The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-06
ELKS MEMORIAL SERVICE
LARGELY ATTENDED AND IMPRESS
I'VE MEETING THE GRAND.

soloists-Addresses by DIR. II. j. Broth
ers, Rev. j. Lee Mitchell, Rev. G. +. Phil
lips and Brother Horatio G. King.
A beautiful and impressive memorial
service was held at the Grand Opera
house last evening by the order Of Elks
in commemoration of those Of the order
who are dead. This is the first time in
the history of the local organization
that the annual memorial service has
been made public. The opera house
was filled with the Elks and their
friends, also several large delegations Of
Elks from other places. The seats in
the center Of the house were occupied
by the Elks. The front of the stage
and the boxes were draped with the
national colors. The platform itself
was arranged as lodge room and dec
with long loops of evergreens. Exalted
Ruler w. H. Doughan presided.
The service opened with three selec-
tions by the Dorscht lodge orchestra,
Frank Fichtl director. Brother Frank
j. Nugent was the accompanist.
The regular opening service of the
lodge was then conducted by the Off
GERS of the order AS the names of the
thirteen members Of the lodge who had
died the past year were read absent"
was responded by one of the members
of the lodge and one of the thirteen
lighted candles on the altar at the rear
Of the platform went out, the whole
forming a very impressive scene,
Rev. DR.. Levy, who was to have made
an address, was unavoidably detained
at home by illness.
The music of the evening was espe-
cially fine.
In his explanatory address Brother F.
J. Brothers said that since the organi-
cation of the lodge in this city many
people had come to have the idea that
the purpose of the organization was for
mirth and hilarity. 1t was in part to
counteract this view that the meetings
of the order We're given over to levity
that the present memorial service was
made public. At the regular meetings
of the Elks as the hour of eleven strikes
the members, all standing, drink toast
in silence to the members who are ab-
the social side Of the organization it's
primary purposes are charity and
brotherly kindness.
Rev. j. Lee Mitchell said that we
should not look at those with disagree
able traits all the time, but at those
who have agreeable traits Of character.
We should not keep all our good words
about man until they are dead. Of
ten they would be alive now if the good
words had been said of them before
they were dead.
Rev. George W. Phillips said: There
Is a tendency in human life to run to
extremes. In recent years there has
come a change in our way of thinking.
A few years ago God was looked upon
as a hard, merciless tyrant. Now this
view has been greatly modified. In
times past also men We're Independent
Of each other because the means of
communication were few; now with in
creased communication there has
grown up a greater feeling of brother
hood" .
The last address was made by Broth
er Horatio c. King of Brooklyn, N. Y,
who reviewed the purposes of the order
and spoke in part as follows:
"Our order is based upon a fundamen-
tai belief in a supreme power to whom
we are accountable for the deeds done
In the body. All realize the shortness
of life and all believe in an Immortality
in the great hereafter. Man that is
born of woman hath but short time
to live.and is full Of misery. He cometh
UP and is cut down like flower: he
f1eeteth as it were a shadow, and never
continueth in one day. The days of our
age are three score and ten, and though
men be so strong that they come to four
score years, yet is their strength labor
and sorrow; so soon passeth it away
and we are gone.
"If T were asked to say what, in my
opinion, is the best feature of the order
I would answer, the secrecy with which
its benefactions are made. If it is well
in alms-giving that the left hand should
not know what the right doeth, it is
better still that the sensitive man, who
is brought to the necessity of aid, should
not have the fact blazoned from the
housetops. Temporary relief and per-
manent relief are given quietly. The
Elk who, by reason of stress of circum-
stances, is al a ISlllOtG City,
finds immediate relief from the nearest
lodge, which in turn is reimbursed by
the lodge of which the unfortunate is
a member, and that, too, without much
fuss or red tape. Members sick or dy-
ing away from home receive tender care
and attention, the home lodge repaying
any outlay"
Those occupying boxes were: Mr..
and Mrs. Breed, Mr.. and Mrs. S. H.
Starr, Mr.. and Mrs. Miller, Mr.. and
Mrs. John Adams, Mr.. and Mrs Hoff-
man, Mr.. j. F. Disbrow, Mr.. and Mrs.
Currie, Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Bunnell,
Mayor and Mrs. Farnsworth, Mr.. and
Mrs. Elmer Grandin, Mrs. G. Phillips,
Mrs. J. Lee Mitchell, Henry McCabe,
Mrs. Charles Harris and sisters.
On the platform were the following
officers of the association: Exalted
Ruler William H. Doughan. Treasurer
MacGilvray, Secretary John Lennon,
Chaplain Dr. James E. Kelly, Henry
Nicholsonfi Thomas Maher, DR.. F. j.
Brothers, Brother Daniel Gilhuly. From
New London were present Exalted
Ruler Jackson and officers of the lodge,
and members numbering in all twenty
one From Torrington Exalted Ruler
William Murray and all the officers,
twenty in number, were present.