The Portland daily press., 1880-08-18
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
An Imposing Procession at the
Start
DEMORALIzED BY HUNGER AND FA-
TIGUE.

CHICAGO. Aug 17.-Citizens were unusually
early on the streets today, decked in holiday
attire. All OF Cook county had migrated to
within the city limits, and thousands from the
North, South, East and West kept pouring in
all night. The morning broke clear and warm
Before O'Clock the streele were filled with
sight-seers. The largest number moved to-
ward Wabash avenue, where it was thought
today could be secured All along the route
the decorations were complete elaborate and
almost continuous for miles. The profusion
and variety of banners, flags stars, crosses
crowns, shields, festoons and evergreens was
endless and the array of Masonic notices I'M
earthed for the occasion was bewildering to the
untutored civilian. Hardly house along the
line OF march but was graced with some sort
OF temporary grand stand. so that the pro-
cession moved through continuous amphi-
theatre.
The various Communicates assembled for
dress parade at 7.45, and from that hour until
9o'clock there was continuous movement of
Knightly bodies to the stations assigned them
in the column.
This consists of twenty divisions, divided
into three grand divisions. The First Grand
Division, E. NJ. Sir Henry Turner, Grand
Captain General commanding, consisting of
six divisions formed on Lake and contiguous
streets
The Second Grand Division, Sir Fayette F.
Fletcher (Vermont commanding, six divis-
streets.
The Third Grand Division, Sir Benjamin E.
Halter commanding, eight divisions, formed
on Monroe and intersecting streets.
According to programme the procession was
to begin its march at $50, but it was after 10
before movement on Lake street showed that
the ranks were ready for the start. In per-
sonnet the whole body was very fine. They
moved off with the steadiness and precision of
a long Disciplined army, moving from Lake
into oh Tho &rs%l -
proceeded south, to be followed by the second
and third divisions, as it passed Washington
and Monroe streets respectively. The column
marched IN platoons, or double sections front,
double ranks, with intervals of sixteen feet be-
tween them. The Communicates having no
more than ten or twelve Sir Knights formed
with the Commandery ranking above them in
single rank formation, taking distance of
only eight feet. There were 60 bands, of
which the most notable were the Marine band
of Washington, Brands band Of Cincinnati
and the Second Regiment band of San Fran
cisco, being iudiciously distributed throughout
the column. The following New England
Communicates were in the procession:
Mt Horeb, of Concord, N. H.; Milford, No.
II, of Milford, Mass; Calvary, No. II, of
boro VT; Washington, No. /. of Hartford,
Conn.
The Grand Master of the Grand Encamp-
ment of the United States and staff followed
the Communicates, and then the members of
the Grand Encampment and others of the
Grand Communicates Of States, the order
ranking by date of Grand Commandery char
ter, with Illinois leading by courtesy and Mas
sachusetts and Rhode Island, the Oldest on the
list next, dating May 6, 1906, and then New
York, Virginia, Vermont. District Of Columbia,
Connecticut, Ohio Kentucky, Maine, Pennsyl-
yana, Indiana, Texas, Michigan, Mississippi,
Californi Missouri, New Hampshire, Louis
lana, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Maryland,
Nebraska, Arkansas, West Virginia, Col
orado, and Wyoming Territory, As the
nue. the sight was inspiring Marching at
a steady pace of about two miles per honr, the
soldier-like bearing and beautiful and starred
uniforms of the different Communicates elic-
tied cheer upon cheer from the living walls
between which they passed, and the sight
which greeted the eyes of the Knights
themselves was fattering acknowledgment
of the esteem in which they were held. The
miles of temporary seats along the route at SO
cents seat were all filled. Gaze where they
would, from brsement to roof, thousands of
flags, banner, notices and festoons greeted
them, and needed not the frequent repetitson
of the word welcome" to assure them that
Chicago received them gladly and would en-
terrain them royalty. AS the column passed
under the funeral arch at Adams street the
martial music was changed to dirge and the
Communicates reversed their swords.
The Grand Commandery's review arch at
Wabash avenue and Twelfth street, was sa-
luted by drawn swords, and salute by officers
and standards.
There are now about 100, 900 persons in Chi
cago denouncing the parade as sham and
outrage. These secured seats along the latter
part of the line of march and after sitting
from $50 until o'clock were rewarded by see
ing three local and two small State Command
cries file past. The Templars account for their
failure to carry out the programme by saying
that many of the Communicates went into
line without breakfast, and between waiting
and marching they were overcome with IA
tigue and faintness, and began deserving all
along the line at the sight Of refreshment or
lunch counters. This caused such detection
from the ranks that some Communicates had
hardly enough Knights left to carry their
standards and they determined to abandon all
appearance of maintaining place in the col
umn.
The grand ball at the exposition building to-
night is a monster affair, but owing to some
mismanagement which kept the Communicates
standing broiling in the sun without their
breakfast three hours this morning, it is not a
complete success. Invitations were issued for
over 100000 people and the building is not
capable of holding over 5000.