The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-14
ECHOES OF
SHR|NERS.
Return Home Of
the Buffalo
Men.
THE PARTY HAD
A GREAT TIME
Full of Delightful Memories Of the
Stay in Honolulu and
Elsewhere.

the following:
Richard H. Stafford, who was one of
the party of Mobiles Of the Mystic
Shrine who went to Honolulu to in-s
stall temple there, leaving on the oath
Of February, has returned to Buffalo.
In speaking of the trip to a News re-
porter, this morning, Mr.. Stafford said:
There was never more delightful
trip on the planet. 1t was arranged by
Saladin Temple of Grand Rapids. The
party gathered at Chicago from all
parts of the country, and both wives
and sisters of the mobiles were includ-s
ed. Medina Temple In Chicago enter
tanned us handsomely, and when We
pulled out of that town with our special
train, every employe on it was Ma.
son, while the engineer himself was a
Shriner, and stood at the throttle with.
his red fez. On either side of the en-
CINE a sheet iron camel, life size, with
an Arab on his back, was placed and
made a unique appearance. Along the
sides of the train great banners were
stretched with Inscriptions explaining.
who we were. and we astonished the
natives everywhere.
eve stopped at the oasis of Des
Moines on the 26th, with Ia Ia Zig
Temple, and on to Moila Temple Of st.
Joseph, Mo. Then we stopped over a
brief space with Ararat de Kansas City.
and next found Holla at Dallas, Tex.
On arriving at Phoenix, Ariz., we were
handsomely received. We were also
charn1ingly entertained at Redlands.
Cal, when that town was reached.
Our train looked like q succession Of
green house as we left the city. AL
Malurkah of Los Angeles was our next
oasis. and we got to San Francisco on
March 4th, to be refreshed in the oasis
of Islam Temple. On the afternoon of
the 9Th we sailed for Honolulu. and ar
rived on the 18th, after a smooth pass
age in the ship Sierra.
1--WE were received there in Oriental
style. The band was on the pier with
great company of Shriners. and we
opened the new Moana Hotel, as fine a
house as any In the country, run by
Americans and furnished from Grand
Rapids.
"On installation day there was a pa
rade reviewed by Governor Sanford B..
Dole and officers of British man-of-
war, while the town took a holiday.
That evening crowd of new pilgrims
Travelled over the hot sands and hung
on to the rope in great style, as they
were initiated in Aloha Temple. We
stayed in Honolulu for three weeks,
having all kinds of good time. We
met Prince David and Queen Liliuoka-
lani at entertainments given by them.
When leaving we were SO buried in
friendships wfeaths that all you could
see of Shriner was his face. The
great steamship was crowded to the
tops of the yards with flowers. Pretty
nearly the whole town was on the pier,
and Aud Fang Syne' was sung in a
mighty chorus, while men and women
were suspicfously moist about the eyes.
1--WE reached the Golden Gate April
10. We were in Portland. Ore, on the
18th, with Ell Kader Temple for break
fast, a six-foot salmon was caught and
cooked. and being laid on a plank sew
en- feet by three. was borne into the
dining room by four colored men, pre-
coded by a huge negro with drawn
scimetar, amid wild applause. We met
John Daily of Buffalo booming the PAN
American with splendid success. We
hurried on to Tacoma, Spokane, Fargo
and Minneapolis, and then for Chicago.
where the party broke up. every mem
Der of IT promising to come to the PAN
American.
II have not told you of the perfectly
royal treatment accorded us every
where. Each temple seemed bound to
surpass the last one in splendor of ban
quoting, and in attentions, such as
rides, private luncheons, flowers,
badges and So on, endlessly. It is all
appreciated. The railroads deserve
most grateful mention for their excel
lent treatment of us all along the route
both ways. Observation cars were fur
nished and everything possible to make
our trip delightful was at our COM
mand. 1t was the journey of life
time"