Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-02-27

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Newcomer, Worthy Vice Chancellor. G.
Fl. Edgercomb, Recording Scribe. George
Wis0ng. Financial Scribe. D. Darby.
Banker. John Teller, Guide j. Fl. Sharff.
Inner Steward. ID. Speer, Outer Steward.
On the 9th day Of April, 1869, SUI
preme Chancellor, 8. Reed, with the aid
of several Past Grand ChancelIors insti-
tuted Washington Lodge No. 1, appoint-
ing c. II. Edgercomb as D. G. C. Of the
Jurisdiction of West Virginia. The
Lodge started out with 90 members.
Soon after the following Lodges were
organized: jefferson Lodge No. 3. Mid
dleway Lafayette Lodge No. 8, Pied
mont !, Morgan Lodge No. A, Berkeley
Springs; Damon Lodge No. s, Newburg.
All of these ! helped to organize.
There being now five subordinate LODI
ges-the requisite number to entitle the
State to Grand Lodge, Representatives
and Past Chancellors from these lodges
met at Berkeley Springs in July, when
and where Supreme Chancellor s. Reed,
and Supreme Banker w. A. Porter, with
the assistance of Past Chancellors VIM.
Gerhardt and G. Fl. Edgercomb institute
ed the Grand Lodge of w. Va. VIM.
Gerhardt, G. Venerable Patriarch C. RI.
Edgercomb, q. Chancellor J. H. Sutor.
v. G. Chancellor j. r. Smith. G. Record.
ing Scribe j. F. Smith, G.. Banker. Soon
after other Lodges were organized, and
we now have 81 Subordinate Lodges in
our State.
Our own Lodge, Washington No. /.
has now membership of rs, and clear
fund of seven hundred dollars in the
treasury, and no one need hesitate on
any ground, to join our ranks.
In times past the Order had its trials.
but it has outlived them all. 1t has come
out purified and ennobled, it has had it's
dark days, but light has succeeded the
darkness. If, by contrast, the light APP
pears to make darkness darker, so, in
the same manner, darkness seems to in
tensify the light. The darker the form
er days in the history of our noble order,
the brighter her future days and years.
AS an evidence let us state some of its
statistics: There are now "a Grand LODI
ges K. of P, and 1000 Subordinate LODI
ges, with membership of 10000. There
are 1886 Divisions of the Uniform Rank.
with $4,000 members and 724 Sections
of the Encampment Rank, carrying over
fifty million dollars of life insurance.
and oJan, l, 1886, have paid death bene.
fits exceeding three million dollars.
The Order K. Of P. is the third greatest
charitable organization Of the world, and
our great aim is to care for the sick, the
widows and orphans of Knights.
These figures lead me to remark again,
that this Order has advanced in these
twenty-five years of its existence with a
rapidity unparalleled in the history of Sc
cret organizations. This highly flourish
ing and prosperous condition of our
Order tells impressively and significant
y how sincerely and highly priced are
the noble principles upon which it is
but older than the building of the Tenn
pie, principles that have outlived gen.
erations, kingdoms and empires. The
Brethren who now uphold and maintain
them may go down to the dark valley OF
the shadow of death, but the principles
of the Order will continue to live in all
their strength, purity and beauty until
the last syllable of recorded time.
You, Sir Knight, should fully appre
ciate their importance, and it is expect
ed that you actualized them in life. You
know the controlling influence they ex
ert in the development of all the noble,
true and generous qualities of our ua-
lures, and how eminently they are fitted
to prepare its members to engage with
zeal and activity in all true and beneyo-
lent enterprises.
Conquerers have had their trophies of
victory awarded them orators and
statesmen have had monuments of brass
or marble to perpetuate their memories !;
and poets have had their brows bound
with wreaths of immortality but these
things have often been done at the ex-
pense of human peace, happiness, NOR
ais or religion. The trophies that lie at
our feet are deeds of charity, and. the
noble achievements of lives spent in the
cause of benovolence and virtue. They
are unsuliied by crime. and untarnished
by tear, unless it be the tear of graft
tude and joy.
Let us, then Brother Knights, by the
practice of these principles, build around
our Pythian Knighthood wall of safe
guards stronger than adamant, holding
them together by that mysterious CO.
ment of the soul-friendship, that we may
be enabled to perpetuate it, and hand it
down to coming generations that recog-
nlze, on the one hand, the brotherhood
of man, and on the other hand, the Faith
erhood of God.
And then we may look forward with
SoahNChOO w VIC AOO Adl dloodAt-
when our cherished and much-loved Or
der shall find an abiding place in every
village and hamlet of the World, and
the smoke from our affairs go up from
every hillside and valley.
CLASP hand in hand like brothers,
Let heart with heart unite
Now pledge we faith and honor,
To hold and guard the right.
Each voice, the heart obeying,
Burst forth in happy song,
Far DER the hills resembling
In echoes loud and long.
The sacred bond and compact,
No distance shall undo,
But rolling time shall Irvine it
More binding, firm and true
Now hand in hand, my Brothers,
While heart with heart unites,
We pledge our sacred honors
To guard each other 3 right
The entertainment then took a hui
morous turn, and the officers of Stat
terdemalion Lodge No. 1000, knights
Of Hudibras," marched into the room
in full regalia in single file. The