appeal – avalanche, few excerpts from which are –

“COMING WEEK'S ATTRACTIONS

             Memphis this morning has a distinguished visitor in the person of Swami Vive Kananda, a Brahman monk of India, who is the guest of the Nineteenth Century Club. His culture, his eloquence, and his fascinating personality has given this country a new idea of Hindoo civilisation. He is an interesting figure, his fine, intelligent, mobile face in its setting of yellows and his deep, musical voice prepossessing one at once in his favour. So it is not strange that he has been taken up by the literary clubs, and has lectured and preached in many American churches. He speaks without notes, presenting his facts and his conclusions with the greatest art, the most convincing sincerity, and rising at times to a rich, inspiring eloquence. "Hinduism" will be his subject next Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock at the Auditorium.

What was His subject on 15^th we do not know but due to a later research by Sister Gargi, we surely know from an item in the Appeal - avalanche of January 21 that "the address of Swami Vive Kananda before the Nineteenth Century Club and the reception given after the lecture was one of the pleasant events of this eventful year in club calendar. “A piano solo and a song" formed the musical program of the afternoon.” We wonder as how many musical programs Swamiji must have heard while on tour!

The paper also writes further-        

AMUSEMENTS

             "One of the giants of the platform," "a model representative of his race," "a sensation of the World's Fair parliament," "an orator by divine right " All this and more is true of Swami Vive Kananda, the Hindu Monk, who is in the city, a guest of the Nineteenth Century Club. Several members of the club heard Vive Kananda during the recent parliament of religions, and were so charmed with his eloquence, his earnestness, his culture, that they determined to have him visit Memphis, and to this end have been in correspondence with him since the adjournment of the parliament. On tomorrow evening at 8 o'clock in the Auditorium an opportunity will be given the people of Memphis to see and hear this earnest, eloquent Brahman tell of the religions, manners, and customs of his people.

THE HINDOO MONK

             The Eloquent Lecturer from the Orient Will Be Heard Tonight

             Swami Vive Kananda, the Hindoo monk, who is to lecture at the Auditorium tonight, is one of the most eloquent men who has ever appeared on the religious or lecture platform in this country. His matchless oratory, deep penetration into things occult, his cleverness in debate, and great earnestness captured the closest attention of the world's thinking men at the World's Fair Parliament of Religion, and the admiration of thousands of people who have since heard him during his lecture tour through many of the states of the Union.

             In conversation he is a most pleasant gentleman; his choice of words are the gems of the English language, and his general bearing ranks him with the most cultured people of Western etiquette and custom. As a companion he is a most charming man, and as a conversationalist he is, perhaps not surpassed in the drawing - rooms of any city in the Western World. He speaks English not only distinctly, but fluently, and his ideas, as new as sparkling, drop from his tongue in a perfectly bewildering overflow of ornamental language.

             Swami Vive Kananda, by his inherited religion or early teachings, grew up a Brahmin, but becoming converted to the Hindoo religion he sacrificed his rank and became a Hindoo priest, or as known in the country of oriental ideality, a sanyasin. He had always been a close student of the wonderful and mysterious works of nature as drawn from God's high conception, and with years spent as both a student and teacher in the higher colleges of that eastern country, he acquired a knowledge that has given him a worldwide reputation as one of the most thoughtful scholars of the age.

I am purposely giving the details directly from the newspaper as they are so specifically writing about His language, His eloquence, His mannerism etc. Memphis was in love with Swamiji...let us see tomorrow how they loved Him..!