The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-12

Mr.. johnson, ~ex.Judge Smith, Mr..
Lynett DR.. Leete and Many Others.
Many Beautiful Musical Numbers.
Despite the incl ement weather of
Yesterday afternoon, which rendered
impossible tina contemplated grand pa
rade OF resident and visiting Eiks.
hundreds OF Scrantonians attended the
public opening OF the new Elks' club
and lodge rooms on Franklin avenue.
listened to the inspiring music Of
Bauer's Elks' orchestra, viewed the
magnificent apartments, which are
SAID by ali observers to be the finest Of
their kind anywhere in the United
States, and departed with q new sense
OF pride in the enterprise and libsrality
OF this leading local secret fraternity.
When the public mad inspected the
rooms to its hearts content and de-
parted, visiting and resident Elks, pre-
coded Ivy the deputy grand officers Of
the grand lodge. proceeded to tho lodge
hall, 10 dedicate the handsome new
strueture to the aims and purposes of
EIkdom. Four hundred Elks witnessed
this most impressive ceremony, heard
Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler for the
Eastern district of Pennsylvania, Meade
ID. Detwiler, of Harrisburg, declare in
his most earnest tones that the lodge
hall and club rooms combined to make
absolutely the finest Elks' retreat he
had syer witnessed; listened to an i'm
pressive Grafton by Hon. P. p. Smith
and felicitated themselves generally on
the happy occasion which had called
them together.
THE SERVICES IN DETAIL.
After Exalted Ruler F. ]. Fiizsim-
mons had declared Scranton lodge No.
1873. Benevolent and Protective Order
Of Elks. duly organized, lie gave place
10 Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Det-
wilsr, who proceeded to organize the
grand ledge OF Elks of America for
she purpose of accepting and defeating
the nsw local lodge home. Mr.. Dst-
wiler WAS assisted by Deputy Grand Es.
teemed Leading Knight John D Mish-
Ter, of Reading lodge No. 1875; Deputy
Grand Esteemed Leading Knight Leo
Long, OF Wilkes Barre lodge No. 1909;
Deputy Grand Esteemed Leeturing
Knight w. W. Scit2ingsr, Of the Read.
ing lodge, Deputy Grand Secretary c.
W. Edwards, also of the Reading lodge;
Deputy Grand Treasurer George Steg-
lnaier, of Wilkes.Bsrre; Deputy Grand
~Champlain W. S. Ewart, OF Utica
lodge No. SO; Deputy Grand Inner
Guard Joseph P. Burns, Of Wilkes.
Barre; and Grand Esquire Allen o.
Myers, OF Columbus, o.
The first exercise after an eloquent
invocation by the deputy grand chap
lain consisted of the reading of the
grand lodge ritual, followed by u cers.
monial OF peculiar beauty aud signifi-
canoe. Upon the Elk's altar in the
centre OF the hail each of the four act
ing leading executive officials of the
grand lodge successfully placed u SYM
bolical stone inscribed with the motto
Of his respective station. The founda-
ton stone was CHARITY" upon it was
placed Il symbol Of Justice" sur
mounting that vas placed "Brotherly
Love" tinted with the hue of tho for
get-me-not while tine capstone of the
pyramid was labeled Fidelity"
FINEST IN THE LAND.
The rendition of an impressive ode
By the Elks' quintette, comprising John
7. Watkins, Will Watkins, Fred c.
Hand, George Dewitt and Joseph P.
Burns, intervened, after which Grand
Deputy Detwilsr formerly accepted
the lodge in behalf of the grand lodge,
and followed that with a short speech
in which he declared, with e~xtraordin-
airy emphasis, that he had never in all
his travels witnessed a lodge room
which eQualed the one in Scranton.
Hon. p. P. Smith was then intro.
duced by the grand lodge deputy *
allied ruler as the orator Of the occa-
sion. Mr.. Smith said
The simple dedicatory ceremonies now
drawing to q close, are in beautiful accord
with the elevated principles of the Benev-
client and Protective Order Of Elks, namely
tharity, Justice, Brotherly Love and FL
deity. Broad as the horizon OF mankind,
and limitless as the boundaries of the
world, with no secret save one-"Charity
without ostentation, the order is girded
by no class, sectarian, or selfish limitations.
With these as its fundamental principles,
in harmony with the grander parts Of all
creeds, and representing the highest ideals
and aspirations of mankind, all men may
come under its ample canopy, and, with |
perfect freedom Of conscience, commingle
in fraternsl unity.
peace hath her victories, no less than
war, !" and among the most potent Of the
forces that contribute to these victories
are the principles embodied in the motto Of
the order.
THE GREATEST OF GRACEs.
Char ity-which Paul holds the greatest
OF the graces that abide with us; Justice
which should rule, come what may; Broth.
erly Love-which should bind together
nations no less than families; and Fidel-
lth-the ce ment that gives cohesion to 30.
ciety and holds man to the performance OF
his obligations as a social uniform the
foundation on which is erected the noblest
institutions Of man. 1t IS not by the pow
ers OF mind alone that man has risen from
the conditions Of barbaric life to the civil.
lZatlon oil our own day. In its intellectual
aspect. the civilization which the heather
world 80" attained was in no wise beneath
our " except as TO mechanical invention
ana the mastery Of natural forces, while in
literature and art it rose to an eminence
winch we today despair of reaching. But
the civilization developed through the
later centuries was differentiated from that
OF heathenism by the subtle and slowly
permeating forces Of charity, Justice,
brotherly love and fidelity-divine forces
working in human nature and developing
nobler CHARACTERISTIC in the structure and
tendencies OF society. Already these forces
have won much for humanity and their
conquests over the evils that beset man are
steadily extending. They operate for the
common good. They suffer no man to live
to himself alone, or to seek his own good
through evil to another. For many CEN
turtles they have been molding social and
political institutions, warning against all
forms OF oppression and evil, promoting all
things that make for human brotherhood
and equality and for the elevation OF man,
With tho progress Of the ages they as.
sert themselves more and more visibly,
with an influence growing ever stronger
and broader, in forms comprehending all
human interests. They move hand in
hup1 xutRh Nha inAa1aaN,,I ,,ovro.. .-.t.--