The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-08-29
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND OF
THE PLUMED KNIGHTS
PARTICIPATED.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
SPECTATORS VIEWED 1T.
Standing Room Along the Line of March
Was at a Premium-1ntricate
Military ENolutions Were
Executed by Some.


discussing the greatest gala day the city
has ever seen. For more than five hours
the principal avenues were occupied by
plumed knights Templar and hundreds OF
thousands of spectators obligingly crowd
ed ON to the sidewalks to give them room,
but now the populace is thronging in
triumph over the pavements which TINS
afternoon echoed the marching feet, and
the sight is almost as wonderful as the
pageant was. 1t was near.y & o'clock
when the last commandery broke. ranks
at the foot of Washington street, and the
traffic was entirely resumed.
All the afternoon the street car system
was almost entirely suspended, even in
the streets through which the parade did
not pass. When the cars did start up
there was the greatest rush ever seen in
Boston.
There were none too many grand stands
to accommodate the immense throng that
clamored for seats, although almost every
available space along the line of march
had been covered with platforms and
seats. Every inch of room was Occu-
pied and there was hardly breathing
local trains were practically deserted
during the afternoon, but as soon as the
parade was over there was a stampede
for the depots, and the early evening
trains were crowded to suffocation. This
great exodus, however, seemed to make
no agreeable difference in the size of the
crowd, which still continual to fill every
thoroughfare.
The knights presented splendid APP
pearance in parade and with very few
exceptions completed the entire line of
march. As they passed the reviewing
stand before Grand Commander McCurdy
and Governor Greenhalge, and later be-
fore Chief Marshal Lawrence and
Mayor Curtis, many of them executed
intricate military evolutions, which won
the admiration of thousands who wit
messed them. These tactics were intro
duced by the more proficient comman-
deries at intervals along the line of
march. Great admiration was expressed
at the appearance of the California and
other Western delegations.
The evening has been given I'D by the
knights to general merriment. There
are banquets and receptions galore and
at every headquarters open house is the
order.
The conclave was officially opened by
exercises in Masonic temple immediately
after the close of the parade. Tomorrow
enc serious business of the conclave will
be in order
Seven hundred and fifty Thousand peo
pie saw the parade of over $4,000 sill
Knight Templars today and with one ac
cord, pronounced it the grandest pa
geant ever witnessed i'm Boston. PeOpl,
We're everywhere in the streets. on thu
sidewalks, on the roofs of buildings and
street cars clinging to THE telegraph pole.
wherever the vigilance of the police ant
line man was relaxed for a moment; il
wagons and drays filled with seats; in tn,
side streets and on hundreds of CRANE
stands, large and small, along the route
The clear skies and hot sun of the pas
two days had given way to heavy clouds
but finally the sun broke out through tn,
clouds, vigorously endeavoring to driv.
the mistS away.
Although a majority of the sir knights
spent last night until a late hour en-
PERTAINING friends or being entertained
they were astir early this morning Train
from every direction brought thousands
of uniformed Templars and their friend.
to swell the hosts. AT the depots tn,
crowds were of almost suffocating den
sIty. From every State commandere
began to stir at an early hour and thous
streets near the depots echoed with tn,
din of scores of bands and the tramp o
arriving knights and their escorts. Tn
railroad men were completely over
whelmed with the magnitude of tn
crowd.
Everywhere within a radius OF 20 mile
of the state house the day is PRACTICAL,
a holiday. Most of the factories i'm nea
by cities are closed and the operative
helped to swell the crowd who watche,
the procession.
The police appointments were we'll mig
perfect. Shortly before the parade start
ed, platOons of officers cleared every stree
Through which the sir knights were t
pass and roped them off, and until tn
last division had passed no traffic of an
kind was allowed on those thoroughfares
The lines of parade were formed in /
divisions in column of double sections
AT 8 O'Clock the Communicates of tn
first division began to gather on the soutl
side of Commonwealth avenue nea
Berkeley street, and at about the sam
hour the other divisions began to tax
up their positions in the avenue of th
back bay district. There was the usua
delay, consequent to the formation o
great professions, but all was in read
ness shortly after 10 o'clock and by 1913
the long line was in motion, the signal TO
the start being greeted by the cheers an
salutes of 10000 persons gathered nea
the street.
AS the great body of knights move
down Commonwealth avenue, the spectag
Gle was an inspiring one. The musi
of 100 bands and the applause of thous
ands of people filled the air; gaily bt
decked horses pranced at the head o
each division, while the contrast of th
dignifed black cloth of the uniforms, tn
waving of the rich plumes and the silve
and gold emblems which are conspicuou
in the Templar uniform, combined t
present a scene that was pleasing and in
pressive.
The leading division of the pagean
preceded by platoons of Boston'S police
men, was very Imposing.
| The first division was led by Righ
Eminent Sir Samuel C. Lawrence, gran
commander of the grand commandery o
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a
chief marshal. with Right Eminent 81
Charles G. Frye as his chief of staff, an
81 of the most prominent knights of tn
Boston commandery as aides, includin