Albert Webster Edgerly (1852 – 1926) was a 19th and 20th century American social reform activist. He believed in euthanasia programs, a healthy diet, and the power of personal magnetism, and began the Ralstonism movement as a way to live out this lifestyle.
Born in Massachusetts to Rhoda Lucinda Stone and John Foss Edgerly, he graduated from the Boston University School of Law in 1876. That same year he founded the Ralston Health Club. He married Edna Reed Boyts on July 5, 1892, in McConnellsville, Pennsylvania. He practiced law in Boston, Kansas, and Washington, D.C. In 1896 he began living eight months of the year at Ralston Heights, New Jersey, in what is known as Hopewell.
He died November 5, 1926, in Trenton, New Jersey, and his wife sold the property the following year.
Self-Help and Religious Writingsedit
Under the pseudonym Edmund Shaftesbury, Edgerly was a prolific author of self-help and utopian religious texts, producing over 100 books, most of them "official" books to buy as a member of the Ralston Health Club. A recent critique described the books as "chock-full of racist rants, naive pseudoscience, and curmudgeonly attacks on modern society."[1] He also dabbled unsuccessfully in real-estate speculation and the theater, and invented a language called "Adam-Man Tongue" that was "nothing more than a bizarre-looking version of English."[1]
One of his books, Life Building Method of the Ralston Health Club, endorsed the consumption of whole grain cereal.[2] When William Danforth of animal feeds maker Purina Mills began making a breakfast cereal similar to the kind described in the book in 1898, he sought and received the endorsement of Edgerly to market Ralston breakfast cereal. Ralston cereal became so successful that in 1902 Purina Mills was renamed Ralston-Purina.[3] The breakfast cereal operations evolved into Ralcorp.
Personal Beliefsedit
Edgerly saw his followers as the founding members of a new race, based on Caucasians, being free from "impurities". He advocated for the castration of all "anti-racial" (non-Caucasian) males at birth.[citation needed]
Worksedit
The Ralston brain regime : presenting a course of conduct, exercises and study, designed to develop perfect health in the physical brain, strengthen the mind, and increase the power of thought : a book of practice, more than theory Washington, D.C. : Martyn College Press, 1891
The Shaftesbury school of philosophy known as the story of our existences or the doctrine of diversity Washington, D.C., Shaftesbury college, 1894
Companion book of complete membership in the Ralston Health Club : in seventeen departments ; being a complete study of the natural causes and the natural cures of disease, without medicines or apparatus of any kind Washington, D.C. : Martyn College Press Association, 1895
Cultivation of the chest Washington, D.C. : Martyn College Press, 1895
Book of general membership of the Ralston Health Club 7th ed. Washington, Martyn College Press Assoc., 1898
Book of the Psychic Society: A Study of the Fourteen Unseen Powers That Control Human Life; and Containing Immortality, A Scientific Demonstration of Life After Death Washington: Ralston University Pub. Co., 1908
Life building method of the Ralston health club [Hopewell, N.J.] Issued by the Ralston health club 1920
Instantaneous Personal Magnetism: Combining an Absolutely New Method with the Best Established Teachings of the Past 14th edition enlarged; Manchester, UK: Psychology Pub. Co., 1935
A study of the unseen powers that control human life, 1908
Advanced Magnetism, 1906
Book of the mind and thought society, 1911
Brain tests, 1924
Child life, 1897
Complete membership in the Ralston health club, 1892
Cultivation of Personal Magnetism in Seven Progressive Steps: The Exercise...
Edgerly natural reader, 1912
Future seeing and destiny, 1912
GREAT PSYCHIC: The Master Power of the Universe
Higher magnetism
How to Get Rid of Sickness: Ralston Classic No. One
How to make personality pay; an introduction to the study of personal...
