Thomas Lake Harris - Dissension and Influence

Dissension and Influence

The Oliphants broke away from the sect in about 1881, charging Harris with robbery and succeeding in getting back from him many thousands of pounds by legal proceedings. But while losing faith in Harris himself, they did not abandon his main teaching. In Laurence Oliphant's novel Masollam his view of Harris will be found. Briefly, he held that Harris was originally honest, greatly gifted, and possessed of certain. psychical powers. But in the end he came to practise unbridled licence under the loftiest pretensions, made the profession of extreme disinterestedness a cloak to conceal his avarice, and demanded from his followers a blind and supple obedience.

The utopian ideals promoted by Harris had significant influence among his Japanese followers. These included:

• Arai Osui, who initially transmitted Harris's ideas to Japan.
• Hatakeyama Yoshinari (1843–1876), later president of Tokyo Kansei Gakko.
• Ichiki Kanjuro - commonly known as Mitsumura Junzo (1842–1919), later an admiral in the Japanese navy.
• Samejima Hisanobu (1846–80) later ambassador
• Yoshida Kiyonari (1845–91), later ambassadors
• Nagasawa Kanaye (1852–1934), Harris's California lieutenant who acted as developer and manager of the community's 2,000 acres (8 km2) of vineyards near Santa Rosa. He also succeeded Harris and acted as leader of the brotherhood until 1934.

Harris's community left a significant stamp on the history of Santa Rosa and today that part of town is still called Fountaingrove, the round barn that was part of the winery of Harris's protege, Kanawe Nagasawa, still dominates the area, and there the street, Thomas Lake Harris Drive, is named for him.