The record-union., 1898-12-05
IN MEMORY OF The DEPARTED
ANNUAL EXERCISES OF THE
LODGE OF ELKS.
Addresses by j. d. Sproul of Chico
and @. N. Post of This City
Choice Music.

The invited guests who assembled to
witness the annual memorial services
Of Sacramento Lodge, No. 32S, BeneVo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks, at
the Congregational Church yesterday
afternoons filled the building to It's Ut
termost seating capacity.
The members of the order marched In
q body from their hall in the Foresters
Building to the church. and as they
entered Mrs r. A. Pinkham at the
organ played funeral march from Bee
thoven with mastery effect.
The services were opened by the sing
ing Of Lead, Kindly Light" (BucR by
the Elks' Double Quartet, composed Of
Afessrs. NJ J.. Desmond, E. S. Elkus,
JOS NJ. Anderson, c. NJ. -Phinney, r. I.
Cohn, II. A. Kidder, w. E. Lovdal and
w. M. BeArdslee, after which the i'm
pressive opening ceremonies were con-
Quoted by the oficera Of the lodge.
Then followed the singing by the
members of the lodge of the opening ode,
Great Ruler Of the Universe" after
which the Chaplain, DR.. Taylor, offered
an eloquent invocation. The Lyric
Quartet, composed of Mesdarnes. ]. A.
Moynihan, Frank Bergman Mary Ross
and B. f. Howard, sang THE Lost
Chord" :"
ADDRESS OF ]. D. SPROUL.
10. D SprouI of Chico Lodge, No.
423, delivered the following appropriate
and eloquent address:
Pledged to loyalty to the flag, devot-
ed by example and by precept to our
country and her institutions, restrict
ed in membership to the States Of this
Union, the B. and P. o. E. occupy a
position at once commanding and
unique in the roll of fraternities. Band
ed together to perpetuate no ancient
fable nor historic fact; with charity
deep, full and ample as the foundation
stone, the work of the Elks is to deal
with men as men, to accept as a fact
the weaknesses, the frailties of poor
humanity and to endeavor by the cour-
age Of companionship to write upon the
book of life the roll of our order as
men who love their fellow men.
I will make no attempt to call from
the gardens of oratory the choicest
flowers of eloquence, nor from the
realms of poetry call imagery and
fancy to our aid in speaking of the life
of those whose memory we meet to
perpetuate.
This holy house, this holy day and
the solemn proceedings of this hour call
to our minds the uncertainty of exist
ence, the absolute certainty of the
common end of all.
And it were well that in the midst
of all the cares and burdens of exist
ence that one day should be devoted
to the calm consideration Of that other
state toward which the iron hand of
fate slowly but surely bends our un-
willing feet.
And whether it be viewed with the
mind of him who believes that death
ends all; or with the hallowed vision
of the Christian martyr as sweet sur
cease from sorrow, the nameless terror
of its unwavering hand is ever present
in the human heart
And for these absent ones how have
they died. Was it for them to feel
the last fond pressure that fingered on
farewell, was it for them to see through
the darkening nists of death the faces
of mother wife or children, or, amidst
scenes of wreck and carnage, with the
roar of cannon giving it's harsh salute
to death, meath riddled flag and on
blood stained field with wide and track
less waters twixt the waiting and the
dead; midst the scenes of that night
before Manila where nature in her
rage We'd with man in the rendition of
that horrid tragedy.
Did they die as that young, ten
times millionaire, who upon the bloody
nights of FL Caney, gave to his country
more than all his millions could have
bought, his life; and who died more for
humanity and for his flag in that glor-
ious battle than had he the wealth Of
all the frozen north and lived ten thou
sand years to lavish it.
Yes, my friends, every man upon
the earth who bears the name of Elk
bears also that proudest badge of cour-
age, the rank of American No bauble
proffered by profligate prince to obse-
quious servitor; no jeweled diadem. the
fancy of monarch's mistress; but a
badge hallowed by the blood OF pa
triots, enriched by the light of liberty
and civilization.
And as Americans they lived, so. as
Americans they died. bravely and in the
full hope and promise that for them
some future state, some grander, great
er life awaited
For While we love this world Of
ours, with all it's joys and beauty.
home and friends. its music that en-
rances the soul, its flowers that charm
se eye, its massive mountains its
shing rivers, it's forests and it's mead
s-was all this done that he should
SO short part upon the stage
time and that our exit shall be
l? Is it that when the curtain
upon our one short scene. no re-
is to come forever and forever?
my friends: in the light of rea-
in the light of divine inspiration,
the light of an abiding and un-
'erving belief, in the Supreme Pow
mol
Therefore should we as actors on
mis- stage bear well our part: there
fore should no lapse of ours cause con-
fusion to a fellow-player, fellow
man.