The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-06-16
THEY MARCHED IN THE RAIN,
woodmen Parade In Kansas CITY ne.,,,,

Parade In Kansas CITY Desp,to
the Downpour.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, June 9.-In spits
o. the ~downpour. which began at 8
o'clock and lasted nearly all morning,
about 5000 Woodmen and ROYAL
Neighbors took part in the great pa
raoe this morning, which was one of
the largest and handsomcst ever seen
in Kansas City,
Inc procession was to have started
ut 10 o'clock, but at that hour there
was a d%renching rain and tie commit
tee in charge feared the parade would
nave to be given up. The rain ceased
lor awhile about Il o'clock and,
though the clouds threatened another
downpour-which came later-the
start was made at that hour.
thousands of Woodmen and Royal
Nelghbors on foot, on horseback and
IN carriages, scores of gaily uni
formed Forester teams and bands
without n formed a most striking
pageant. Never before, perhaps. has
SO much music bcen let loose in Kan
sas City at one time. There were
twenty-five bands in line and there
was not a single moment when two
or three of these were not playing.
The Woodmen, in their gala uni
forms, plumes and axes and silken
banners, stood in the drizzling rain
for three hours waiting for the parade
to start. The procession was to form
on East Ninth street, each camp being
stationed on cross streets on either
side of Ninth. Nearly all Of the
camps marched to their places at 0
clio and stood waiting for the sig
nal to start. The marshals, in white
duck suits, rode up and down on the
streets until they were soaked with
rain and the color from their red
sashes ran and stained their duck
coats. They looked like men splashed
with blood.
The convention Of the Modern Wood
men Of America elected the officers for
the next two years this morning.
With two exceptions, all those who
are holding the national offices were
reelected. The laws of the order for
bid that anyone should hold the head
banhership for moro than two years.
William A. Northcutt was reelected
head consul. He has held this position
since 1890, when trouble in the order
resulted in the dismissal of the former
national officers. He is lieutenant gov.
ernor OF Illinois. At the time of his
election as head consul in 1880 there
were only 40, 900 members. There are
400,0 O0 now.
Daniel b. Horne of Davenport, Iowa,
was reelected adviser and Major
Charles w. Halves of Rock Island, ILL.,,
head clerk. There wa no opposition.
The biggest fight in the convention
was between Frank r. Crocker Of
Charlton, Iowa, and H. E. Errett of
Nevada, Mo, for the position Of head
banker. Croker was elected.
The convention, at the close of the
election, began consideration of the
report Of the law committee. The
list of prohibitive occupations was
revised. 1t was decided to permit
glassblowers, whose work IS confined
to fruit jars and lamp chimneys to
join the order. An attempt wa made
to allow professional baseball players
to receive the insurance benefit, but it
failed to get the support of the dele
gates. Professional foot ball players
were forbidden admission, but the
line was not drawn against amateurs.
In Convention hall this afternoon
w. j. Bryan spoke On "Woodcraft" to
an immense audience.