The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-16
SHRINERS ON A PILGRIMAGE
Three Thousand File Through the
Gaily Decorated Oasis of Omaha.
Some on Foot, Some in Chario,s, and Others
Astride Real Camels from the Deserts of
Epypt-Meeting OF the Imperial Council.

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 15.-Three thousand
Mobiles, with cleaning and brilliant ap-
parel. on foot. in carriages and bestride
gaily caparisoned camels wendcc their!way
through the Oasis of Omaha this evening
The caravan was a magnificent spectacle,
and as it wound around the trail leading
from the temple, through the haunts of the
traders, il was greeted with grand dis
play of bunting, illumin ated with pyrotech-
MICS Twenty thousand people gathered
along the line of march and witnessed the
grand parade or the Ancient Arabic Order
OF the Mystic Shrine, now assembled
in Omaha. Marching until O'clock, 1t dis
banded on Farnum street. after having
been reviewed by Illustrious Potentate
Samuel Briggs. from the Paxton balcony.
Then came a grand reception to the Mobiles
and their ladies. at which they were well
coined by Mayor Bemls. and given the key
and the freedom of the city. The rooms of
the temples represented here were crowd
ed with Mobiles all day and far
into the night, and there was
music to begu,ie the senses and
revive memories of other days The water
bottles 1.-THE word water is evidently q
blunderl long upon the backs of the cam
els, were opened. and the sojourners drank
deep of the refreshing liquid. Then. for
those who desired deeper draughts there
were punch bowls, presided over by dusky
sons of the desert, and other refreshments
worthy the travellers who had journeyed
hither across the burning sands from every
State In the Union.
The Imperial Council opened this morn
n ~ of II. nj sv.t ho - l.
Illustrious Potentate Briggs called the
council to order and Imperial Recorder
Frank NJ. Luce, called tho roll. In his
annual report Potentate Briggs showed
that there were in this country sixty.two
temples and %, 7S9 Mobiles, against thirteen
temples and As Mobiles in 1878 OF the
fraternal dead. Mr.. Briggs said: while
none of the active mem bers of this I'm perial
Council has been summoned to the portals
of the unseen temple during the past year.
our affairs have been draped in mourning
tor the demise of several prominent in the
Ancient Arabic Order in America, as we'll
as one who, by reason of his position as q
ruler in the East. had endesred himself TO
hlspeople." Anon g the dead named were the
following: David Kalakaua. 33o, King Of
the Hawaiian Islands, noble of Islam
Temple. San Francisco, Cal, who died at
San Francisco, Jan. 20, 1891: William
Jermyn Florence: 3so Grand Shereef of
Mecca Temple, New York, and represent
alive of temples in the East who died at
Philadelphia. Nov. 10. 1891: Tewfik Moham-
med Pasha. Viceroy khedive of Egg ut,
who died at Cairo. Egypt. Jan. Z, 1892.
At the conclusion of the poten tate's ad-
dress the reports OF the imperial treasurer
Joseph ;. Wright, and the imperial record
er, Frank Nj. Lnse. were read and referred.
The imperial recorder. in concluding his
address. stated that the Imperial Council
was entirely free from debt and bad O bal
ance Of Sl6.57l.42 In the treasury. After
the committee on Jurisprudence made its
report the active work of the session be-
gan. The question of limiting the number
OF temples in State to three. recommended
by the committee, called for q great deal
OF oratory on the part of the nObles and 10
was finally decided to leave the whole
matter TO the discretion of the Imperial
Council. Mecca Temple, of New York, will
endeavor to have n new office that of
preiate or praying dervlsh in the Arabic
the constitution providing for high priest
This afternoon Cincinnati was chosen as
the place of meeting in 1893. M. Il. Melish,
of Cincinnati. was chosen imperial poten-
tate. The other officers elected were:
Palmer Hudson. of Pittsburg, deputy i'm.
perial potentate; J. L. Field. of San Fran
cisco. chief rabbier: James Locke, of Bos-
ton. assistant rabbien.
The ladies of the families of the mobiles of
Tangier Temple rendered a reception 10 the
visiting ladies at tho Paxton Hotel pnrlors
between and 5 O'clock this afternoon.
Three thousand Mystic Shriners and
twelve Thousand knights Templars are in
tho city tonight.