The Globe-republican., 1890-01-08
Knights Of PythiaS.
.Prefaced by the Editor.

ult.. recalls TO MIND that on the 18th day
|, OF February. 1864. he in company with
seven Others founded the first lodge Of
} the order of Knights of Pythias. Mr.
RathbOurn prepared the ritual and secret
work, not dreaming that he was laying
the foundation for what was so soon t.
become one of the larges; and most widely
known fraternal societies in existence
In quarter of a century it has grOwf
from one lodge with eight members, tt
over forty Grand Lodges. each Crane
Lodge having jurisdiction over from one
hundred to three hundred subordinate
lodges; each subordinate lodge having
an average membership of at least forty
making surprising total membership
Lodges are established in every state anu
territory in the union and also IN the
Canadas. The Grand Lodge of Kansa.
was organized in 1872. with nine subOr-
dinate lodges. They now number 1872,
with an average membership of forty
five or fifty.
Apollo Lodge, of this city. was insti-
tuted October 18th. 1882. with fourteen
charter members and now has member
ship of forty in good standing; the total
membership received into Apollo Lodge
since its organization, counting those
who have since changed their residence.
the number will nearly reach one hun
dled.
| The Endowment Rank. which is the
insurance feature Of the Order. has Il
membership of 10000, with an endow-
ment of S4l 100000. $500 certificates.
representing over $4,000. 900 endowment.
were issued for the fiscal year ending
March SIS 1889. Certificates of endow-
ment are for one. two and three thOus-
and dollars. Nearly five millions Of dol
lars have been paid to the widows aud
orphans of deceased members since the
formation of the rank, aside from the
usual benefits derived from the individ-
ual lodge in case of sickness and death.
Mr.. RathbOurn lived to see the organ
izatiOn he brought into existence in Feb
ruary. 1864, become the third-in point
of numbers and influence-Of the secret
societies of the present time. being ont
ranked by none but the MasOns and Odd
Fellows. if by them.
+As recent events here have objected
public attention to this order. and the
questions asked show general interest. a
few words of history and description
may lead to a closer acquaintance and
mutual advantage. Its primitive origin
is in the beautiful tradition which is
found in all lands and among all peoples
in varying forms Damon and Pythias
in the Greek. Mahab and Bundgar in the
HindOO; Gerwalt and Bergwerner in the
old German; Vladmar and Sweyn in the
Scandinavian; all tell with changing
scenes and names the wonderful adven-
lures of the two heroes, and all teach
that '.tOuch of nature that makes the
whole world kin''-friendship.
The history is that one of these friends
was condemned by the pOtentate of the
land to suffer death. He only asked time
to visit his family and bid them farewell.
Consent was given with the condition
that substitute must be provided. This
was only sarcastic mode of denying
the request for the ruler was confident
the condition could not be met. What
was his surprise, then, to see Pythias Cor
Bundgar. or Bergwerner, or Sweyn.)
step promptly forward and offer himself
a victim if his friend failed to return.
The condemned man departed and the |
day and the hour and even the fatal mo-
ment for his execution had arrived and |
still he came not. His unfortunate sub
stitute, however, with fearless disre-
gard of death which only such love can
inspire. marched to and mounted the
scaffold and greeted the executiOner
with smile of defiance. The death
was repeated, his limbs are
bound, his body placed in position, the
AK is uplifted and about to decend when
thousands palsied the headsman's hand.
The awful shout brOadens and deepens
till it seems to fill the universe like
crash of worlds. What is it: The face
Of the ruler-nOte, the ruler in the le-
gend is always despOt-blanches with
fear for the safety of his own crowned
head and he hastily gives orders for
stay Of the execution. Now a man is
seen far away on the plain who has been
as the condemned. His hair
is disheveled, and his rude garments have
al been torn off and thrown away to aid
his flight. his body is torn and bleeding
from his rushing contact with thorns
md brambles, and his limbs are crusted
with dust and bloody sweat. He leans
1pon the arms Of the people, still strug- i
yling toward the scaffold. He crawls ND {
is rough steps. gasping for breath, lifts {
his friend to his feet, falls painting into |,
his place, and signals the executioner to