The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-27
THE P. 0. S. OF A. PARADE.
Fifteen Thousand Members Take Part In
the Reading Demonstration.


READING, Aug. 27.-The Patriotic Order !
Sons Of America had the biggest demonstra- /
ton in this city last night in the history of
the order. Never since the institution of !
this patriotic order, fifty years ago, has such i
enthusiasm been manifested in its behalf -
was witnessed here to-night. All busineo. 3,
was practically suspended. and the stree wi.
were packed with people from an ear ~
morning hour All trains were crowde
and many special trains had to be provide
The number Of visitors was variously est last
mated at $4,000 to OO0O The more tha 7
SIX hundred camps of the state furnishduIia
about 5000 paraders, of which numbMies
nearly 1000 came from this city alone. Theladv y
are twelve camps of the p. o. S. of A hded
Reading, several Of which have over 4tocE
members each. The one hundred or mo- was
brass bands and the drum corps numbetiA6 first
as many more, kept up an incessant din. DIR
The elaborate decorations were the admIwop
ton Of every visitor. All business housing
and many residences were covered with flag tho
shields, pictures and patriotic designs. Evd for
the Court House, for the first time since WING
was erected, sixty years ago, was resplendeCav.
WIN nasS anu bunting ggie
At IL o'clock in the morning salute wsson
fired from NeveTsink Mountain. There wealia
thirteen guns for the original states an 7
seven more as follows One for the year 1s4nan.
when the order of p o, S. of A. was foundeand
one for 1897, in honor of the semi-centenniloon
OF the order; one for the National Cam
one for the State Camp; one for the Cor
mandery General one for the Patriot
order of True Americans and one for teap,
Daughters Of America While this salu At
was being fired the church bells of the c.tf
were rung, continuing for half an hou
when the chimes in Christ Cathedral started d
in with the production of patriotic airs. n
The streets continued in commotion until a
O'Clock this afternoon, when the ringing of II
Christ Cathedral chimes was the signal for
the formation of the parade. At half past d
o'clock signal on the fire alarm bell r,
started the parade, which then proceeded Ia
over the four-mile route The floats repre- Il
sentative of great epochs in the history of Ii
the republic were brilliant in execution and II
were undoubtedly one of the principal N
attractions Of the great procession,
In the competitive drills tonight In Penn
Square, between Communicates of the p. O.
S. of A., the first prize of S1OO was awarded p
to Lexington Commandery No. l, of Craw-
fordsville, Indiana The second prize, $40.
went to Lexington No. g. Reading, and the n
third prize, silk flag, to Lexington No. 9,
Allentown. The last mentioned also re-
celyed prize of pair Of guidons for the
commandery from distance having the 4"
largest number of men in line
Last nights Reading Herald says ''The -
Patriotic Order Sons Of America has covered g
itself with glory by reason of the fact that :.
not a single man In the entire line of the
parade was intoxicated--an unheard-of thing ?,
in any such secret society demonstration of !
the size OF the monster semi.cennial parade n,