Immortality, 1898
Lessons in artistic deep breathing for strengthening the voice, 1888
Lessons in emphasis, 1893
Lessons in grace, 1889
Lessons in the art of extemporaneous speaking, 1889
Lessons in the art of facial expression, 1889
Lessons in the art of ventriloquism, 1891
Lessons in the mechanics of personal magnetism, 1888
Lessons in voice culture, 1891
Lessons on acting, 1889
Life Electricity
Life's secrets revealed
Mental Magnetism: a Study of the Seven Realms of Mind and Mastery in the Conflicts of Life, 1924
One hundred lessons in punctuation, 1893
One hundred points of character, 1892
Operations of the Other Mind: Making Known the Unseen Powers of the...
Personal magnetism
Private Lessons in the Cultivation of Magnetism of the Sexes
Ralston gardens, 1900
Ralston's simplified physiology, 1892
Real life, when things are right, 1903
Right, 1923
Sex magnetism, 1910
Shaftesbury's secrets
Solution of life, 1916
The Adam-man tongue, 1903
The authority dictionary, 1891
The book of books, 1897
The Book of Shaftesbury's Secrets: Disclosing Priceless Methods for...
The goal of creation, a constructive course in human progress within the temple of great achievements, 1920
The greatest things in human life, 1915
The natural reader, 1891
The new education, 1900
The origin of man, 1925
The Other Mind: Including The Science Of All Phenomena And The Practice Of all forms of human control of others, 1909
The Ralston health club, 1893
The Shaftesbury recitations, 1889
The two hundred year club, 1893
The two sexes, 1898
Thought Transference; or, The Radio-Activity of the Human Mind
Transference of thought, 1896
Universal magnetism; a private training course in the magnetic control of others, by the most powerful of all known methods, 1924
Yourself behind closed doors
Referencesedit
^ abOkrent, Arika (2009). In the Land of Invented Languages. Spiegel & Grau. p. 148. ISBN978-0-385-52788-0.
^Shaftesbury, Edmund (August 2008). Life Building Method of the Ralston Health Club; All Nature Course. Northup Press. ISBN9781443715140.
^"Purina: Nutritious Dog and Cat Food for Your Pet".
Further readingedit
Six, Janet. "Hidden History of Ralston Heights: The Story of New Jersey's Failed 'Garden of Eden.'" Archaeology (Vol 57, No 3), p. 30-35.
External linksedit
Instantaneous Personal Magnetism by Webster Edgerly at archive.org
February 29, 2024
webster, edgerly, albert, 1852, 1926, 19th, 20th, century, american, social, reform, activist, believed, euthanasia, programs, healthy, diet, power, personal, magnetism, began, ralstonism, movement, live, this, lifestyle, contents, personal, life, self, help, . Albert Webster Edgerly 1852 1926 was a 19th and 20th century American social reform activist He believed in euthanasia programs a healthy diet and the power of personal magnetism and began the Ralstonism movement as a way to live out this lifestyle Contents 1 Personal life 2 Self Help and Religious Writings 3 Personal Beliefs 4 Works 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksPersonal life editBorn in Massachusetts to Rhoda Lucinda Stone and John Foss Edgerly he graduated from the Boston University School of Law in 1876 That same year he founded the Ralston Health Club He married Edna Reed Boyts on July 5 1892 in McConnellsville Pennsylvania He practiced law in Boston Kansas and Washington D C In 1896 he began living eight months of the year at Ralston Heights New Jersey in what is known as Hopewell He died November 5 1926 in Trenton New Jersey and his wife sold the property the following year Self Help and Religious Writings editUnder the pseudonym Edmund Shaftesbury Edgerly was a prolific author of self help and utopian religious texts producing over 100 books most of them official books to buy as a member of the Ralston Health Club A recent critique described the books as chock full of racist rants naive pseudoscience and curmudgeonly attacks on modern society 1 He also dabbled unsuccessfully in real estate speculation and the theater and invented a language called Adam Man Tongue that was nothing more than a bizarre looking version of English 1 One of his books Life Building Method of the Ralston Health Club endorsed the consumption of whole grain cereal 2 When William Danforth of animal feeds maker Purina Mills began making a breakfast cereal similar to the kind described in the book in 1898 he sought and received the endorsement of Edgerly to market Ralston breakfast cereal Ralston cereal became so successful that in 1902 Purina Mills was renamed Ralston Purina 3 