The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-20
THE TWENTY-FOURTH YEAR
Local knights of Pythias Celebrate the
Anniversary of Their Order.
General Carnahan's Interesting Review of
the History Of the Observation-Disclosures
of Rev. w. Ii. Sands, Of Rushville.


Of the founding of the Order of Knights of
Pythias. 1t was observed by the local Knights
with a meeting in Tomlinson Hall in the after
noon. Bad weather interfered with the attend
ance, but almost all the members of the local
lodges, together with quite a number of their
friends, were present. The members Of the Uni
form Ranks met in their lodge-rooms and
marched to the hail. preceded by a band. The
gentlemen who composed the committee on re-
ception, and who acted as ushers. were Fred
Ward, of Olive Branch, No q John Barrick, No
81; Theodore List No. 2; Gus Troideneaux. No.
Z; F. M. Smith, No. 81; Nj. Robinius, No. 81;
Fred Rittenhouse. No. 81; NJ. G. Hornadsy, No.
81; Tnnis Lillsy, No. 2
Grand Chancello w. L. Heiskell presided over
the exercises. The members of the Central
avenue Methodist and Memorial Presbyterian
Church choirs were seated upon the stage and
sang several anthems
After the reading Of the Scriptures by Rev.
DR.. Mcleod and prayer by Rev. DR.. Keen,
General Carnahan, maior-general of the Uni
form Rank of Knights of Pythias, was intro
duced, to speak npon the subject, ''Ths Order
of Knights of Pythias."
General Carnahan said that twenty-four years
ago yesterday many of the men before him were
found upon the tented field. That was time
when one continuous cry of sorrow was heard.
when the mothers heart was blesding for that
son, who, flush in the strength of young man
hood, had left her to find in a short
time an unknown grave The hospitals were
filled with the manned. sick and dying, and on
the battle fields We're scores of the men who yes
terday were meeting to observe the anniversary.
1t was in sucn time that peaceful thoughts.
loving thoughts and kind intentions put 1t into
the hearts of small band of men to found TINS
order of knights of Pyrhias. The order which
they represented was the child of that war
period The little company of men came to-
gether and said: 1--WE will found an order and
and repeat the message which came or old to
the shepherds who were tending their iocks at
NIGHT" This little band. Injured to all the hard
ships of war, sent out from their first meeting
in Washington the message: 'Peace on earth.
good will to men," And from this little band
of five had now been built up an army
whose camp fires extended north and south, for
the first effort of the organization was to anne
liorate the feeling between North and South:
II stand before the world to day" said General
Carnahan, land from proofs obtained in the
archives OF our order fearlessly make tho as
sertion that no organization, no political party.
band of men. did so much to do away with
the bitterness and harshness occasioued by the
as the men who established this order
The tenets of the order said the speaker,
we'll known--Frendship. Charity and
Benevolenee. 1t was the friendship not Tor
selfish gain, but friendship unto death. Right
nobly had the organization maintained that
tenet History showed that the first man who nad
ever sacrificed his life that brother might be
q
officer, who at the Spotswood House. in Rich
mond, Va, gave his life in order that he might
save that of ex-Union soldier, who was
brother Knight of Pythias Then. during the
yellow fever scourge. 1n 1878, physician left
Little Rock in order to wait on sick KNIGHTS
at Memphis. Tenn. When a brother knight
and physician living in Wisconsin heard of this,
he said '.If DIR. Early should take sick there
would be to attend him, so will CO. too
To day the portraits of these two brothers hung
on the walls Of s nearly every i0dse-ro4 3ns
knights Rest" in the beautiful city OF Mem
phis Their tenet of "charity" taught them the
Bible love for man. and that of .'benevoence
the duty of we'll wishing. Every KNIGHT should
fulfill that portion of his obligation. The order
made this weil-wishipe practical by contrlh2s 1
lions from the pockets OF its mem bers In nine
ing the sick, the burial Of the dead and the edu-
cation of orphans They might we'll rejoice and
thank Him-the great CAPTAIN of the army OF
the world-for putting it into the hearts of mon
establish the order Seasons would come
and go, trees would nut forth their
leaves. flowers bloom, and fruit ripep. and so
men would take their places; year by year the
fruits of their order would multiply. Might
their hope always be founded on that book
which commanded them "Love God with all
thy heart and with ali thy soul. and with all
thy might" and also to "Lovs thy nelghbor as
myself"
General Carnahan was followed by Rev. w.
Fl. Sanda, of Rushville. who delivered an inter
estng and eloquent address. He said the ranks
of the Pythisns had increased in twenty-four
years from FIVE men to 25U.0 600. and now in
cluded many Governors, legislators judges aud
men in the front rank of the professions be-
sides the choicest young men OF America. They
numbered 600 lodges and had expended more
than ST. 900 900 in year for the relief Of the
suffering. Some had said Masonry
system of morality, yelled in allegory and illus
trated by symbols. Pythianism was Christian
masonry. Pythianism was not religion, nor
substitute for it, but was its handmade. Every
Pythian Knight ought TO be consistently a Chris
tian man, and every Christian man ought to be
Pythan. The speaker believed the order was
diviney approved. and hence its success