The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-06
Ceremonies by the Great
Council of California
at Elmhurst.
The New Edifce Is One of the
Most Imposing in That
Thriving Town.
Proceedings of the Great Council of
Red Men of the Degree of
Pocahontas.

The event in the circle of improved
Order of Rid Men of the reservation oil
California yesterday was the dedication
of the new wigwam of Comanche Tribe at
EImhGrst, in Alameda County. The wig
wan is located in a neat two-story frame
building al the corner of the San Leandro
road and Mountain View avenue. having
a frontage OF IS feet on the San Leandro
road, with depth of So feet on the ave-
nue.. There are three stores on the ground
door, with nine livilg-rooms in the rear,
and on the upper floor there is a council
chamber and large assembly hall with
stage. There are also a number OF small
rooms that are necessary in the conduct
ing of the affairs of the tribe. 1t was COM
menced last April, and was completed,
including the furnishing, at a cost OF
5000. The building is a credit 10 the
sown of Elmhurst, and a monument OF
The enterprise of Comanche Tribe. Out
side of the large building in San Francisco
and the building of the tribe in Fort
Bragg, in Mendocino County. it is the
most pretentious building erected by Red
Men in the reservation of California.
A special train of five cars of the Hay
wards electric lire reached Elmhurst
shortly before 8 o'clock in the afternoon,
bearing the great chiefs of the coun Gil OF
the Order OF Red Men and the great chiefs
of the Degree of Pocahontas, together
with the re presentatIves of both orders
and a few specially invited guests, in all
about $50. There were at the hall the
members of Comanche Tribe and the
members of Minnewawa Council and
many of the residents of the town.
After the council hall, which had, by
the ladies OF Mlnnewawa Council, been
tastefulIy decorated with beautiful flow
ers, was flied to its seating capacity, Viii
liam J. Heating, the district deputy, an
nounced that the grand officers were in
waiting to edicate the wigwam, and they
were admitted. There were Great Sachem
JOSIAH Sims Great Prophet A. Jackson,
Great Mishenawas G. W. LOWE. Benjamin
f. Josselyn, J. q, Smith and o. f. Seavy,
each wearing the rich regalia of the order
the last four named each carrying q club
They were escorted 10 their respective
stumps. and at the request OF the great
sachem the entire audience rose and sang
America"
Then the great prophet, with ceremonial
impressiveness, in accordance with the
ritual of the order, dedicated the new wig
in the name OF the order and for the pur-
poses thereof. After that each of the
mishenawas, who occupied stations repre-
senting the four points OF the com pass,
proclaimed in the north, south, east and
west that the wigwam lad been solemn
ly dedicated, and as each made the
proclamation he laid his war club along
de of the council fire in the center of the
wigwam, and when the last one had been
laid the four formed a diamond. The
great prophet com pleted the ceremony by
sprinkling the four corners of the dia-
mond and pronouncing the words of the
ritual.
Them followed a talk by the great
sachem, who com plimented the tribe upon
the grand editice it lad erected and wished
the tribe prosperity. He was followed by
Grove L. Johnson, prominent Der
of the order, who delivered an eloquent
Grafton, and then Ben jamin F. JosseIyn
gave a long talk that was full of most ad-
mirable thoughts. The ceremonies were
closed by the great chiefs assem- bling at
the council fire and giving the grand hon
ors and the singing of America" by The
audience.
A recess was declared and the party ad-
journed TO the front OF the building, where
all were photographed in group by Jacob
FowZer, who is prominent in the councils
of the order. Alter that there was a ban
Quet, at which there was speech aking,
and the ladies OF MinneW ava Council
were particularly mentioned for the good
work they had done in assisting the men,
bers of Comanche Tribe in the erection of
its new home.
The chiefs OF Com anche Tribe are: F..
B. Vost, sachem; ?. BGrbin. senior saga
more; A Goess, junior sagamore; G. H.
Huntsman, prophet; W. b Zimmerman,
chief of records; Nj. S. Shaw, keerer OF
wampum; A. S. Lewis, first scout; ]. SilIs,
second scout; II. Morgan, first warrior :;
NJ. D. Silver, second warrior; Charles
Critchlow, third warrior; Charles Tarbey.
fourth warrior; T. D. Ballard, first brave ;
w. Swaliey, second brave; Charles Sicily,
third brave; S. Bessell, fourth brave; II.
Meyer, guard of wigwam; II. c. Brown,
guard of the forest.
The building conf ittee that turned the
edifice over 10 the great officers was: A. C.
Malone, NJ. Show, H. Meyer, w. F. Kru-
ger. NJ. Nulty and J. Sicily.
The ladies who had charge of the pre-
pairing OF the council nail and arranged
the banquet were: Mrs w. H. Higgins,
Mrs. Downey, Mrs. Thomas Sawyer, Mrs
ID. Clayton, Mrs. Goess and Mrs. Carter
At clock in the evening a team from
San Francisco conferred the lawmakers
degree on number of candidates and
after that there was ball. which con
'tinued until late in the night
At the session of the Great Council of
Red Men yesterday forenoon the great
sachem decided that when a tribe sur
renders its charter all the property that it
may be possessed of as tribal property re-
verts TO the Great Council in trust for the
order. This includes regatta, rituals,
books, money and buildings, if any.
The committee OH laws and usages re-
ported that benefits accrue to a man from
and after six months after a member was
adopted into tribe.
Colonel A. Andrews, George w. LOWE
and Charles +. Burgman were appointed
a committee 10 prepare letter oil thanks
TO the four local councils of the degree Of
Pocahonlas. namely Daughters of Monte
yuma, Alferata, Pocahontas, and Tor the
kindly manner in which they entertained
the representatives to the Great Council.
The committee on home for aged Red
Men and for orphans OF Red Men, consist.
ing of delegates from the tribes, was en-
powered to incorporate under the laws OF
the STATE, and then take the steps lookins
toward the establishment of such an in.
stituiion.
DEGREE OF POCAHONTAS.