The Topeka state journal., 1901-08-28
BUSINESS BEGINS.
Knights TempIar Listen to Re-
ports of Their Officers.

Louisville. KY, Aug. 2S.-A spectacu-
lar competitive drill by the crack COM
manderies of the country attracted a
crush of Knights Templar conclave Wis
itors to Churchill Downs today. While
the Knights We're drilling the business
end of the conclave-the meeting of the
grand pment=gOt under way at
the girls high school.
When Grand Master Lloyd called the
meeting to order there were about 12O
knights present to transact business.
The grand masters, the grand treas
urer's, the grand recorders and a num-
Der of other reports were received and
referred to their proper committees
The report of Grand Master Reuben
H. Lloyd contained the following:
The order is in a most satisfactory
and healthy condition, and steadily
growing. The present term which be-
gan July l, 1899, commenced with ia $40
members and closed with 125. 108 The
order is in a much healthier condition
than it was before the PRONUNCIATION of
the decision that voluntary remaining
a nOn-affiliate in lodge or chapter for
six months would affect mem bership in
a commandery for now every member
of the order is sustaining it, root and
branch
Since our last session a formal treaty
of peace has been entered into between
the United States and Spain. BY 80
of people occupying more than 260 600
square miles of the earth's surface, were
freed from oppression.
Where it was dangerous to be Ma
son our order may now securely spread
it's humanizing. and elevating infiu-
ences The school house and the lodge
can labor together to brush aside ig
norance and superstition and teach the
down-t -trodden people the blessings of
civil and religious liberty. We should
indeed feel proud-as we do-that a
Templar was the guiding spirit in
bringing about this happy change to SO
many human beings
The sphere of our usefulness is
gradually enlarging. Our labors are
but commencing. We must press on
ward until liberty and enlightenment
shah illuminate the world; until every
land and every people shall have heard
and rejoiced at the fulfllment of the
proclamation, made by the angels at
the coming of Him whose followers we
are, ON earth peace, good viii toward
men,
The report Of the grand treasurer, H.
w. Lyons, showed receipts of S11,069
and net cash resources SAT, ,236.
The report of the grand recorder.
William H. Mayo. contained these fig
ures:
Net gain in membership in 1899. 2,444;
July l. There are at present 1059 COM
manderies. with a membership of 125. los.
The states having over 2O08 are as fol-
California. 1856; Connecticut. 26e6: Il
linots. 9,5S7; Indiana. 3, ,767: Iowa. 4.3lS;
Kansas. 1861: Kentucky 1885; Maine, g.
$50: Massachusetts and Rhode Island, 13,
yorE Sbio a45 Psnnvvsna ls
2Ss Texas, 2.270; Wisconsin, 3,149."
Following were the contestants in the
drill:
Columbia commandery No. e. Washing
ton D G.; Colorado commandery No. l.
Denver; Hanselmann commandery No Is,
Cincinnati; Allegheny comma andery No 35.
Pittsburg: St. Bernard commandery No
!, Chicago; Calvary commandery 10. 3,
Do r@Ira f1fr@ "a
mendery No. 16. San Francisco; California
commandery No. ?, mounted, San Fran
The competition was the first held since
the conclave of 1888
night at the horse show building and the
prizes distributed. following which there
drill commanderies and the ladies who
acted as sponsors for the prizes. The
First prize "a pieces, valued at 50 600.
Second prize, % pieces, Hbation set,
Third prize, centerpieces. valued at
Fourth prize, two pieces. mounted val
ued at $500.
Fifth prize. loving cup. valued at $500.
At Churchill Downs is situated the
race track of the Louisville Jockey club.
The grand stand holding 5000 was filled
long before the drill had begun.
Under a canopy in the field sat the
Sponsors dark eyed delegation of
Kentucky beauties, who led the mem-
bers of the contesting Communicates
after their work was finished to i'm
mense bowls containing cooling drinks.
Brass bands We're numerous but
music was allowed only during the in
termissions between drills as the Grant
tactics, under which the drills We're
conducted, allow of nothing to mark
time
The Columbia knights were good in
foot work, but rather weak in handling
their swords, while the Denver men ex-
cel1ed in the latter. To the crowd the
cOmmandery appeared to
have made the best showing. Their
foot work showed the effects of hard
practice.
At noon there was a luncheon and
rest during which Detroit commandery |
No. 1 gave an exhibition battalion drill. |