The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-13

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The three local companies of the UNI
form Rank. knights Of PythIas. are pre-
pairing for their approaching trip TO the
indianapolis national encampment, be-
ginning Monday. August %, and Il is
expected fully 15O of the Wheeling uni-
formed Pythians viii attend. Sisters
Vile ana other knights will accompany
the wheeling boys on their special train
on the Pan Handle road.
The indianapolis encampment Is Of
speelai Interest as the order. will eele-
brate the twentieth anniversary OF the
Uniformed Rank in the city Of Its birth,
The fact that the Uniform Rank was
born in Indianapolis twenty years ago
this month Is not generally known, but
II was there that the supreme lodge
passed the resolution giving existence
to this higher degree, which has now
become such an important branch oil
PythIanism.
Previous to the organization Of this
| separate military branch, the order OF
knights Of Pythlas was known as
'.semi-milItary" body and there was
halfway attempt on the part OF most OF
the lodges to appear military. AZ the
annual meetings of the supreme lodge
large delegations would 90, as they do
now. TO the convention city and a big
Demonstration would be made. old
members of the order, who remember
these gatherings, admit now that tney
were ludlcrous in some ways and It Is
matter OF history that members OF other
orders laughed at the spectacle.
There was always street parade ana
It was in this that the ludicrousness OF
the attempt at military display oecame
apparent in painful way Al the con-
yentIon in Cleveland In 1877 this was es-
peclally noticeable. There had been pro-
| mulRated a sort OF an order regarding
uniforms. but no two lodges seemed to
interpret It the same way, as II was not
| binding on any, every imaginable kind
OF uniform and dress were to be seen IN
the Cleveland parade. There were some
lodges which had made careful and con-
sclentious attempts at dressing In the
regulation" uniform. Some whole
states came uniformed alike and would
| have appeared well alone. but there was
a diversity OF colors, different styles,
shapes and material OF helmets; and,
| brought together, as they were, into one
organization, the dlssimilarity became
paInfully apparent. Something aka to
| a Uniform Rank company was In exist
| ence under the name Of drill corps They
made an effort to appear well in the
| Cleveland parade, but as there was no
conpulsion about uniforms, many corps
were uniformed no further than thar
| they wore side arms. There were SWORDS
| and belts buckled over Prince Albert
| coats. over Short sack coats and over
linen dusters. but the sword was always
/ there. All these costumes appeared IN
one company in many instances and the
headgear was equally as heterogeneous.
There were silk tiles, derby hats, straw
hats and caps.
This display Of miscalled uniform on
public occasions OF the order provoked
much rdlcule from other societies ana
many uf the knlghthood had been
brought thereby to the belief that the
time had come for the order to take ad-
vanced ground on the matter OF uniform
and the uniforming Of the knlghthood,
Instead OF following in the wake Of o.her
orders their desire was to put the
| knights Of PythiaS on a basis never be-
fore reached by any other fraternity
These were the men who believed In
taking the so-called semi-mllltuy organ
lzation and remodeling II, so that It
would become thorough military BODY
at least so far as one branch Of 1t was
concerned, and that Its outward display
should be consistent and pleasing In It's
uniformity and serviceRhle as need be;
For years after the organization Of the
knights OF Pythias in 1864. there was
! this military spirit and this Idea NJ
uniformity In dress. They took posses
I sion OF the members OF the order and the
feeling that the order or a Part OF 1t
should become In fact a military organ
izatlon was almost unanimous, but there
was a difference OF opinion as TO how
the result should be accomplished. Old
members feared to support the idea OF a
separate branch because they thought II
would result in feeling arising between
that branch and the members OF the
subordinate lodges. Others argued that
It would be a great help TO the subordi-
nate lodges, as the branch rank would
encourage young men TO Join the order.
When the supreme lodge met in In
dIanapolls in August, 1878, everybody
was ready for something to be done. a
epecial committee was appointed and
nhuE TtpNIL ldNhllllk tiAe ANSPaASh y :"
| ritual and constitution for the new de-
gree. In all the discussions OF 1t the
Uniform Rank was spoken III as a high
er degree" Just at time when 1t was
thought the rank would be adopted
motion was made 70 postpone the whole
matter until the next session Of the SUI
preme lodge and the motion carried,
much TO the CONSERVATION OF the thou
sands OF members Of the so-called drill
corps" who were there 70 aid by moral
sunslun, the adoption OF the new rank
But there were men who had the cour-
age OF their convictions and did not
let the subject die on the table. Among
them were Justus II. Rlthbonc, the
founder Of the order. The next morning
August, 30, 1878, a Kentucky representa-
tive moved that the matter ~ the Uni-
form Rank be taken from the table ana
reconsldered. This was done and reso-
luton for the adoption of the rank car
rled. The supreme chancellor at once
appointed a committee Ia prepare
ritual and constitution and by Novem-
her ], there were promulgated and drill
corps" were rapidly converted Into Uni
form Rank companies
on account OF the fact that II was In
Indianapolis that the Uniform RANK
came into existence, the citizen take q
double pride In entertaining the mem
hers OF this branch OF the order of
knights Of PythlHs In the biennial en-
campment. In the preparation Of the
programme on entertainment the COM
mitteeS were careful that some special
mark OF attention should be shown to the
ffpIforr, RINK In nthnr ritiCg where