The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-14
THE KNIGHTS PILGRIMAGE
JERsBY CITY FOLK ENJOFED
THBMsELVEs AT WAsHINGTON.

the oldest Masons-Vhcy Had a Joliy
Time-A Lonesome Kicker-Notes
About Other Secret Orders.
II have been a Mason almost a quarter
of a century. a Knight for twenty years,
/ have not missed a big affair, but that
triennial conclave at Washington excelled
anything | ever attended," This was
said by a prominent member of the order
in this city yesterday when | asked him
for some particulars Of the pleasant and
profitable pilgrimage.
sOf course the boys had to observe de-
corum. as the ladies went with us. They
had q happy time on the journey, and
/ some one was always saying something
droll and witty, and we were kept laugh
ing on the entire journey. The time
passed SO pleasantly and quietly that IT
| appeared that only a few minutes IA
elapsed from the time we started until
the discovery was made that we were at
the capital.
"You noticed that the Bridgeport Com
/ mandery travelled on the same train with
us. Well, some of our boys went in and
had a chat with them and brought them
into our car and introduced them. they
are a jolly lot of men, and they did 9
graceful thing too. When we reached
the depot at Washington they formed in
line, and with their drum corps escorted
us to our hotel, the Rochester House at
Fourteenth and G streets. BY the way
that drum corps, | was told, Is composed
| of enthusiastic wealthy young men, any
| one of whom can draw his check for nifty
thousand. They volunteered their SER
vices to the Commandery, and paid their
own expenses.
IA thing occurred. 1t was q joke
on one of our new members, a railroad
conductor. Washington is an odd city.
''The streets run in every direction and
confuse a stranger who starts on one and
suddenly discovers that he is on another
| a mile distant from the one he thought he
was following. Well, we were to form
| at a point on Maryland venue. don't
know whether it was north, south, east
| or west. We, of course, wanted q guide.
| Our good brother was thoroughly &C
| quainted with the city and familiar with
| the street wrinkles, he said, n we were
happy, contented and safe. We started
| and reached the place assigned to us and
waited. !,
"The communicates on our right and
left were not those named in the order
issued to us and we made enquiry. I'M
agine our surprise when we learned thai
we were on the right avenue but in the
wrong section of The city. Our guide had
gone astray. We had to march two miles
to reach the proper station, ard then the
line was in motion and as much as we
| could do was to get in where we belonged.
1t was quite a joke on the well informed
| chaperon, and we good naturally chaffed
him until the trip was over. Whenever
to send a guide with him OF he would
certainly go astray. His excuse, a
plausible one, was that, being q new
member, he wanted the members to
know him better and had done something
that would u them to recollect him.
They will.
| One commandery from Philadelphia was
pointed out to me as representing
either fifty or five hundred
million dollars, l don't know which, the
amount was so stupendous that 1t stag
gered me.
eve, in a body, visited headquarters Of
the Texas, St. Louis and other command
cries. A jovial crowd was in charge
of each, and made us feel like old
friends. They had an abundance OF
everything and were serving it, LOO
rapidly. No knight need have gone
hungry or thirsty long. BY the way ]
never saw such q large quantity OF hqu1c
refreshments dispensed and yet, during
my entire stay, l did not meet one maj
under the influence of ~intoxicants. W.
attended the reception given by Mrs
Logan, the widow of General Logan. HI
it was who was instrumental in having
the conclave held at Washington. Before
his death he told his wife what he pro
posed doing during the conclave and sht
did Just as he would have done had hi
lived to greet them.
sShe gave a reception to the Knight!
from Illinois on Wednesday evening and
the following days her house was open t,
all Knights. Thousands called and met
with a cordial greeting. She is q splen
did lady and is popular with the knights
"On Thursday we parted company
Some went to Mount Vernon, others tC
see the sights at the capital, some went t
the Gettysburg battlefield. others to thu
battle grounds at Charlottesville ane
the Wilderness.
"We were in the ninth division OF the
parade, and our boys did well. Coming
down X street we formed division front
and the alignment was perfect. The
olher divisions marched only twelve
front; we had twenty-four, and oul
marching was heartily applauded by the
spectators. We did not enter the exhi.
bition drill at the ball ground.
"a few of the boys had to return to bust
ness and left early Thursday. Some re
NAMED until the close of the week. One
started home on Thursday night anG
reached Jersey City early Friday. Every
body was pleased, except one. You are
bound to find one who is never satisfied.
I never had a better time"
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