The breakfast cereal operations evolved into Ralcorp Personal Beliefs editEdgerly saw his followers as the founding members of a new race based on Caucasians being free from impurities He advocated for the castration of all anti racial non Caucasian males at birth citation needed Works editThe Ralston brain regime presenting a course of conduct exercises and study designed to develop perfect health in the physical brain strengthen the mind and increase the power of thought a book of practice more than theory Washington D C Martyn College Press 1891 The Shaftesbury school of philosophy known as the story of our existences or the doctrine of diversity Washington D C Shaftesbury college 1894 Companion book of complete membership in the Ralston Health Club in seventeen departments being a complete study of the natural causes and the natural cures of disease without medicines or apparatus of any kind Washington D C Martyn College Press Association 1895 Cultivation of the chest Washington D C Martyn College Press 1895 Book of general membership of the Ralston Health Club 7th ed Washington Martyn College Press Assoc 1898 Book of the Psychic Society A Study of the Fourteen Unseen Powers That Control Human Life and Containing Immortality A Scientific Demonstration of Life After Death Washington Ralston University Pub Co 1908 Life building method of the Ralston health club Hopewell N J Issued by the Ralston health club 1920 Instantaneous Personal Magnetism Combining an Absolutely New Method with the Best Established Teachings of the Past 14th edition enlarged Manchester UK Psychology Pub Co 1935 A study of the unseen powers that control human life 1908 Advanced Magnetism 1906 Book of the mind and thought society 1911 Brain tests 1924 Child life 1897 Complete membership in the Ralston health club 1892 Cultivation of Personal Magnetism in Seven Progressive Steps The Exercise Edgerly natural reader 1912 Future seeing and destiny 1912 GREAT PSYCHIC The Master Power of the Universe Higher magnetism How to Get Rid of Sickness Ralston Classic No One How to make personality pay an introduction to the study of personal Immortality 1898 Lessons in artistic deep breathing for strengthening the voice 1888 Lessons in emphasis 1893 Lessons in grace 1889 Lessons in the art of extemporaneous speaking 1889 Lessons in the art of facial expression 1889 Lessons in the art of ventriloquism 1891 Lessons in the mechanics of personal magnetism 1888 Lessons in voice culture 1891 Lessons on acting 1889 Life Electricity Life s secrets revealed Mental Magnetism a Study of the Seven Realms of Mind and Mastery in the Conflicts of Life 1924 One hundred lessons in punctuation 1893 One hundred points of character 1892 Operations of the Other Mind Making Known the Unseen Powers of the Personal magnetism Private Lessons in the Cultivation of Magnetism of the Sexes Ralston gardens 1900 Ralston s simplified physiology 1892 Real life when things are right 1903 Right 1923 Sex magnetism 1910 Shaftesbury s secrets Solution of life 1916 The Adam man tongue 1903 The authority dictionary 1891 The book of books 1897 The Book of Shaftesbury s Secrets Disclosing Priceless Methods for The goal of creation a constructive course in human progress within the temple of great achievements 1920 The greatest things in human life 1915 The natural reader 1891 The new education 1900 The origin of man 1925 The Other Mind Including The Science Of All Phenomena And The Practice Of all forms of human control of others 1909 The Ralston health club 1893 The Shaftesbury recitations 1889 The two hundred year club 1893 The two sexes 1898 Thought Transference or The Radio Activity of the Human Mind Transference of thought 1896 Universal magnetism a private training course in the magnetic control of others by the most powerful of all known methods 1924 Yourself behind closed doorsReferences edit a b Okrent Arika 2009 In the Land of Invented Languages Spiegel amp Grau p 148 ISBN 978 0 385 52788 0 Shaftesbury Edmund August 2008 Life Building Method of the Ralston Health Club All Nature Course Northup Press ISBN 9781443715140 Purina Nutritious Dog and Cat Food for Your Pet Further reading editSix Janet Hidden History of Ralston Heights The Story of New Jersey s Failed Garden of Eden Archaeology Vol 57 No 3 p 30 35 External links editInstantaneous Personal Magnetism by Webster Edgerly at archive org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Webster Edgerly amp oldid 1197580839, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
