Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-18
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
sunni auUuusr op rau anEaronuru It
Az Orssnia niJn Tina, Ia T~epty Years Has
itsschsd M,mDersnip OF 32,7iO--
Major VnrDaban's Arrival

Az orssnIa"i,n Ihw Ia r-euy Year. ua-
H"~ohsa - M.mo.rsn,p OF 3s,7io--
Major Carpahan's Arrival.
In view of the meeting of tho Grand
Lodge Knights Of Pythias, Of tho
state OF Pennsylvania, in our city, this
week, few words about tho origin OF the
order AMI it's rapid increase in member
ship may 90 interesting. Tue facts rs to tho
founding Of the order are compiled from
the "llistory of the Knights of Pythias,"
written by Joseph ID. Weeks, in 1874.
The idea Of an order having for the
main purpose tho inculcation of lessons of
| friendship and based upon the old story Of
| Damon and Pythias, originated with j.
| II. Rathbope A rough draft of the frat
| degree was written by him, at Eagle lar
Dor, Michigan, in the winter of 1850 6l,
but was not used at that time.
| At Washington, ID. c., in tho winter Of
| 1868 G. he made the acquaintance of J. +.
| X. Plant and read him this ritual. After.
wards others were taken into their cont
dence. On tho evening of February Is,
| 1864, several gentlemen, members of tho
| Orion Glee club met at No. 500 Il. street,
| Washington, and decided To form Society
based on this ritual. j. T. X. Plant pre-
sided and u. :. Burnett acted as secretary.
The object Of the meeting was stated to be
the organic alton of q society, its business
| and operations to be OF secret character
having for it's ultimate object, friendship
bcroyOlence and charity.
The FIrst prgsui,s'ior.
All present then subscribed to the oath
| laid down in the intiatory, officers were
selected aud the organization was named
the knights of Pythias. Such was the
beginning OF the Knights Of Pythiss as an
,.p & ,N 3
that meeting thought that within seven
years the order would number over 100,
COO
On the Sth Of April following the in.
stitutiou of the first lodge, the grand lodge
of the District OF Columbia was instituted.
On tho l4th of May, 1866. the ritual now
in use was adopted. On February 80
1867, the first lodge was instituted IN
Pennsylvania. az the hall of the
Mechanics fire engine company, Brown
street, below 10Th, in tho city
of Philadelphia. Six days afterwards
a second lodge was instituted in Philade,-
pha, and when the grand lodge of the
District Of Columbia met in the fall Of
1867, the statistics showed that there were
eleven lodges in Pennsylvania, with 4
membership of 1,l00. BY December 10
the number of lodges had increased to 81,
and ii was decided to institute grand
lodge in the state. The officers of the
provisional supreme lodge arrived in Phil
adelphia to institute the grand lodge OF
December 49, 1867. The installation ex
ercses took place at the American Me
chauics hall, Fourth and George streets
in the presence Of over 1000 members D
the orGer. The following were the officers
of the first grand lodge OF this state
Wilbur II. Myers, venerable granc
patriarch ; Fred. COppes, grand chancel
lOr Geo. w. Crouch, vico grand chaucel
lOr VIM. Blancbots, grand recording
scribe ; VIM. s. Slocum, grand tinaucia
scribe ; VIM. ). Roe, grand banker Geo
3. Prent'ss, grand guide Jos l.. Nichols
grand inner steward Edwin /. Mattlu
, grand outer steward.
statistics OF the order.
The last session Of the grand lodge o
: the state was held at Scranton in August
1888. and the reports OF the grand keepc
OF records aud seal and the grand masto
of exchequer showed the following stats
tics Number of lodges, $50 number q
! members, 30, 149 amount on hand au
invested, 1929 PCS - amount of widow,
I and orphans fund, 81. 2SO.33 !; amouu
t paid for relief of brothers. sll0 932 10
= amount paid for burial of the dead, S2G
/; I'll 81 amount paid for relief of widow
families, sJ, 6i0.0l
lu Lancaster county, according to I'll
1. last report, there are twelve lodges with
. memb bership of /, 207 and having $50, ,Gl0 3
: in their treasures. Lancaster city ha
Q three OF the lodges, (two English an,
: one Germany, and Marietta, Lititz, Nj
! JOY Ephrata, White Horse, Georgetown
Rawllnsville, Fairfield and Columbia
Q each have one. The amount paid for rC
D lief by the lodges Of this city and count
= 1888, was a., 04l.25.
state Representatives. Arriving.
The grand lodge officers aud representa-
tives began 10 arrive this afternoon, an
!. by to morrow all will be here 1t is eS
pected that there will be- about 500 at tn
G session. The first meeting will be held /
I NeunerchOr hall to morrow morning at
!. O'Clock.
= James r Carnahao, who is major genera
4 of the Uniformed Rank Knights {
Pythas, will arrive in this city on Da
Il Express at 5:lS this evening. Division
No. 6 and T. of this city, will turn out
a escort him from the depot to the Steven
, house, where he will make his headquaI
. tiers. A street parade will be made by th
o knights over tho following route
o From depot, down North Queen I
Square, 10 East King, to Lime. 10 VIM
G to Duke, to German, to South Queen I
Square, to West King to Stevens house
j.. The meeting which the major gonert
s has called Of all sir knight commanders
o sir knight lieutenant commanders and 81
f knight heralds of divisions of the I'M
formed Rank Knights Of Pythias, With
d the grand jurisdiction Of Pennsylvani;
!. will be held at the armory of division NJ
= q aud 7, to morrow at 10 O'Clock.