St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-09-06
BOSTON LETTER.

IN the daily papers about the hhiShts
Templar conclave that do not pro-
pose to attempt to put into this let
ter any connected description OF the
event. 1t would, for one thing be
impossible to do anything like jus
tice to it in one letter and besides |
think that under the circumstances
collection of some of the most inter
esting incidents which came under
my own observation will be quite as
acceptable.
To begin with, there is the proper
form of the word itself. Shall we
say knights Templar, or knights
Templars," or Knight Templars."
The latter is OF course out OF the
question, but the battle over the two
former has waged hot and heavy,
not only in the newspaper Offices but
among the Knights themselves. AS
result there has been no uniiormi-
ty, and every one has been able to
feel that he was using the only real
ly correct form.
For six long hot hours sat on the
grand stand on Columbus Square to
watch the procession pass. And
though it was hot, it was not nearly
as hot as it might have been expect
ed to be at this time of the year In the
morning it looked like rain, and
nearly every one carried an umbrella
and a macintosh out with them.
As it happened, no rain fell. but the
clouds remained nearly all of the
forenoon, making the out door seats
much more comfortable than they
would naturally have been. The
stand on which | was seated was re-
served for the Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts, and their guests.
The Massachusetts organization had
invited the Grand Lodge of Rhode
Island to attend, and as result of
the gathering of so many dignitaries
of this kind was surrounded by
blue trimmed aprons and the pecu-
liar massive arrangements which
they wear around their necks. |
suppose there is some absolutely cor
rect Masonic term for them, but |
should call them very heavy neck
laces of Greek pattern. The effect of
several hundred men dressed in this
way, was very striking and added
another picturesque element to the
scene.
The procession did not get started
until some little time after 10 o'clock.
1t was quite II or later before
the advance guard reached the place
where was, and during the next
hour there were several very annoy
ing delays, but after II O'Clock
there was an almost uninterrupted
march past of gallant Sir Knights.
| remained on the stand until 4
o'clock, and the eleventh division
was just passing then, there being
thirteen divisions in all.
Hard as it was for us who sat to
watch the procession, it must have
been harder still for the men who
marched. Many Of the spectators
brought lunches with them, anc
those who did not, could go and get
something to eat at any time. ifthey
were willing to lose their places, bu
the Knights were kept on duty all o
the time. On the Columbus Squar,
stand the Grand Lodge furnished {
nice lunch, neatly put up in boxes
: for every one on the stand, and :
man was kept constantly busy hand
1 ing about ice water, so that we wer
e really very comfortable.
h The streets all along the route wer
/ simply lined with all the people VIII,
+ could get any where near them. Al
0 the windows and doorways wer
crowded, and many people clustere
on the front edges Of the fla t hous
tops and from there look down on tn
e crowds below. All seemed to realiz
h that the marching Knights must b
l. tired and hot and hungry and thir:
e ty; and everywhere people were see
l. trying to do something to max
h them more comfortable. Wheneve
d the procession stopped for fe,
1t minutes, as it frequently did, person
in would rush out from houses wit
We lunch, or fruit, or drink. Those VIII
r. were at the windows. and man
I'd who could not reach the stree
brew out their offerings from II