The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-16
Something of the Splendor of
the Great Gathering at
Boston.
CAL1FoRNIANs LED THE REST
Their Hospitality Became a Proverb.
Two Dollars for the Little
Gilt Bear.


refreshed rather than wearied by their
pilgrimage, and filled with bright memo
ries of an altogether delightful experience.
1t is only proper to state, perhaps, that
THE CALL was the only San Francisco
newspaper specially represented at Boston
during the conclave and on the run across
the continent its correspondent accom-
panying Golden Gate Commandery.
No such gathering of knights has been
witnessed since the days of the crusades.
1t was a magnificent display. The city of
Boston was for five days in the hands of
Knights Templar. 1t swarmed with them.
Every hotel belonged to and was occupied
by them. On the streets they dominated
everything-every other citizen or visitor
was always in touch with a Knights
Templar uniform.
On the day of the great parade the sur
rounding cities and towns emptied them
selves into Boston, and trainloads of visit
ors came from every other city in the
Union to fill the miles and miles of obser-
vatlon seats, the windows and housetops,
commanding a view of the line of march
and every foot of the sidewalk from the
point of assembling to the point of dis
persing, and for over five hours Knights
Templar marched between those banks of
humanity, a procession eight miles in
length dragging its slow length through
the crooked streets of Boston to the con-
tinued applause of the unnumbered look
ers-on. Had they been starting away to
recover from the barbarians the ark and
the temple and the holy city the enthu-
siasm could hardly have been greater, the
spectacle more imposing.
And in all that long brilliant line, with
its waving plumes, its flashing steel, Its
banners OF black and gold and the swing
ing cadence of its martial music, the legion
that marched under the banners of far
away California was greeted every step
with an enthusiasm that, by comparison,
silenced the rest
1t was rather interesting to note during
the five days of the conclave how entirely
the California Knights had caught not
only the public but their fellow-knights.
Their several headquarters were besieged
every one of those five days, and every hour
of each day. From the hour. for instance,
that the Old Kearsage Association build
ing on Washington street was opened as
the headquarters of Golden Gate Com
mandery on Monday, August 26, until mid
night of Thursday, the procession of visit
ors was uninterrupted.
At the latter hour, the Knights and
ladies of the Commandery desiring to hold
a family reunion before saying farewell to
each other and previous to the scattering
that was to take place in the morning,
Commander Clark was compelled TO state
the case to the crowd, and ask that they be
left to themselves.
On the day of their reception the crowds
that responded to the invitation of Cali
fornia Commandery No. 1 was such as to
block traffic in Bosworth street. At 10
o'clock in the morning of that day line
had formed in front of their doors that ex-
tended out into fremont street. And
rapidly as that line made its way through
the headquarters and out through a side
exit it was REINFORCED in front and at
midnight, when the doors were closed, was
still there. During that time many thou
sands had passed through, every one car
rying out through the side exit a bottle of
California wine and basket of California
, fruit
Nearly every commandery in Boston
entertained, each in its own fashion, for
one day or for five days, and it was the
prodigality with which the two San Fran
cisco communicates did so that made them
the talk of the city and of all the visiting
knights.
As an illustration of how everything
Californian was regarded it is only neces-
sary to mention the little gilt bear that
formed the pin by which the yellow silk
badge of the Sir Knights of Golden Gate
was fastened to the lapel. The COM
mandery took what was thought to be
great quantity. but the fashion of ex-
changing badges created such a run on
them that they were exhausted within
twenty-four hours after the arrival in Bos-
ton. Then the little gilt bear Immediately
went to a premium. Some commandery
badges were of elaborate design in metals,
both beautiful and costly, but they were
not a consideration with the little gilt
bear. In trading in them, as many people
did making up collection, three such
ho1 Offa e. -
offer OF 81 In coin was commonplace
Even hotel waiter who had secured bear
scoffed at such. Every man wearing the
bear was thus singled out from the crowd
as an enviable individual and the fame of
California and Californians grew hourly.
If the little gilt bear was such an object
of interest, what may be said of the little
live bear, Zerubbabel IV2
Every move he made was recorded in
Boston's newspapers from the time he
numbered uneasily off the train in the new
Union station until he was formally pre-
sented to Bay State Commandery on the
last day of the conclave-that being made
the occasion of splendid banquet at
Brockton.
One by one and two by two the Sir
Knights are returning from the great
triennial festival to the City and State
which they honored in the East, and are
telling stories OF the splendor and the
humors of the conclaye.
Growing out of the experience at Boston
it is said that Coeur de Lion Commandery
No. 9 of Los Angeles will make move
shortly to have their name changed to
that of Southern California Commandery.
They went East with the special train of
Golden Gate Commandery. At Boston, as
stated everything Californian was above
par, but Sir Knights from Coeur de Lion
communicates were to be met at every
corner. They came from every State.
The result was that the Los Angelenos no
sooner stepped from the train than they
began to feel lost in the crowd.
Now anybody who ever met me from
Los Angeles knows that that sensation is
abhorrent to every fiber in his system. So
they propose that it shall not occur again
They intend to change their name so that
1T will tell its own story and under that
name to invite into its membership every
Sir Knight located anywhere south of
Tehachapi, so that they can go to Pitts
burg in 1898 with numbers and influence
Here is just as good place as any to re-
peat a characteristic little story concern
ing Uncle George Bromley as part of tn e
history of the big gathering. In company
with Sir Knight James d. Maxwell Uncle
George was threading his way through
the throng on fremont street when lady,
full of enthusiasm at recopnizjuo a ono