The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-07-08
Letter From Escatawpa.
Escninwna. Miss. July 8. ls0e.

'yfO ~ ." ~
plans. This being the anniversary OF
that great Order Knights Of Honor,
Escatawpa Lodge No. 3ll5, celebrated
it most gloriously and be%comingly.
Invitations being issued to friends Of
the lodge to join them in celebrating,
earnest preparations were made To
make it Il success. The program was
an excursion by water up the far-fam-
ed and historical Escatawpa river to
Murray's Bluff, where dinner was to be
had, and speeches made. The steam
er Pic" with IA fine, large barge in
tow started from l.. N. Dantzler's
mill, with national colors flying, and
the banner 0f Escatawpa Lodge
thrown to the breeze, and with the
Escatawpa Brass Band discoursing
sweet music. They made a landing for
friends at Moss Point, at Lumber
Company's Wharf, and Lecore's Land
ing. The day was an ideal one, a
typical Southern day in June. The
suns rays were tempered by a mag
n%ifcent awning, erected tent-shaped
over the entire barge, high on sides all
around, so as 10 admit freely the most
delightful breeze from the river and
from the gulf, The steady moving OF
the boat, its easy gliding over the
g%entleripple Of the waters OF the Esca-
tawpa, the beautiful scenery of the
banks, broken here and there by small
Ter streams flowing into the river, the
delightful music by the band, made
everyone glad to be there.
To the reception committee, Messrs.
Louis oliver, Earnest Fountain, An
drew Hanson, Gordon Droome, Harry
Lynd and GusCunningham, the guests
return thanks for courteous attention
and for the NEST exemplary behavior
during the entire day; and not least
mention must be made Of the refresh
ing ice lemonade, passed around with
out stint. On landing at Murray's
bluff, dinner was served. With ad-
ditional friends meeting there, over
four hundred had dinner on grounds,
and all pronounced it a model one
After dinner the older people enjoyed
a nice cup of coffee. Apropos we will
say this bluff has a splendid well,
which furnishes extremely cold and
good water in abundance, which added
much to the pleasure of the visit.
The officers of Escatawpa Lodge
Knights of Honor, No. 3ll5, are: Il.
Fl. Riggle, dictator; j. ]. Pendarvis,
reporter; w. II. Smith, chaplain; Il.
A. Suthoi, treasurer; = Travis, vice
dictator; Gordon Brocme, assistant
dictator; L. l.. Rogers, past dictator;
Gus Cunningham, sentinel; Wilburn
Golf, guardian.
After the dinner hour and a short
recess, attention was directed to the
speakers stand. Speeches were nee
essarily cut short ,Op account of the
lateness of the boav. Mr.. Wm. H..
Smith, one of the older members, said
(Which lgive 10 condensed form:
Friends and Bret hren-On 3Otli of
June, 1873, the order Of Knights of
Honor was started in Louisville, KY.
by Bros. Demares and Wilson. 1t is
a benevolent, as well as n fraternal
society. There have been some chang.
es and improvements made in the
working of the Order-all and each of
them being of greatest bcnc1t-and
to-day the Knights of Honor stands as
a model. A man now, however WORTH
less be may be In a general way. may
by Il proyident management OF a little
money, secure to his wife an indepen-
dence after his death, vt least a good
living until she could get a better hus-
band. In the State OF Mississippi
there are abOnt 5000 members, having
about 725 lodges. In our near neigh.
borhood we have: Escatawpa Lodge,
81 members; Gulf Lodge, So members;
Bay st. Louis, q members; Biloxi, II
members; Sea Shore, q members.
The number OF deaths In Mississippi
prior to 1897 was 1922, and up tn that
time there was paid two millions of
dollars. In 1896 there were SO deaths,
the death rate was q little over thir-
teen to the Thousand, and they had,
on an average, paid into the widow
and orphan fund 1898. Gulf Lodge
has drawn lover $40, 1000; Escatawpa
Lodge about 0E,0OO. There has been
paid from this order to widows and
orphans sixty-three millions OF dollars
aud over eleven million for other
benevolent purposes.
MI. Smith WINS succeeded By Rev.
H. Bennett, who for quito q while
held his audIence charmed BY his
gentle tQpedxe n0 persuasive voice. He
eul0gizeds1a order and proved by
many EXAMPLES the benefits to be De.
rived from being u memhecOt NsY He
dwelt upon the Importance OF the
present moment and promptuess In all
the Affairs OF life, and especially ia
action or dentproviding for his fam.
lily. UnG11 lenfeyils and eyeuts are
to be guarded agaiJkt the rainy days
provided for, and poverty and want
entirely eliminated from our homes,
An improyident man lives In expecta-
tion OF some unseen, kind ~gusG1fan's
hand taking careOf him and his, and
ruling his destiny and eventually
bringing him Through the sad and dis
appointing scenes of this life into
golden future. Nut, friends. this Il
not a hap-hazaN world. Order is
heavens first law BY the sweat OF
your brow shall you eat bread" It. Il
every mans duty to lay by little tr
provide for his own household. Faitl
10 the future Is s'well when accQmpa.
MED by works, but faith without
works Is dead, being alone. A mar
who provides not. lppbhis family /.