"Perhaps a hundred people assembled one evening, May 15, 1876, at the time when the country was celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its political independence."

"An anxious unrest, a fierce craving desire for gain has taken possession of the commercial world, and in instances no longer rare the most precious and permanent goods of human life have been madly sacrificed in the interests of momentary enrichment."

"The exercises of our meeting are to be simple and devoid of all ceremonial and formalism."

"No one can fail to see that the power of the Church among large numbers in many communities is today diminishing, or has already ceased."

"I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart."

"Satisfaction consists in freedom from pain, which is the positive element of life."

"Well, I started conducting kind of by accident. I wanted to give myself a special birthday present for my fortieth birthday, and I was living in San Francisco at the time and I started attending some of the concerts and then simply dropping hints."

"A peaceful man does more good than a learned one."