Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-19
In A FAMOUS FEAST.
Elks Find Good Grazing in Their
Favorite Forest Haunts.
THEIR NATIONAL REUNION ENDED
Bya Banquet That Hadn't Tame or Chilly
Thing About 1t.
SOME THINGS TOASTED QUITE DRY

queteu saVors OF the iormautles anu OF colu
etiquette. "Social session" does moi
give full meaning of the oc-
casion either; indeed, there is no one
word in the English language that
sums up the chunks Of wit, the sparks oi
humor, the jokes. the puns, the serious and
comic and what not, at an Elks banquet.
The whole evening was like looking
through a kaleidoscope at the seri-
Gus problems of life, and
the humor of thoughtless, bright
and gay existence, SO intermingled
and interchangeable that the two seemed
blended into one another's distinct exist
ence. The word Elk is meaningless word
when applied to the order. 1t only repre-
sents an "Open Sesame" key to
the members of the benefits, fraternity, les
sons and charity, and all the order repre-
sents; and for this reason has it been justly
scribe social gathering of the Elks.
BROWSING IN A FOREST.
Old City Hall was for the time the scene Of
q forest. A beautiful and hfe-like painting
Of an elk standing on a promontory, with
trees, etc., made a background for
the stage, and branching on from
the painting natural trees and Towering
shrubs made the real and artistic not
discernable at distance. The orchestra of
the Great Western band was placed among
the trees. In the hall seven long
tables groaned beneath their load
of dainties and substantisls. Eight hun
dred plates were placed on the banquet
table and 1000 bottles of liquids were
placed beside the plates and in the impro-
vised kitchen behind the stage presided
over by Caterer Hagan.
The hour of the banquet. 8 o'clock, drew
near, but the Elks came not. They had
been off browsing on river scenery from the
| decks of the steamer Mayfower, and did
not return until an hour after their time.
At O'Clock the doors of the banquet hall
we're thrown open, and the Elks came in
droves. The orchestra peeled forth, and the
third national social session of the Brother
hood of the Protective Order of Elks
began. Mr.. Courtney occupied the chair
at the head of the central table as toast
master. Soon Simon Z. Quinlin, lately
elected Exalted Grand Ruler of the order,
came up the aisle, and the windows jingled
with the applause. Stepping down the
hall, he returned leading Hamilton E..
Leach, of Washington, d. c., whom he
succeeded In the Office, and the applause
was augmented to continued roar.
THE FEAST BEGAN.
All were seated, the walters flying hither
and thither, 800 tongues were moving in op-
posite directions, and 300 Elks were fairly
started on the banquet. The programme Of
toasts was lost on the banqueters, the number
was too large. Many on the programme for
toasts were absent, and their places had to
be supplied. Mr.. Pierce, the lone repre-
sentative from Logansport, was appointed
Chief OF Police, and ordered to arrest every
person called on who refused to respond,
and drag him before the toast master for
sentence. .rt-.-
The first toast was "welcome Elks of the
United States" by W. w. McClelland,
Exalted Ruler of Pittsburg Lodge, No. IL.
His welcome was short but to
the point. and the legend on
the menu: "Eat, drink and be
Merry, Elks," was the theme. Brother
George Elphinstone, of Pittsburg, No. IL,
gave the response to the toast. He told of
some of the benefits of the order, and said
that the Elks neverpublished what they did.
The banqueters commenced to call "louder,
louderl" and, meeting the spirit of the oc-
casion, the speaker told story in which he
brought out the moral that when Gabriel
blows his trumpet people will yell 'louder."
THE MONOGRAM TOAST.
Simon Quinlin gave the toast ''B. P. o.
Elks." He handled the growth and objects
of the order briefly, and gave way to others.
Brother Seely was here called on for a song,
and refusing, was marched up to the stage
by the Chief of Police, made to make a bow
and ordered to be taken to the 'jug" in a
'hurry-up" wagon.
The band was not given time to play, and
retired. Speeches, from this point on, were
at a discount, and it was only when Mr..
Locke. of Omaha, gave recitation. "For-
gotten" that quiet again reigned.
Brother Leach then proposed that all
should join in singing "Auld Lang Syne,"
which was done,. all rising and
trouble the meeting was called to
order, and Brother Armstrong proceeded
to read the judges report and award the
banner to the delegation scoring the most
points. The New Castle Lodge, No. SO.
scored two points Of the necessary four on
marching and evolution, and the prize was
declared to belong to them amid
CONSIDERABLE EXCITEMENT.
A member of the Youngstown Lodge ap-
pearted to take offense at the decision, and
it seemed as if some unpleasantness would
be engendered,> but this was happily
avoided by the motion of Brother Wolf,
of the Youngstown Lodge. requesting all
his brother members to vote for the instant
acceptance of the Judges decision. His
remarks were received with applause and
the motion was carried. Brother Quinlin,
of the Board of Awards, then made a few
remarks in which he said: ''If any doubt
ever remained in regard to the brotherly
love of our members. it is now forever dis
solved by the remarks Of Brother Wolf"
Brother Wintermitz, of the New Castle
lodge, was selected to receive the banner
and reply. The appointment was an unex-
pected one, and he was somewhat nervous
at first, but soon regained his self-possession
and made very poetical speech of accept
ance. In reply to enthusiastic calls, Brother
Wolf then made few remarks, claiming |
that the order of Elks embraced all the |
of the true Christian religion; that |
the precepts OF the order taught man how |
to live, and when a man knew how to live |
he knew how to die.
THEN IT WAS SOCIAL.
The business part of the meeting was then |
declared closed, and the control transferred |
to the Social Committee, and the |
remainder of the evening was passed /
in listening to recitations, music and |
tales of theatrical life by visiting mem
bers. Although the third annual meeting
was much smaller in point of attendance
than expected, the Pittsburg lodge have
made great reputation as entertainers, and
have every reason to congratulate them
selves on its successful ending. 1t will be
a long time before the visiting lodges will
forget their Pittsburg reception.