The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-01

der. We OF Scranton rejoice with you.
participate in your pardonable pride ANA
| outdo you. If possible. In our admiration
ami vencration for him who is responsible
, Tor this glorious occasion--your peerless
| exalted ruler. Brother Ben Dilley.
Wesley +. Woodruff was the next
speaker and he delivered a very schol-
arly grafton. His address in part was
as follows:
MIR. wOODRUFF'S GRAFTON.
We are met today to consecrate a plot Of
ground for the burial Of the dead and to
unveil a monument that will forever
| overshadow the place. The inception OF
the scheme and the completion of it are
| the work as one may say of one person.
He had his inspiration in native Sener-
osity, in long cherished purposes pur-
pose that was encouraged and shared by
one who attended him for long years in
the journey along life's pathway but who
| was short time ago snatched away from
| life to wait for her loved ones until the
morning shall break and the shadows shall
| flee away.
|
There will be placed In relief on one face
| of this monument dial of clock with
| the hands pointing to the hour of eleven.
| 1t SymboliZes one of the most beautiful
customs of the order-The Eleven O'Clock
| Toast. The first time l was privileged to
witness 1t the sosmen appropriateness
| touched me, and l have never participated
in that ceremony without being suscepti-
BILE to the suggestions of 1t. In the midst
of the laughter, the music. the abandon OF
the social session the gavel of the presid-
| ing officer brings the brothers and the
guests to their feet. Silence falls on the
company. 1t approaches the hour or
eleven: We will drink toast to Our Our Ab; b,
them may be detained by their own cares
or atiiictions. or they may linger on eN-
| Cursions of business or pleasure In other
| l.. no.. l,..
separated from us by miles of land or
leagues of ocean. Under the Southern
Cross mayhap or where the reindeer draws
the sled over the snow-amid strange
scenes or surrounded by stranger faces
God speed them! A health to the absent!
Some alas may have Travelled to that
bourne from which none ever return.
| Peace to them.
The clock chimes from the distant tow
er. Features of the absent beam on us
with the old time smile and greeting.
| Familiar forms of other happy days
| throng the room. The circle of the pres
ent and absent is complete through mem-
ory. Voices long silent join with ours IN
the thrill of Aud Lang Syne. The melody
dies away. The glasses are drained. The
| clock has ceased to sound. Another trib-
| ute has been paid to the absent. Absent?
| Yes but present in that glowing interval
the eleven o'clock toast. Este perpetuo!
| May Il never be forgotten in the assemb-
| ling OF the brothers. The eleven o'clock
| toast is fidelity, and fidelity Is the rock
upon which rest charity, brotherly love
and justice.
rolled back-the hand of time is stayed.
| For what Is that pile of stone and bronze
| but a perpetual eleven o'clock toaSt-a
perpetual benediction on those who have
| gone from those who remain.
With what better desire conld We leave
| this brautiied spot than that the munu-
| in-nt. which We This day unveil may ever
| stand az u sign of never failing promise To
fh..l a N No f..nI .tI IN
| faithful drau: hat the laborS of this fra
| t-rnity III aid of the suffering may he
| blessed with II full measure Of success in
drying the tears of the orphan and In
| uf poverty and distress: that The smile Of
| the Infinite may enlarge the scope of our
| charity: that our minds may be satisfied
| with a more perfect sense of th,. eternal
justice that our hearts may throb with the
| brotherly love ordained TO all mankind
and that the resurrection morn may re-
veal the fruition OF our fidelity.
LEAD KINDLY LIGHT
The quartette sang Newman's Lead
Kindly Light and Frank w. Wheaton
| was introduced by Mr.. Wright as the
next orator. During the course of his
remarks he paid the following tribute
to Mr.. Dilley.
The generosity OF one of our number has
| made 1t possible for us to make sure this
pldCe 10 every HltIlDtT VI tUt OIueT
! in good standing who may need to be bu-
| ried here or who may express "a desire that
| this shall be his final resting place, and
here, in the audience of the people, IL Is
| our pleasure and our pride to proclaim that
fact.
Naturally our feelings prompt us first Of
all to express our admiration for the noble
the unseltsh qualities of heart and mind
which conceived and carried into effect
this generous gift.
Two things have been. especially eau
toned about by the donor.
First-To say nothing about him per-
sonally.
Second-To make my Grafton short.
If l may not therefore voice my admir-
| alton for the qualities which l have re-
ferred to. If !, may. not in words express
that appreciation of the gift which ] know
is in my heart, and the hearts of all who
hear me, l may at leaht point to that
beautiful monument and ask you to judge
each one for himself, what manner of man
it is who in these days of greed and desire
for gain, without solicitation from any
one. without one selfish motive or thought,
has quietly planned and toled and so
wrought that the poor and the friendless
might have the assurance that when the
Dark Ages overlook them their bodies
would have place of decent burial, and not
the dissecting table and the knife. More
practical charities there may be- but
warmer heart for the fellowman who IS
down there Is not, nor ever will be.
GEORGE s. FERRIS GRAFTON.
Suppe's Poet and Peasant" was
rendered by Alexander's and Bauer's
combined bands and George S. Ferris
was then invited to address the aud
| ience. His was one of the most
| thoughtful and beautiful efforts of the
day. In closing he said:
This beautiful symbol. in which art and
| nature meet, this generous gift of gen.
| erous heart, represents something. 1t tells
story. Though it marks the Elks' last
| resting place upon this earth, its gaze is
not earthward. The days of browsing with
| the herd in the lowlands are past. The
rank herbage and tangled thickets. and
crystal waters of the valley lie far below.
| Obeying that strange instinct that tells
him that his hour has come, he has mount
| ed to some lofty emnence whereon Gods
sunlight even shines by day, it's glory ali
undimmed by night or cloud, and where
| the black pail of night but gives an added
| luster to a thousand thousand glittering
stars, each star sun whose radiance
| this, one of the many mansions in the
Fathers house where justice. friendship
| and sweet charity, perhaps. illumine
countless other living souls. And there.
alone upon the mountain height. breathing
at last with labored breath an atmosphere
Of which the purity Is like to that of inter-
| stellar space-there, forgetful of the earth,
and things of earth. but standing face to
| face with that primeval splendor of the
| armament which was before time was.
and shall be when time shall be no more
there in the sublimity of that vast soli-
| tude, while the heavens bow low, the Elk
| lies down to rest.
30 Where Shall Rest he Found"
was sung by the quartette and at the
close of the selection John McGahren
told the audience in language chaste
and choice where that rest of which the