The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-01-14
The K of p. Installation.


suing year, and assembled in their
Castle Hall on Friday evening, the
9th inst. The meeting was called to
order by c. c. George, after which the
opening exercises of the Lodge were
proceeded with. This was followed by
an address by the Rev. +. II. Wright,
on the history and objects Of the order,
rs follows;
BROTHER KNIGHTS LADIES AID GEsTLENEN:
The Committee on Programme (of which hap
pen to be a menberl in assigning me the task of
this evening emphasized the fact that they
wanted something short and TO the pont. Some
what like The battles described in the imperial
bulletins of the gree. Napoleon, short sharp and
decisive "a history in short Of our order is what
! is expected.
Lake Superior will always 1e associated with
the institution Of the order Of the Knights of py-
thas. The founder Of the order (Justus II. Ratll-
bone, after receiving liberal education i'm his
native state, New York, needed the advice of Hor
ace Greedy and in 1857 went West TO seek his for
| tune. He engaged teaching in Eagle Harbor,
Eagle River, Michigan, aud while there he read
and rercad the thrilling story of Damon and Ply
thias, anu there on the shores of Lake Su-
perior amid all the scenes q Indian tradition,
charmed by the romantic senery ofihe neighbor-
hood, and gifted with vivid Imagination he con
ceived the id a of COMMUNICATING the act Of
man who before ChrisJs appearance on earth de
clnred il 80 be sweet to de for those we love"
| By iGstituting order which should have for its
! object the thrccfo,d cord of Friendship Charity
and Bencyolence. lie might have concentrated
/ his attcation n still nobler character of one
who felt that it was not only sweet to die for those
We love and who love as, but for those also who
hate and yet are loved. bat believing in the truths
! of Christinuiiy he held the opinion that insti
! tuition 10 emulate the love of Al Damon Pyth-
| ius could well be the handmade of the Christian
.!igi"n, and his honest convictions command
our respect. This world is cDld world without
/ friends, and Rathbone alone in the sparsely set
tied district Of Eagle Iiarbor had realized it, Per
! chance this thought had been. impressed on his
mind by many scene of storm on the great
inter ocean rs with tumutuous rear it dashed the
J breakers ON the shore, while in the presence Of
lis fury could be heard the minute gun telling of
the distress and terror ofsome poor scaarcr going
! down to n waters grave because ofnone to rescue
/ | say peTchnn2c these thoughts made Il lasting
impression upon Mr.. Rathbonc's mind, ana catch
ing the inspiration he launched forth his wonder
FIJI idea, with is ritualistic prototype upon the
/ sea of human life, hoping thereby instil Is
sons Of undyinS friendship for all, and those
! who for want Of Il friendly helping hand would
/ lie eNgulicd in he s"ething vot,x Of Elithcsl-
! ness, misery and want. Hos far he succeeded is
utestcd b. the fact that since the da of or auz-
alton Feb 49, iSGh with a membership % I'VE,
/ the order nov has a membership Of over 1903
and Mr.. Eathbonc still lives tosee senator's judges
generals, merchants and bankers added to the
honorable Iol of men, banded together to hvip
each other in the right
| The classical story Of Damon AMI Pytliias viii
bear repetition. As earlv as the 4th century b. G.
these men lived in Syracuse the eastern side of
the Island OF Sicily. They were members of the
! school of Pythago-as, school of philosophy rs
tablohei by eminent Greek, who Travelled us
far east III liza AMI far (faul examin-
/ ing the various philo5ophies. His philosophy
/ prescribed music, astronomy and geometry as
studies preliminary u Tie study about God. but
his chief obiect to iucuica:e the dogma Of the
Immortality and the migration OF the soul. Won
j were admitted 10 The pythag Tean mysteries
which created ana cultivated T. generous enthu-
siasm. What wonder that from this remarkable
school of philosophy the. eminent Christian
=
that higher school OF Christian thought, and have
considered them 50 Identical that to the hour of
his mart yrdon he wore his Pytha sorean philos-
Others coax ana sealed his fI:t,l with his blood
q! y thoI Christian aske The kolaa pre- feet.
"Iam Christian, was Jusia's answer. "Taou
b,iicycst Their, said !he project, lin ascension u
heaven when have "a ed thee To lie scourscl
and ochea led" Il hope" was the reply that /
shall receive The gift Of Cnrst's peace when l
h lyc suffered thai lie sail az in, We wish
nothing than t. suaer for Cur Lori Jesus for
tliS Will gi,e salvation AMI joy at his dTcal
tribunal be 'o@e which uli the Worl mus appear
With such un lying le,jty II their faith as this
IS It surprising that the I'ythag1r were honEd
To ,cther by such strong cords OF love u bound
Damon an Pytaias!
The ty7l2t Di ,nys.jls then ruling Sicily loJ}ed
up1n the school of Pythagoras with suspicion
because If the political teachings OF its founder
! which we're supp DScd to be communstic, and he
sentenced Damon death for the purpose of test
ing the prorerbal affection of the Pythagoreans.
4 PythiiS, or Pnintias, knowing thar Damon dcSir
t. visit his home to settle his affairs before his
death, generously offered him elf surety. The
DAY arrived for the dread sputcacc to be execut-
( ed The tyrant ard his courtiefs waited anxious
ly 10 see il Damon would return, but alas, waited
/ Does he filter 10! Does ne benoan his folly in
offering himself a hostage? M! but with face
btamins with jay he bares his neck and eAelaims
/ :" lis sweet to die for those we love-" Through
the intervention Of kind Providence, Damon
rlshcs on the scene llaving been detained
! through the death of his horse which his slave
had killed to save his master), and gave himself
! up to Dionysius' mercy. The tyrant is 50 moved
by this inyiolable affection that he no. only re-
leases Pythias and Damon. but desired earnestly
to be admitted third person into their friend
ship. So runs the old story ard despite the fact
that Appietous and Johnsons cyclopedias reverse
the names Of the heroes. the truth of the nara
tive has never been questioned, and rs the found
of the order of X of T. well says III reference to
the attempt to crush the order because based on
a myth: In my opinion it is of very little i'm
portancc far as it p SHY affect o"'cr.
1t would seem Ia that the purpose of our order
conid b. better illustrated if public opponents
woald dwell more particularly upon the subject
of our principles and tcnets, and not endcavor to
create divisions of opinion on matters of as little
Importance in rcrlity, Us they are of doubt in the
minds of many who have made ancient history a
lifelong study"
Ii has been bicttcd that the X. Of p are Geisti-
cal in their belief and while it is to be regretted
that the name of Christ does not appear in their
ritual. doubtless because Of mcager few who do
not pray through Him, yet let it be for ever
mculbered that the whole of the teachings of the
order are embodied in greetings Of Friend
ship, Charity and Bcnevolence and are Christlikc
and he who does not act UP to them is hypo-
I critic and rs much 10 he dcspiscd rs the Christian
hypocrite. Still il would be most unjust to con
/ cludc that because of the Pythian hypocrites or
Christian hypocrites, we should dispense with
both. Nay. let Us keep our order pure we
would keep our church or our home and il Jul
dases come amongst us let us wash our hands of
their pollution, aud prove that we honor our spir-
itual instincts.
One more objection viii refer to before bring
ing this prosy paper to its close. We are told
that there is too much Red Tapcism about these
orders. This is one of those objections which
makes full sweep Of law and order, with