The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-05-26
THIRTY THOUSAND KNIGHTS.
Preparations for the Grand Triennlal
Conclave in Augusta Parade Of
Unprecedented Magnifcence.
Chicago Times

q
Unprecedented Magnihcence.
= Chicago Times
q Among the occasions which viii excit
Z and interest the citizens Of Chicago, AM
draw crowds Of visitors to 1T during IL
. coming year, the most magnificent in p0iu
Of numbers Of people attending It, aud II
gOrgeousness OF display, viii be the GRAM
Encampment Of Knights Templsr. Tn
official name Of this meeting is The Tri
euuaI C0Dcl8ve Of the Grand Lucamnmeu
Of Knights Templar of the United states.
This is the supreme legislative body Of th
cir knights IN the country. and j. compose.
Of the present Grand Commander, the Yer,
Eminent Deputy Grand Commander, tn,
Grand CIeneralissimJS and Grand Captain
Generals of the several Grand Command
cries in the different States. Territories an.
Provinces under the masonic supervision q
the EncampmeHt, and all Past Right Emf
nent Grand Commanders and Past Crane
Officers Of the Grand Encampmeu5. Ihi.
body Of men, numbering about $40, Wi
meet upon the level their official lagi-la
tive capacity, on Monday, August 10Th. and
continue their session through the entire
week, parting upon the square on the fol
lowing Saturday The present Most Emf
ueut Grand Master who will preside over
the deliberations IF the eucampmeut, l. DR.
This concIave, while it's OF great impor
lance Of the Masonic fraternity, would not
in itself interest the people OF the country
/ generally. But its great significance To
/ Chicago arises from the great number. of
/ Sir Knights, not members Of the Grand En-
I campmeut, who will attend in their repre-
sentative capacity. They viii come Is an
! escort to accompany the Eacampment on
its passage to the asylum which viii be q
! cruciiOrm building soon to be erected on
/ the lake front. 1t is the presence Of this
/ body that viii make the occasion one Of So
! much importance to Chicago.
For the last year the committees in Chica-
! 20 have been at work sending out invitations
/ TO different Communicates OF the United
! States and making arrangements for their
/ entertainment. The way in which these
! invitations were answered early showed that
a great crowd viii be here. While the
number that have made application for en-
| tertaiHmeut have not yet been footed up,
| an approximate estimate shows that not far
| from 10000 Sir Knights from different parts
| of the country and of the world wall be
| present to participate in the parade. There,
| the application shows, are many Of them
| intending to bring their wives. Nor Will
! these elements compose the whole crowd
! that Chicago will have 10 accommodate at
| that time.
| These 10000 Templars will form the most
| cosmopolitan body that has ever visited this
| city. Every State of the Union viii be rep
scented by from 100 to 200 members. There
| will also be representatives from the Com
manderies and priories of Canada, Great
! Britain and other European countries, and
| from the Sandwich Islands, Mexico, and,
| indeed, from almost every civilized and half
| civilized country in the world where this
| organization has a Commauderv.
| The ranks of Templary are composed large
! ly of prominent meh in all professions and
| avocatious Of life, so that this couvocation
| will not be composed of one class of men,
| like the National Convention, which pre-
/ cedes it, but of men who have achieved
| prominence in business, letters, policies, the
| law, tine pulpit and every other honorable
walk of life.
\ parade which occurs on Tuesday Of en-
campment week viii he a gorgeous display.
| The committee who have it in charge assert
| that it Will eclipse any civic display that
| has ever been seen in the United states.
| The parade at the last Grand Eucampmeut,
held in Cleveland in 1877, was considered a
very grand affair, but only 8, SOS IeWplars,
representing seventv-six Communicates,
took part in it. Not less than 10000 finely
drilled men, representing POO Communicates,
will march in the Chicago demonstration.
| There have been numerous professions in
Chicago, composed Of all manner OF LeterO-
gen0us elements, largely advertisements of
different local industries, but none anything
like the orderly arrangement and unl~
tormity Of discipline that will characterize
this one. 1t is no easy matter to move
column of 10000, but arrangements have
been in process Of pertecung, and are
nearly complete, that viii certainly insure
success.
The line of march will be five and one
third miles long. The men on foot Will
march twenty-fOur front, two files deep,
with only twenty-five feet between the
ranks, to shorten the procession, which else
would be OF unmanageable proportions.
This line will include a countermarch in
one place. in order that each man can see
the whole procession. Besides the footmen,
several of the Communicates. amounting to
500 men, will be mounted. At the time of
the Grant boom" last fall, it was thought
an extraordinary thing that there should be
eighteen bands of music in the procession.
But the committees are assured that not
less than 120 brass bands, the most perfect
in America, numbering from twenty to
seventy pieces each, will furnish the music
for this great demonstration. These, in
brief, are the compOnents of the escort
which Will accompany the Grand Encamp-
ment through the streets 10 the asylum
The Chicago Communicates have prepared
a most elegant entertainment Tor their visit
ing brethren, the programme Of which has
already been published in the Times. They
have engaged Central Music Hall, FarweIl
Hail. Mccormick Hall, and the Exposition
Building for the four days. They viii also
treat the visitors TO free seats in all the
principal theatres. Boat excursions will
be constantly taking place, and a grand bail
will be given on Tuesday evening in the
Exposition building. Since the programme
was printed a new prize has been added to
the list, for which the Communicates viii
compete on Wednesday at the Jockey Club
Park. 1t is open to Communicates enter
ing under the name of the Grand Com
manderies from which they hail.
This sketch of the conclave will serve to
show that the occasion will not be unwor-
thy of the crowd gathered to honor it.