The evening times., 1896-03-19

With that enterprise which is character
lstic of that widespread order. the Knights
of P ythias re arranging for the erection In
This city OF a massive memorial temple.
In point or architecture, beauty and size.
the promoters say, 1t will vie with the great
white governmental al department buildings
In dimensions alone Will the proposed mag
nificcnt structure be inferior to the Ma
tional Capitol with its varied ard Intricate
qualifications.
The idea of erecting the proposed great
Pythian temple was conceive ed scve raj weeks
ago by James Catlieu. a member OF Capitol
Lodge. No. "a. ard an attache OF the Baltl-
more and Potomac Railroad, stationed at
the Sixth street depot. Mr.. CatheIl pro-
poses that the picturesque structure be
erected as n memorial in honor OF the late
Justus II. Rathboue. who founded the
Pythian organization in this city in 1864.
This proposition has been agreed TO By the
OF her promote ers OF the plan, and the temple
will no doubt bear the illustrlous name OF
Rathbone, which is so dear to members OF
the N ysti fraternity.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
After Mr.. CathcIl had announced his
proposition to the lodge, OF which he is a
member, a committee was appointed to
confer with the fourteen lodges in this
jurisdiction. The matter met with popular
approval from the Outset, and each lodge
appointed mcmoria temple committee
OF three members. These were merged
into general committee OF forty-nve
knights, and Mr.. John W. Thompson was
elected chairman. Then a subcommittee
t. ti,,., v,Ia NJ ,rfl-
ccdure, and james CatbeIl was made its
chairman. Associated with him are such
workers as Sanitary OFFICER j. A. Frank
and Police Operator s. W. Maddox, 81.
The subcommittee has held Il number OF
meetings lately, and will lie prepared to
report flattcring progress when the gen
eral committee meets next Thursday even
ing in the Warder building.
At this session the subcommittee will be
ready TO report plans for structure that
will, II is said. eclipse any similar edifice
in this country.
There will be a grand social gathering
OF the District Knights OF Pythias on
April "a. which will he attended and ad-
dressed by several Congressnien. who are
membcrsof the order. At that gathering the
committee hope 10 he able TO give full
details of the building project.
TIC cost OF the National ythian Temple
will he great. but there are between Co.,
900 and 100000 members OF the organ
ization In the United States, and 10y oombined
effort the necessary amount can lie speedily
raised.
Among the propositions being made Is
hat there shall be an ampbitheater OF TN
,suaI dimensions in the center of the
.emule in which the annual cncampments
NJ the Uniform rank, now an army Of IO,-
400 men. can be held, ss well as the gen.
eral sessions of the grand body Of the
United States 1t is also proposed to have
n the colossal structure halls for the re gu
lar meetings of the local subordinate lodges:
Franklin. Mount Vernon. Webster, Decatur,
syracusians, Calanthe. Hermione. Excel
sior, Germania. Equal. occasia. Harmony,
Union. Ana costa, Capital and Myrtle. A
large anu sement hall or theater and
library are among the probabilities.
THE SITE DISCUSSED.
The location of a site for the proposed
temple has also been under consideration
oy the committee. The District knights o wn
a valuable piece of property on Ninth street,
between Il and l. streets northwest which
ma v he sold and a more central site selected
Many members of the order in the States
have been heard from and heartily in
dorse the project. They take the view that
Washington, where the organization was
born and also being the National Capital,
s the city in which the temple should rear
It's picturesque head.
The suggestion has been made that 1t
should be erected on the square bounded by
Ninth a nd Tenth, u and streets northwest,
IN which is situated Marini's old hall, some
,mies called the Pythian cradle. 1t was in
that structure that Rathbone and handful
Of his fello w-gcvernmentc employees, all mem
bers of the Arion Glee Club, organized
Washington Lodge, No. l. h. OF P. on the
stormy evening of February 10, 1864.
From tba lodge spraDg thevast organization
whose lodges dot every State in the Union.
Since the original Washington Lodge passed
out of existence, Franklin Lodge, No. 2,
IS now the recognized mother Of the order.
SOII'cH WIND SPORTIyE.