The record-union., 1895-10-11
PATRIARCHO MILITANT SURPRISED.
Presentation of a Beautiful American
Flag.
They Are Also Presented With al
Elegant Banner Emblematic
OF Their Order.

The New Pavilion was the scene of q
most pleasant gathering last night, i
being the drill night of Canton Sacra-
mento, Patriarchs Militant, who are prac-
ticing for the competitive drill to be held
at Stockton next Thursday night ut the
Grand Encampment of odd Fellows and
Military Council of Patriarchs Militant,
which meets there at that time.
Last night was the first dress rehearsal,
or dress parade. OF the canton, and the
wives and relatives of the Chevaliers were
in attendance, ostensibly to witness their
proficiency in drill and in reality to give
them a pleasant surprise.
Q. w. Erlewine has been Captain of
the canton for the past three years,
and won his spurs as the best-drilled
officer three years ago at the Grand En-
campment at Portland, where also Sacra-
mento Canton, under his tuition, took
the first prize of $500 as the best-drilled
canton company, winning in fifteen min
utes. Last year 1t captured Sl5O in the
same way at The Midwinter Fair, and IN
all, in the past three years, has added So0O
In prizes TO its treasury.
| In the competition twenty minutes
| time is allotted to each canton and sew
enty-nine points are considered. The
| number OF steps TO the minute are
counted, among other things, one hum
dred and twenty being considered per-
feet. As natural result much care Is
exercised, and last night the canton man
aged to achieve one hundred and twenty
two, and showed some excellent work in
the movements through which they were
put.
They feel confident, therefore, of max
| ing a good showing in the competition
and hope 10 carry off the first prize again.
5. b. Smith seized the opportunity
when they were drawn up in line after
going through their evolutions. to attract
Captain Erlewine's attention, and intro
duced Miss Ella Sherburn, who presented
the canton an elegant silk American flag,
in few well-chosen remarks, saying that
it afforded her great pleasure TO voice the
sentiments of the ladies who were re-
lated to the member of the canton and
! that she WAS proud to be the medium by
which their gift was placed in such
worthy hands.
Captain Erlewine responded on behalf
of Canton Sacramento, testiiying to its
appreciation of the gift and ascri bing to
the ladies who presented it the gift of
prescience, as it was what the canton had
desired to have for a long time. He be-
| lieVed the American colors should be car
p
and he thanked the ladies tor their gift
and promised them that it should be car
rled at the front of the canton as long as
! he commanded 1t. The odd Fellows were
a loyal organization and they, as we'll as
Sacramento Canton, would be found al
ways ready to defend the flag.
Putting it in charge of a Chevalier, he
drew up his company in line and saluted
| II.
| The members supposed the ceremony
was over, but another surprise was in
| store for them, when Mrs. w. 4. Steph-
! enson stepped forward and presented
/ them with a beautiful banner composed
of the colors of the Patriarchs Militant,
with the letters 2. NJ. and the emblem of
the order beautifully embroidered on it,
saying that it was the work OF mother
and wife of Chevalier.
Completely taken by surprise, Captain
Erlewine was unprepared to respond,
but soon rallied and expressed the
thanks of the canton for the elegant gift,
which filled another need they had long
wished to have filed.
a third surprise awaited him, and he
was so frozen with astonishment that he
dropped his sword at the announcement
that the ladies had prepared an ice cream
supper for the Patriarchs, to which they
and the guests were duly invited. How
ever. he in common with the others,
thawed out sufficiently to partake
OF fine collation., at which the
ladies did the honors, and the
Pstriarchs departed for their homes,
vowing that with two such beautiful
banners they could not fail to bring home
the first pIize.