Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-19
DEDICATED!
The Magnificent Py-
THAN Temple
Formally Turned Over to
the Order. (
The Beauty and Chivalry of
Clarksville Present.
An Event.sLong ito be Remembered by
the Hundreds of Guests in
Attendance.
SPEECHES, MUSIC, DANCING

There were hundreds of people
who defied .thea athreateningsappea
ance of the weather last evening, ant
attended the dedicatory exercises al
the new Pythian Temple, at the cor
ner of Third and Franklin streets
The spacious hall was filed beyond
its seating capacity with the beauty
and chivalry of Clarksville, and the
closest attention was paid the various
speakers. AS stated previously in
these columns the meeting was.for
the purpose of formally dedicating
the new temple and of turning the
same over to the order. Many invi-
tations had been issued, consequently
the large crowd was expected and
preparations were made to seat the
same by providing the hall with
chairs.
BY way of parenthesis, it may not
be amiss to say something in regard
to the work of the trustees and build
ing committee in erecting this hand
some temple. 1t has been no small
undertaking from the first, ard too
much cannot be said of the men who
had the work in hand. The trustees
purchased a lot at the corner of Third
and, franklin streets, 26Xl35 feet, and
gave their notes as payment therefor,
The trustees, if the LEAF CHRONICLE
mistakes not, at this time were Clay
Stacker, DIR. II. +. Beach, and DIR.
N. l.. Carney. The lot was purchased
for $4,000, in round numbers,
and there was money enough
in the treasury to pay for
the same, but it was deemed advis-
able to apply this to the erection of
the temple. This supplemented by
the advice and aid of a strong friend
of the order enabled the building
committee to 60 ahead with its
work. DR.. N. l.. Carney was chair
man OF this committee and his
speech which follows below will ex-
plain how the work was accomp plish-
ed. After the building had been
completed bonds to the amount OF ten
thousand dollars were hoated and
all Indebtedness was paid off. The
income of Cumberland Lodge is
about 81 $50 per annum in the shape
of lodge dues. Add to this the
rental Of the first and second floors
of the building and it is estimated
that the bonds can be retired in
thirteen years.
The exercises were opened last
night with an overture by Guent-
zel's orchestra, followed by prayer
by DIR. Pettis, DR.. N. l.. Carney
then addressed the audience. He
spoke as follows:
Chancellor Commander, Members oil
Cumberland Lodge, No. II, Lodies
and Gentlemen:
The Order of Knights of Pythias
was founded Feb. 10, 1864, at Wash.
ington City, by Justus H. Rathbone.
1t was amid the9stirring scenes of
the late civil war, when men had
learned distrust instead on confidence,
that the founder OF the order con.
ceived the idea of forming an assO-
citation that would aid in dispelling
sectional strife and restoring the men
of our country to basis of universal
brotherhood. An association of
brothers bound and held together
with the"fraternal and undying prin
ciple4 of friendship" The order has
within period of less than thirty
years grown from five men, until il
now numbers 10000 members,
Ten years after the order had been
established, in the city of Washington,
by Justus II. RathbOne and his -four
associates, lot of Clarksville citi.
zens met on the 22d day of April,
1874, at the Dtluge Fire Engine Hall
on Strawberry Street, and applied to
the Grand Chancellor of the Grand
Lodge of Tennessee for a charter for
what is now known as Cumberland
Lodge, No. II, knights of Pythias.
In compliance with the petition, a
dispensation was granted, and on the
night of May II, 1874, in the hall Of
the Odd Fellows on Franklin sire t
w. b. Thompson, G. w. Wenkly
and A. J. Wheeler, of Myrtle Lodge
No. 3, Nashville, Tennessee. insti
tuted Cumberland Lodge, No. II
K..,S3ts v of Pythias, by comforting the
ranks upon the following charte,
members: J. G. Joseph, J, j. Ham
lett, B. II. Owen, II. w. Ritter, G
b. Wilson, Jno. Young, J, r. Rich
ardson, T, d. Toombs,aud Jno. L
Duff. Our late brother, G.. b. Wilson
was elected the first Chancellor
Commander of the lodge.
During the existence of Cumber
land Lodge it has had, as nearly
every lodge has had, its dark days