San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-20

Inc INSTRUMENTATION at me
Opera House--BaIl and Ban
quet at the Casino.
Yesterday was the day appointed
for the celebration of the Knights OF
Pythias silver anniversary. 1t
marked the twenty-five year of the
institution of the Knights of Pythas
in Washington, by It's founder. j. d..
Rath bone. BEGINNING then in a
small way it has gradually increased
i'm magnitude and Importance until
today its fraternal shield covers over
three hundred thousand members
and it is recognized as one of the best
secret societies in the country. All
over the country celebrations in hon
or of the Knighthood were held and
to their credit be it said the local
knights were not a whit behind their
brother knights of other sections in
the ardor, enthusiasm and grandeur
of their celebration.
In accordance with an excellent
programme, prepared by the arrange
ment committee, San Antonio Divi-
siou No. 1, Uniform Rank, and the
Elk Lodge No. 80 and Lotus Lodge
No 80, assembled at the Castle hall,
Dullnig building, and the procession
by marshalled.
About three o'clock the procession
started, headed by the 10Th In
fantry band. Following came Sir
Knight Lieutenant Colonel Cain
and his aides Sir knights Thav-
onat and Charles L. Sauer,
the uniform rank, Elk Lodge, Lotus
Lodge, and in this order the members
paraded the city, via Alamo plaza,
Houston street. SOledad street, Com
merce street to the Grand opera house.
Here the members and friends filed
into the building to hear the grafton
for the day delivered by knight, the
Rev. Charles f. Giddings.
Past Chancellors J. NJ. Cain, It. w.
MulIaly. n. w. Smith, G. F. Frommer,
II. B. Johnson, G. R. Dashiells, c. A.
Keller, Jno. S. Ramsay, J. P. w.
Street, John Il. Hambleton w. B.
Smith, J. r. Besse and Chas. f.
Giddings having taken their seats on
the platform, and one of the hymns
of the order being sung, Knight
w. B. Smith, chairman of the COM
mittee of arrangements, introduced
the orator of the day Knight, the
Rev. Chas. E. Giddings who delivered
an appropriate address taking as
key note the mystic letters of the
order. Friendship, Charity and
Benevolence f. c. B. Beginning
the pristine struggle for the
mastery of good and evil he showed
that the struggle was today waged
with intensity and would be until the
end of the world Analysing
friendship he sought to know
what it was and to tell
the secret of true friendship. He cited
Krummacher's beautiful illustration
of the oak and the ivy, and yet in that
case the ivy in its clinging ruins that
which gave it support. Was that
friendship he asked? Then there was
the wild youth surrounded in de-
bauchery by friends who deserted
him in the hour of failure and need.
Then there was the mpaniOnship of
SIN that must in the end terminate in
mutual hate. Against these false
friendships he placed the story of the
fraternal love of Orestes and Pylades,
who were each willing to die that the
other might live, and whose fraternity
saved both, and the grand old story
of Damon and Pythias, in which
Pythias wanted to die tor his friend,
which so touched the heart of the ty-
rant DiOHysius that it made him eX-
claim: "Live ye Incompatible pair,
We have borne unquestiOnable testi-
mOny to the existence Of virtue and
that virtue equally evinces the exist
,ence of God to reward it. Live
happy, live renowned, and oh teach
me by your precepts, as you have in
vited me by your example. to
be worthy Of the participation
of so sacred friendship.
Then he told the story Of Christ and
friendship, which led him to die
to save all men. In these examples
he found the ideal of true friendship.
Then he spoke of charity, true and
false, and gave some very pretty il
Illustrations of the way in which it
could be tested and spoken in an
equally effective way of benevolence.
Concluding, the orator said: "And
now, brothers, what remains for us as
Knights of Pythias to do? Why, to
study the principles here inculcated.
The foundation, the key and capstones
of our grand economy. In order to
the first we cannot but see the para
mount importance of guarding well
our gates. See to it, brother knights,
that no man unworthy your friend
ship is ever admitted to your castle
halls. Let the first and last and only
question be with reference to eligibil-
ity of any candidate, any applicant to
become one of your number. "What
is that mans characterm Not his
means, not his station, not his rank.
Let him be rich or poor, elevated or
lowly his place in life. Let not these
conditions either the one way or the
nthar he discussed or entertained or