The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-17
WEEK.

Last night at the corner Of Twenty
third and Market streets, South Side.
couer de Leon company No. !, of the
1Inlsorm Rank, Knights Of Pythias, had
one Of the last drills that will be possi-
Bic before this company and the others
Of the First battalion, First regiment,
leave for indianapolis next Sunday
morning. Although 1t is not yet assur-
ed, Il is probable that wheeling COM
pany, composed Of picked men from
the three Wheeling companies, Couer
de Leon, Bernard Stanley ana James y.
MCGEE, will figure In one OF the big
drili contests at the encampment. It
is believed Wheeling could furnish as
well drilled q company as almost any
city In the country.
Newly Oval, in indianapolis, where
the contests will occur, Is the bicycle
race course over which the recent races
] OF the national meet Of the L. A. W..
were recently run. It has many adyant-
ages over any place where the drills
have been held before during the blen-
NAL encampments. The space inside the
race track is perfectly level and Is just
large enough for the maneuvres, and
not large enough that spectators cam
not see every movement from any part
of the seating arrangement. The track
Is n quarter OF a mile around and 1t IS
banked on all sides by the grand stand,
paViIions and "bleachers," making
continuous bank OF seats entirely
around It The seating capacity Is
The prizes offered for these drills are
the largest ever hung up-for ike oc-
caslon, and have attracted all the crack
companies from the Atlantic to the Pa
clfic. The first prize in the open contest
for companies is $500, the SECOND ls
$1,000 and the third is $1,000, while taeFe
are a half dozen smaller prizes. There
are also proportionately large purses Of
fered to be competed for by companies
who have never won prize at these
tournaments. Large prizes ore also Of
fered for battalion and cavalry drills.
and, In addition, a number OF special
prizes and purses are offered by busl-
ness houses and individuals. There Will
he four days Of the drills. A nominal
admission fee will be charged 70 see
them, except to members OF the Uni
form Rank In uniform.
II is possible that the gathering Of the
Knights Of Pythlas In Indianapolis VIII
be turned Into big Publication on ac-
count of the close OF the war With
Spain. The Uniform Rank, Knights OF
PythIas, prIdes itself on being reserve
army OF the United States. 1t IS strict
" military and has on its membership
rolls the best drilled men In the land.
When the war with Spain became In
evltable whole bFigades and regiments
rendered their services to the COVER
nors OF many states, oferng them-
selves as organizations % hight the
battle of their country. AS Is well
known the call came for the National
Guard and the offer Of the Uniform
Rank could not be accepted. But
great many members of the rank were
| also members of the National Guard,
| and these are now enlisted as United
| states volunteers, while those who were
| not fortunate enough to get mustered In
are watching their progress as soldiers
| with deep interest. While the Uniform
Rank As a body and the members as In
| diVlduals are ready and have ever been
ready 70 respond to a call 10 arms, they
are equally as ready to hear that the
terms OF peace have been agreed to and
IL such news comes while they are In
camp or shortly before the encampment
begins, surely there will be hot time
IN the old town."
There will be lively contest during
the meeting of the supreme lodge OF the
knights Of Pythias over the selection OF
| the place for the next convention, The
supreme lodge has the settling Of this
| question, lnasmuch as the Uniform
Rank, the Rathbone Sisters and the
| Knights OF Khora6san elect to meet at
the same place and time as the supreme
lodge, There Is some talk, however of
holding the supreme lodge convention at
a different time and place and II this
| plan Is adopted 1t will probably result
in making the Uniform Rank encamp-
ment an independent affair.
II this change Is made 1t Will not
make the fight for the encampment any
the less interesting. It will only change
the seat OF the war from the convention
of the supreme lodge to the supreme as
sembly OF the Uniform Rank. Louis
willie. Dallas, Denver, Omaha and Bos-
ton are candidates. Louisville Will prob
ably come with the largest following. It
is nearest and has the support Of all the
south, east Of the Mississippi, A COM
nittee representing the knights OF
Pythias and the commercial bodies OF
Louisville has been formed to formally
extend an invitation for the 1900 en-
campment to come to the Falls City,and
besides 1t is said that several thousand
people from Louisville and Kentucky
viii he at Indianapolis to help the boom
along.
Omaha, Dallas and Denver will all
make the fight on at least one common
plea, that the encampment has never
been held west OF Kansas City. Dallas
has arranged to send crack battalion
to compete In the big battalion prize
drills. Denver will offer as the greatest
inducement the fine climate and the
beautiful trip, besides a promise OF good
treatment from the railroads. Omaha
was a candidate for the encampment or
1892 but was defeated by Kansas City.
She has waited now eight years and VIII
argue that It Is rightly her turn. Bos-
ton has not been formally announced as
candidate yet, but II is believed, now
that low railroad rate mas been made
to indianapolis, that the fever VIII take
possession OF the "bcnn-caters' and that
they will send n big boom party. The
flrst four mentioned cities have formed
organizations to work for the next en-