I go into particulars regarding this point, because there is a false impression abroad, in Europe and Asia, an impression that is carefully fostered. Take this incident. In Persia a Bahai affirmed before the crowd that one-half of Chicago was Bahai. A Bible colporteur disputed the statement and proposed to telegraph to the Mayor of Chicago and inquire, and whichever side was wrong should pay for the telegram. The Bahai declined. In distant India a similar impression is created for effect. Mr. Getsinger wrote in the _Jam-i-Jamseed_ of Bombay:[634] "The Bahai faith has spread in America by leaps and bounds, _the number being beyond computation_." Strange exaggeration, if you give it no worse name! Some such a one was no doubt interviewed by the "wayfarer" of the Continent and told him that there were one million in the United States.[635] But that well-informed reporter put the number at 3,000. _The Star of the West_ (Feb. 7, 1912) says: "There are several thousand Bahais in the United States." My own conclusion is that there are 2,000 in twenty-seven organizations. In 1906 they reported to the Census 1,280 members in twenty-four organizations. Most of the members are women. (See Chap. VII.) That the Bahai propaganda has nothing special to boast of in the United States is evident when we compare its results with those of other religious fads. The Dowieites of Zion City (followers of John Dowie who claimed to be the prophet Elijah) report seventeen organizations in ten states with 5,865 members; the Crowdyites (Crowdy was a negro cook who in 1906 claimed to be a prophet) report forty-eight organizations and 1,823 members; Theosophists eighty-five and 2,336 members; Vedantists (Swamiists) four and 340 members; Spiritualists 455 with 35,056 members; Christian Scientists 638 and 85,000 members. Well may the Egyptian _Gazette_ say: "If Bahaism has found favour in the United States, it cannot be forgotten that countless other 'religions' have become popular there which would not have been taken seriously in any other country in the world." Yet, aside from the Mormons, how few they number altogether.