The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-26
WILKES-BARRE ELKS
VISIT THE CITY
WERE ENTERTAINED By THE
LOCAL LODGE LAST NIGHT.
A Banquet and an Evening Of Good
Fellowship Spent in the Club
Rooms on Franklin Avenue-The
Inimitable Daniel L. Hart Acted as
Chairman and Addresses Were
Made by Large Number Present.
"Ben" Dilley Makes His First
Speech-The Guests Present.

! last night on their fourth annual visit
to the local lodge, and another one of
| those most delightful and refreshing
evenings, filled with the spirit of good
| fellowship and good cheer, was spent
| in the magnificent lodge room on
| Franklin avenue.
The evening was not only enjoyable,
| but it marked an epoch in the history
| of Elkdom in these two cities, mas
| much as Ben" Diley, the celebrated
| exalted ruler of the Wilkes Barre
| lodge, was so carried away with the
| spirit of the evening that'he made the
| first and only speech of his life.
The Wilkes Barreans arrived In town
a little after s o'clock and were met
at the Delaware and Hudson station
| by the local Elks and Bauer's band.
| The visitors were quickly furnished
| with appropriate badges and a short
| street parade was then made over the
| principal streets of the central city to
the club rooms, where, after laying
| aside their coats, the visitors were es-
| corted to the spacious auditorium on
| the third floor.
| Here three long tables We're ar.
| ranged. covered with a dainty array of
tempting good things, in the choice and
| preparation of which Mine Host Zieg-
| Ter did himself doubly proud. On the
| platform a table was arranged for the
| exalted rulers of both lodges. Il. F.
| Dilley, of Wilkes-Ba and f. C.
Smith. of this city. and f. C. Hand.
| the chairman of the committee on ar
| rangements.
| POPULAR SONGS SUNG.
To-, 80 .ln4 o,I
containing the words of some nineteen
| popular songs, which were sung at
various times during the evening by
the assembled guests. The words Of
one of these, which made a great hit,
were written to the music of Dear Old
Tennessee" by Brothers Dunn and
Hand, and ran as follows:
DEAR OLD wILKES.BARRE.
Take me to your fields again.
| Dear Old Wilkes. Barre
| Brotner Ben and Dan Hart, too
| Waiting there for me.
Let me see those faces dear
| Meath the old Elk Tree.
, And hear them sing Of Auld Lang Syne
And dear old Ben Dilley
After the guests had saticfed the
inner man to their hearts satisfaction,
.
mittee on arrangements, made a brief
address of greeting, in which he as
. sured the visitors that they were las
, welcome as the flowers OF May" He
then introduced the chairman of the
evening, the Irresistible and inimitable
Dan l.. Hart, of Wilkes Barre, jour-
nalist, playwright and all-around good
ss1 fellow. 1t is hardly necessary to say
that Dan made hit, as the saying
, goes. He always does, and by his
clever wit and happy facility at repar-
tee he last night added new leaves to
his already weighty crown of laurels
He first proposed a toast ito Ben
and Fred, two of the truest Elks in
the order today" which was drunk by
all standing. He then made mos
r happy little opening address, in which
Z he explained why he came without q
= dress suit and some Of his previous
. experiences when wearing "a spike.
t tail coat" He introduced Exalted
e Ruler Fred c. Smith. of the Scranton
1 lodge who said he was not given t
8 speechmaking, and who made only .
few remarks Of welcome.
|. BENs MAIDEN EFFORT.
o Chairman Hart then introduced Elk
| alted Ruler ben" Dilley, of Wilkes
v Barre, and when that gentleman ROSE
. to his feet everybody gasped will
amazement, for never before had HI
r been known to address a public gath
Q ering. On all past occasions, as on,
;. member later stated, all he would dC
would be to look up, grab his necktie
and murmur. ooh, Harlem" or word
to that effect. But he started ou
bravely. something as follows:
!. "It's pretty cold-blooded to ask M
to get up and speak, without givini
me a subject. If this beauty on m!
t right would only suggest one, give M
= a square challenge, / might be able t,
). meet it," He then gave n neat littl
8 address, in which he pointed out tina
: it was the quality of the members. anC
II not the quantity, that made a lodg
successful. He was followed by Yves
It ley L. Woodruff, editor of the Wilkes
Barre News, who made a most abl
e speech
n He said that it was ali right to tall
! trippingy of brotherly love and frater
= nifty and all that sort of thing, bu
$. that these yearly gatherings produce,
e an unconscious influence on the mind
e Of the members that meant more tha
l. all the speeches that were ever made
They also tended he stated, to oblit
crate sectional prejudices about whic
city had the best pavements, and whic
river was the largest. and such things
! Mr.. Woodruff was loudly applauded
and was followed by C. G. Boland. o
!. "Glad Hand" Boland, as Mr.. Hart in
- | tTOduCed him. Mr. Roland made al