The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-19


Wit and Morriment Roigned su-
preme.
Scranton and Wilkes-Barre lodges
of Elks combined in one big, grand So
cal time last night in the Elk building
on Franklin avenue. 1t was the an
! nual visit of Wilkes-B Barre lodge, No.
log to the organization of their seam
| ton hothren, No. 1913. The many
| splendid features Of the event were
| filed out by the presence of the most
| distinguished guest in the history of
the lodge, w. j. Bryan.
Though not an Elk, Mr.. Bryan's
| presence in such a jovial gathering Of
strangers was not without it's real en-
| jOyment to him as well as those who
| received him there They fed him and
! they had the opportunity of observing
how he would act and what he would
say under circumstances rather un-
usual. lie certainly did not disappoint
his hearers and must have satisfied his
own possible misgivings in a talk of
mingled wit and seriousness in which
politics bore no part.
Soon after s o'clock the Scranton
lodge formed in front of the building
and with Bauer's band marched to
the Delaware and Hudson depot where
the Wilkes-Barre lodge arrived on
special train at S.25 o'clock. The two
organizations formed in lines of four
abreast The two center men in each
line were Wilkes Barreans and the
outside marchers Scrantonians. Two
sections were made of the parade,
| Alexanders band of Wilkes-B Barre
leading the first and Bauer's band the
second section.
THEY LED THE LINE.
Leading the long line of marchers,
in which were 100 visiting and l75 local
Elks, were the following officers of the
| Scranton and Wilkes Barre lodges, re-
| spectivey, marching in pairs, accord
| ing to the seniority of office: Exalted
| rulers, d. j. Reedy and Ben F. Dilley;
| esteemed leading knights, w. S. Millar
and q. r.. Griffen; esteemed loyal
| knights, Fred c. Smith and II. Webster
| Clauss; esteemed lecturing knights, II.
| G. Dale and Leo w. Long; secretaries,
| w. s. Gould and r. A. Spauldng.
The parade was over the following
route: Lackawanna to Wyoming, to
| Spruce, to Washington, to Mulberry,
| Spruce, to Penn, to LacNlwanna, to
| Franklin, to the hall. At no time dur
| ing the march did the political doings
| and the interest therein wholly over
| shadow the celebration of Ellldom. Red
| and other COlored fire had been gener-
| ously distributed-nOt haphazzard, but
! by prearranged plan, and at selected
points along the line-and the march
| ers were on every block the central
| figures in a sea of color.
on arrival at the hall the two big
| bands combined and gave a brief OPEN
| air concert while the Elks We're up
| stairs settling themselves for the feast,
! fun and Oratory that was to follow.
Fred c. Hand presided during the
| brief period of opening the indoor part
| of the affair to which the visitors were
! welcomed in a formal and substantial
address by Exalted Ruler ID. j. Reedy,
| Of the Scranton lodge. 1t was nearly
| 10 o'clock when the large gathering
began to make inroads upon the spread
! of deliCaCies which loaded three tables
running the length of the big lodge
| room. At the start, the absolute rule
or tenet of Elkdom that all who cross
its threshold are in all ways equal,
| was i'm force. Thereafter those who
. escaped the word thrusts or fines Of the
! chairman owed their good fortune to
chance, and not to the dignity nor
sacredness of their persons.
AFTER THE BANQUET,
After the banquet proper and before
the arrival of Mr.. Bryan the rollicking
nature of the occasion ceased long
! enough for j. Elliot Ross reading Of
Nemesis" the poem recently written
on the destruction of the Maine by Dr.
| c, Fl. Fisher, and an address by the
! grand exalted ruler, NJ. ID. Detweiler,
| of Harrisburg.
1t was 11.i5 o'clock before Mr. Bryan
and state Chairman John NJ, Garman
were accompanied to the Flk building
by the executive committee OF Demo-
. Gratis, many Of whom are members Of
the lodge, As the party made their
way to a table reserved for them on the
platform to the left of the officers the
applause given Mr. Bryan was deafen-
ing and long continued. \ swarm Of
walters attended the group and the
programme was continued with no fur
ther interruption.
If IL was the Nebraska statesman's
initiation TO a real, live Elk JollhcatiDn
he gave no evidence OC It, lie made
his advent to the hall at period when
the festivities were at their heighth.
At each sally of Dan Hart's wit he
paused in his eating 10 smile laugh or
applaud is Lhe occasion demanded.
| Captain Blanchard an eX-Confeder-
ate soldier, at present an dttache II
the COlllery Engineer company, made
some reference to heart 0nd hand"
while dilating upon the reunited Union.
Chairman Hart interrupted the speak
er long enough to illustrate the heart
ana hand" sentiment by leading Fred
G., Hand to the edge of the platform
ana howing with him TO the company.
The names of the gentlemen We're told
to Mr.. Bryan who laughed and ap-
plauded as heartily as any person in
the room. The incident illustrated Mr..
Eryan's spirit as apparently kindred
to the occasion,