Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-15
KNIGHTS AT A FEAST
Washington Commandery, K. T., Cele-
brates Its 18th Anniversary.
COMPANY NUMBERS THREE HUNDRED
Distinguished Guests From All Sec
tons of the Country.
ANY NUMBERS THREE HUNDRED
LIST OF THOSE PRESENI

| the Raleigh Hotel the members of Wash
ington Commandery, No. /. knights TEN
par. celebrated Saturday evening. with one
| o. the most elaborate and handsomely ap-
pointed dinners ever served in Washington
| the seventy-fifth anniversary of their or
| ganization. Gathered about the gridiron OF
| white-clothed fower-Iaden tables nearly
| three hundred knights. with distinguished
guests from ali parts of the country, all
however. being members of the craft, par
took of an elegant feast and made merry
until late hour Fraternal good fellowship
| rcigned throughout the occasion There
were a few after-dinner speeches. brief ana
sparkling, the commandery having decide.
10 keep without the lines of the antiquateu
| responses of lengthy duration
| Seventv-five years ago January II, 1S.,,
| Washington Comma ndery, No. l, came into
| being. Its birth suspicious and UP t.
| The time If the civil war it was the oni!
| organization of Knights Templar in IT,,
| national capital. Its growth has been steady
| since. and the commandery has from tim,
| u tim" numbered among its members the
| most distinguished Masons residing reTna-
| Eently or temporarily in Washington. A
| bert Pike and Benjamin 3. French, of con
| tInental reputation. were honored members.
| Today the ccmmandery is one of the fore
| most in the country. as well as one OF th'
oldest. 1t was organized just nine year
| after the formation of the grand confmar
| derry of the United States, and might ap
| propriately be termed the parent of the or
| sanizatiol of Knights Templar of the pres
| ent time.
| Present Membership.
| The membership of Washington Comman-
derry is now about five hundred. and in
cludes will be seen by a glance al tn.
| appended list of those present at Saturdas
| evenings celebration. many of the
prominent business and professional me-
| of the city. well a large number OF
| senators and representatives and other of
| ftCialS of the government The seventy
| fifth anniversary of the organization ac-
| tually occurred yesterday. but for obyiou
| reasons it was decided to anticipate it on.
| day that the banquet might be served Sat
| urday evening. The occasion was one il
| every way BETTING the important occasion
| and its splendOr will long live with thOS.
| who present.
| y magnificent scene was presented whcl
| the guests. Immaculate in evening dress
| seated themselves about the great table
| shortly after o'clock. The banquet hail
| situated upon the topmost floor of the 12th
| street addition to the Raleigh. Hastily
| decorated with twining vines and green TO
l:dge. The tables We're banked with roses
| carnations and other blossoms while q
| each plate WAS a boutnnniere of VioIets
| Mr. Huhoff had the decorations in char-"
the flow, flowers being f,irniS she'd by Mr.
| the orchestra balcony We're the flag
| of the commandery and a large
| Siiken ensign. Directly across the hall ana
| Immediately to she rear of the toastm
Ter, was the Maltese cross. insignia OF III,
order. composed of flowers and outlined IL
| miniature electric bulbs. The years ISIS
| and 1900 Were also worked in flowers
| ana hung upon the western wall. Mac-
| Ii DDS orchestra furnished an enjoyable pro-
| gram of music during the evening.
| Health to President Mckinley
| When the wine was served wiz +I, fir--
| course a health to the President of the
tEited States, an honorary member of the
| commandery. was offered. the sir knights
| drinking the same standing and in silence
| The commandery quartet sang u stanza Of
| America. the orchestra ACCOMMODATING
| me quartet is made up of Messrs. G. F.
| johnson. II. c. Pearson w d. McFarllnd
and {. F. Rice. During the dinner the quar-
| tet gave selections at intervals Mr. Henry
Weber rendered violin solo and Mr. W
II. Conley entertained the diners with a
number of humorous songs and stories he.
being encOred time and again.
After the fifth course was served the
postmaster, Mr.. Thomas Z. Morgan past
eminent commander. introduced Mr. Frank
| H. Hosford. whom he designated "as the
cry. No. l.. Mr.. Hosford made speech
| teeming with good humor He dealt in
pertinent personalities, which were greatly
enjoyed and appreciated by all present His
sCod-spirited speech set the pace for the re
rnainder of the evening. Mr.. Hosford con-
c!uded by presenting the cDrnnandery wit h
an enlarged photograph of the present COM
rnander, Mr. jesse f. Grant. taken while
| that high officer was disporting in the waves
| that break upon the sands of the jersey
| coast metropolis. Atlantic City. The pic
| ture was hilariously received. Mr. Hosfcrd
| said he hoped it would always adorn the
| walls of the cOmmandery Commander
| Grant retaliated by reading letter which
sald ail sorts of things about Mr.. Hosfori,
and which, the commander said he sun
| pressed for the good Of the order"
Trials of IA Statesman.
POSTMASTER Morgan made a gracious and
| witty director of affairs. He was introduced
| by Commander Grant When the cigar,
| were lighted Mr.. Morgan introduced Repre-
| sentative T. f. Burton of Ohio member
| of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr.. Buttons remarks
| We're short. but pointed. He was called upon
| 10 tell something of the trials and triblila-
| tiOnS Of statesmen" He said an ace punt
| Personally. he owed lots to Masonry He
| urged those present not to be enyious of "a
| senator or representa- tive. for their lives
| were lives of labor without accomplishment
| of patriotic endeavor without reward. and
| of hope without realization. All the same
| he said better two years of American Con-
| SreSs than a century in the Legislative bod
| oil any other nation of the globe. He wished
every member of Washington Commandery
! No. !.
Senator Clarence d. Clarke of Wyoming
| was the next speaker. Like his predeces-
| S"rs. he spoke but few words. but they
Were words of meaning and We're deeply
| appreciated. He was asked tell some-
| thing of the wOman's suffrage question In
reply he stated that the ladies' enjoyed their
| suffrage privileges in Wyoming What in
fluenced them he did not know but to gain
| their votes man must be n pretty good
scrt of a fellow. He closed by giving his
| best wishes to the cOmmandery.
| The last speaker of the evening was Mr.
| Warren LaRue Thomas of Kentucky. pas,
| grand master OF the Grand Encampment
of the United States. Knights Templar. He
said he was exceedingly gratfied to be
| present, and considered himself fortunate
| Indeed. He congratulated the members
upon the peace and prosperity of their
| cnmmandery and said theirs was a record
| equaled by few. and to be indeed proud of
| Mr.. Herndon Morsell closed the even.
| ing with enjoyable solo.
The committees in charge of the affair
| We're:
| Arrangements-Th P Morgan chair.