The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-20
AFTER DAMON AND pYrHtAs.
The Grand Lodge X. eff. Of this State T.
Hlaat Tn.dav.

The Grand Lodge X. off. Of this State tc
Meet To-day.
The Grand Lodge OF Knights Of PythiaE
of West Virginia meets at Piedmont TO-
day in annual session. The delegates
from the lodges Of Wheeling and vicinity
left last evening on the B. & o. road fol
that place. The delegates chosen here
ara:
Black Prince Lodge No. 10, Capt. T
Bennett, j. H. Moore,
Germania Lodge No. I, Richard Helm
rich.
Baltimore Lodge No. 9, John G. Hab.
berield.
Humboldt Lodge No. 0, B. schul.
Ohio Valley Lodge No. 81, Barney Shan
Mystic Lodge No. 81, Harry Houser,
John Halstead, Elm Grove.
Wellsburg Lodge No. 80, L. A. Frost
WellsbuIg, W. Va.
Grand Chancellor Thomas D. Bennett
also left for Piedmont last evening to at
tend the meeting. The other officers o.
the Grand Lodge are:
Grand Vice Chancellor, G. P. Warner
Of Keyser.
Grand Prelate, Z. E. Post, OF Elm Grove
Grand Master Of ExcheQuer, John F,
Smith, Of Middleway.
Grand Keeper OF Records and Seal, J.
Rufus Smith, Of Berkeley Springs.
At the last annual meeting OF the Grand
Lodge, held at Grafton in October, 1884
the order numbered 90S members in the
State. Since that time the membership
has grown considerably. The order OBJ
tanned a footing in West Virginia in 1858
Baltimore Lodge was the first organized in
this city and the sixth in the State. West
Virginia Was the fifth Statei in which lodge
OF knights was instituted. The brother.
hood originated February 10, 1864, in
Washington City. The ritual was origin.
ally written by Justus H. Rathbone, in
Eagle Harbor, Houghton (now Keewenaw)
county, Mich, in the winter OF lS60-'Gl.
Several lodges were instituted in the
District Of Columbia before the order was
known elsewhere. The first lodge outside
OF the district was at Alexandra, Va. On
April IS, 1865, Mount Vernon Lodge, Of
the District, was organized, and in May
following the ritual and work OF the order
was revised, and the order, so far as its
work IL concerned. placed substantially
upon the basis that it occupies to-day. In
1867 the first branch OF the order was
constituted in Philadelphia. In Novem-
Der, 1866, the order was introduced into
MARYLAND, and the next month lodges
were started at Mount Holly and Camden,
N. ]. Early in 1868 the order obtained a
footing in Delaware by the institution Of
three lodges, and in April Of this year it
was introduced into the State of Louisiana.
On June 0, 1868, convention OF dele
gates appointed from the States in which
the order had obtained lodgment, convened
in Washington city, adopted a constitution
under and by which the Supreme Lodge
Of the world was organized and established
as the head OF the order. Ia May OF this
year Raihbone Lodge was organized in
the city Of New York, thus introducing
the fraternity 10 the Empire State. Short.
ly after the order made its advent into
California, next into this State, and next
in Nebraska. The order grew very rapid.
ly, and during tho years 1867 and 1868
lodges were instituted in tho States OF
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Con-
uecticut, and other New England States |;
also in the States Of Ohio, Indiana, Iii.
nois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Kan
sas, and closely upon this it has gone on
until it has obtained footing and home
in nearly all the States and Territories Of
the Union, passed into the British
provinces OF North America, and has a
hone In the islands OF the sea; crossed
the Atlantic ocean and founded lodges In
the Kingdom Of Great Britain.