Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-17
FIRST EDITION.
200 p. M.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHlAS.


ErFrH ANNUAL SESSION OF the GRAND LODGE
THE SUPREME oHANoELLoRs REPoRr-aRowrH
OF THE ORDER.
The fifth annual session OF the Supreme
Lodge, Knights of Pythias, met at Richmond, on
Tuesday last, in Pythian Castle Hall. which had
been fitted up for the occasion. At the call of
the roll of delegates, J. ]. McMullen and S. j.
Wiley responded in behalf of Delaware. Mr..
Wiley was subsequently initiated.
The Supreme Lodge decided adversely upon
thecredentials Of Past Grand Chancellor JOS
eph Spruill, of Norfolk, Va. MIR. Spruill was
elected to fill the vacancy cccasioned by the final
suspension OF p. q. q. George r. Buffum, of
Lynchburg. The decision of the Supreme
Lodge was in effect that Grand Lodge cannot
fill by election vacancy in the roster OF p. G..
O. g, occasioned by the misconduct and conse-
quent punishment of one of such officers.
The Supreme Chancellor submitted his annual
report, which is very voluminous but Of special
interest to the order. 1t shows that there are
thrty-three Grand Lodges, twelve hundred sub
ordinate lodges and a membership of about enc
hundred and twenty-five Thousand. I. .#
The report OF the Grand Scribe was also pre-
sented. 1t gives an interesting account of the
progress of the Order during the last year Eight
hundred and siXty-seven subordinate lodges, with
twenty-four grand lodges, were in existence at
the close OF the year 1871 since which time up
ward of four hundred subordinate lodges and
seven grand lodges have been organized. The
order has been extended into Washington Terri
tory and the States of Oregon and Nevada dur
ing the year.
Virginia in Exchange Hotel, on Tuesday even
ing, in honor of the meeting of the Supreme
Lodge.
SKETCH OF THE ORDER.
The Richmond Dispatch furnishes the follow
ing brief sketch of the Order
10 ]. II. RAthbone belongs the honor Of being
the founder of the Knights of Pythias. A rough
draft of the ritual was written by him in the
town OF Eagle Harbor. Houghton (now Keawe-
nayl county, Michigan, in the winter OF 1860 and
1861 Subsequently Mr.. Rathbone removed to
the National capital. On February 15 1864, steps
were taken by him to organize secret benevo-
lent society on the plan which he had Bketched
in 1861. On that day the members OF a musical
association known as the Orion Glee Club met at
the house No 369 +, between Eighth and Tenth
streets Washington. There were present Messrs.
II. A. Cham mJion, Il. s, Kimball, D. l.. Burnett,
w. II. Burnett, Roberts and Driver: Each OF
those gentlemen were soemnly obligated, by
Mr.. Rathbone, and having heard the ritual read,
determined to organize; and then and there re-
solved themselves into committees to obtain
suitable persons to form the first lodge.
On the 10th of February, in the same year, the
first lodge was instituted in Temperance Hall,
Washington, and the name Knights OF Pythias
was given to the Order. ritual was adopted,
and from time to time during the next few
months improved Grand Lodge was organ
iZed and four lodges were instituted in the Dis
trict of Columbia and one in Virginia before the
Order had reached it's second anniversary. 10
Virginia, therefore, belongs the honor of having
the first Lodge outside of the District Of Column
bia. 1t was named Alexandria Lodge, No. l, and
it lived only few months. Soon after, several
otl lodges died. and on the let OF August, 1860,
Franklin Lodge, OF Washington, was the only
one in existence.
The revival Of the order commenced in 1866
when it spread to Philadelphia, and from that
time until now its progress has been one OF CON
tluued and unexampled progress. On the 3lst
of December, 1866, there were four lodges, with
a membership of 379 on the 3Oth of July, 1867,
there we're eight lodges and G94 members. As
all evidence of the growth Of the Order since
that time we present the following record OF
the increase from year to year
December 81 1864 8 lodges rs members.
December 81, 1865, lodge, 50 members.
December 81, 1866. lodges, 379 members.
December 81, 1861, II lodges, 6,Si7 members
December 81, 1868, l9I lodges, 34,62i MEM
bers.
December 81, 1869, 465 lodges, 5l,2s9 mem
bers.
December 81, 1870, 6l5 lodges, So ST. mem
bers.
December 81 1871, s67 lodges, rs, ,2s7 MEM
bers.
Now there are about 1900 lodges with A men,
bership largely over 100 900.