Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-03
ECHOES OF THE ANTE ROOM.

Mention has already been made in The
Bee Of the pilgrimage made by the mobiles
Of Tangier temple last Thursday night, when
twenty three of the great unwashed were es-
corted over the hot sands. Necessarily
there can be but bare mention Of the affair,
as all the ceremony was secret except the
banquet, which wound 1t up. The public
can only be taken so far into confidence as to
be informed that it was one of the most en-
joyable, successful and entertaining in the
history Of the temple.
The officers of the new divan are highly
elated over it's success, from the fact that it
was the first pilgrimage undertaken by them.
They strove hard, especially Potentate II.
Hardy and Recorder Lewis Wetling, to make
it a memorable one, and the success which
has crowned their labors has reCOmpensed
them entirely for the toll Of preparation.
The affair, too, was Of more Importance
than as a Shriner meeting only, because it
brought to the city some 200 men from sur
rounding towns and cities in eastern Ne
braska and Iowa. These were of the best
class of citizens, and while the majority
spent but a day, or even only a part of a
day in the city, nevertheless they carried
away with them memories of the hospitality
Of Omaha, though it was offered by Shriners.
Consequently the local Shriners can be
credited with not only working a benefit for
their own order by the meeting, but also of
doing a bit Of advertising for the city.
AS an instance Of the territory represented
the following is a partial list of the towns
that had representatives. Bancroft, Teka-
nah, Wayne, Blair, Fremont, Norfolk, Grand
Island. Ord, Columbus, North Platte, Kear-
ney, Gibbon, Broken Bow, st. Paul, Oakland,
Lexington, Hastings, Auburn, York, Ash
land, Lincoln, Plattsmouth. To these were
added representatives from the following
Iowa owns: Ottumwa, Perry, Harlan,
Council Bluffs, Villisca, Corning, Missouri VAL
ley, Imogene, Red Oak, Sioux City and other
points in the eastern part of the state.
The occupied over four hours
after it began, at 1880 o'clock in the evening.
1t was nearing the hour of midnight when
the 400 or more spectators filed down the
stairs from the hall to the banqueting
room, with the twenty-three blindfoldei
novices bringing up the rear under guided.
The feast was an excellent one, both in
eatables and drinkables, and the aftermath
of speeches that closed it was by no means
the least enjoyable part. 1t was rather late
in the morning when the mobiles broke up
their gathering and wended somewhat devi-
Gus ways to their homes and wives.
The following are the names of the novices
who were put through the mill, together
Fort Crook; Ernest A. scholz, Corning, Ia;
John NJ. Kingrey, Harlan, Ia; Archibald
Whitelaw, George Rudio and Charles Burr
Towle, Council Bluffs; Charles ]. Swanson,
Oakland: Joseph u. BlenklrOh, baHcTOll' "a
G.. Breitenfeld, Fremont; George w. Porter,
John Donald, George H. Barber, George II.
Miller. George II. Caldwell and Herbert II.
Loughridge, Grand Island; Thomas l.. Hall
Ord; John D.. Gemmill and p. l.. Hughes
South Omaha: Lyman E. Ware, F. l.. Prawl,
William Y. Teetzel, Augustus X. Detwiler
and Matthew II. Collins, Omaha.
A number OF the local shriners are talking
of attending the annual session of the i'm
perial council, which convenes in Cleveland
Immediately after the republican nationai
convention in st. Louis, beginning on June
%. The local temple is, of course, entitled
to a certain number of delegates, but 1t is
expected that in addition a number OF others
will go. Omaha has some knowledge OF
what a meeting of the council means, since
one Of the sessions was held here some
years ago. During the few days that the
session lasted the local temple spent $l2,0oV
in the entertainment of the delegates ana
the Shriners who accompanied them to THIS
city.
The local temple is talking about holding
an oper session during the latter part OF the
summer or in the early autumn. The date Is
still too far away for any particulars to be
given.