The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-29
TRAVELLERS
MAKE MERRY
gAINTLY CITY COUNCIL, U. C. IT,, is
THE LARGEST IN THE
UNITED STATES
EIGHTH ANNUAL REUNION
Over Five Hundred knights of the
Grip. Gather in Elks' Hall
far the Celebra-
tiOn
TREAD THE BURNING SANDS

."Saintly City Council No. SO, U. c. T.,
the largest council in the Northwest
greets you,'' We're the words written on
a huge banner strung across the wall of
the Elks' hall last night on the occasion
of the eighth anniversary of the organ1-
zation of the council.
When the number of candidates who
were initiated was counted up it was
found that the banner did not tell the
whole story, and so the words were
changed to read, "The largest council in
the United States,'' and that is the record
of st. Paul traeling statesmen.
The membership of the Sanity City
council Is now $685. and the membership
of what was formerly the largest council
in the United States, located at Gin
cinnnati, is 557. The eighty-six candi-
dates who were initiated last night made
1t possible for the local council to claim
the leadership of all the councils in the
country.
Further than that the class Of candi-
dates initiated last night is the largest
that was ever taken into one council in
one night in the history of the organi-
zation of the United Commercial TRAY
elers. 1t was indeed gala occasion
for the members Of the local council, and
they were not selfish in celebrating the
event, for two special cars from Mime
apolis carried over 143 members of Min
nehaha council, and siXty-three from
Minneapolis council.
The members of the different commit
tees have worked hard and long to make
this anniversary the greatest of any in
the eight years of the councils life. They
gave the best of everything to their
guests. There were good things to eat,
good things to smoke. good things to
listen to, and the result was a royal
good time
An attractive array of talent had been
secured for the occasion, and over the
cigar smoke the entertainers did their
work well and faithfully while the
knights of the grip enjoyed the affair.
TrOd the Burning Sands.
Befoy0 the entertainment of the even
ing was taken up, there was business
session at which the candidates were
made to tread the burning sand. 1t was
impossible to initiate the entire class,
rs there was a number of candidates
from Minneapolis, in addition to the
eighty-six who went into the local coun-
Gil
1t was decided that eight of these cam
didates should be victims, and from the
noise and shouts that came from behind
the closed doors, it is not unlikely that
the candidates were glad when it was all
over and they were able to grasp the ex-
tended hand Of brotherhood. The other
candidates simply enjoyed the fun, and
took the obligatory degree.
y 1t was II o'clock when the doors to the
main hall were thrown open and the
friends and those who were not men,
bers of the association were invited in to
the festivities.
Henry G. Casper presided at the enter
tainment, and introduced j. A. Jacques,
who was taken into the council last
night. Mr. Jacques recited some very
clever Irish dialect pieces, ane was
heartily encored.
Miss Minnie Rothfuss, the ten-year=old
daughter of Prof Rothfuss, of the Y NJ.
c. A., gave an interesting exhibition of
club swinging, and the professor gave
what he calls his electric swinging act,
throwing clubs with lights on them in
q most marvellous manner.
A. Van Prague, also member Of the
council. did a clever German dialect
turn and sang two or three songs which
were heartily received. Miss Hazel
Runge, of Minneapolis, was one of the
entertainers of the evening who made
a decided hit with the 500 people as
sembled She sang some new coon songs
in an inimitable manner, and did some
coon dancing that was worthy of
professional. She has a good voice and
is a clever dancer, executing some of the
most difficult steps known in an appar-
entity easy manner.
just Eight Years Old.
Al. G. Flournoy was present and gave
some of his good work, so well known.
He had one or two new parodies told
number of stories that were clever
nd
bers of the council and on the whole
furnished amusement for the crowd for
nearly an hour. While this portion OF
the entertainment was going on the
wants of the inner man were being look
sd after most carefully by the committee
In charge. The tables were loaded With
good things to eat and in relays of about
dfty each the merrymakers Were taken
in and fed.
On their way out they encountered two
very serious members with a plentiful
supply of cigars and the big hall was
well filled with blue smoke after the
first relay had been fed.
It is just eight years ago last night
that the council was organized. On thai
night twenty-one men, whose names
were mentioned in T h G b e short
time ago. met at Central hall and per-
fected the organization. That night the
first BANQUET of the council was held.
The twenty one men repaired to the Mer
chants hotel at o'clock in the morning
and sat down to a repast and the even
ing of the 2Sth day of December ever
since then has been a social session, but
last nights affair capped the climax.
The council has grown every year and
the united efforts of the council nave
made it the largest in the point OF num-
bers and the best in the point of quality
of members, if you take their word for
1t. in the United States.
Only one feature marred the perfect en-
ioyment of the evening and that was the
fact that the senior counselor Of the
council. George S. Wiseman, is lying at
the noint of death in his home in South
Dakota, Frank Baer, junior conselor,
presided at the business session in his
stead.
x. Gravel Cheered.
The reception which was accorded
Grand Counselor F. X. Gravel. of Du-
luth. of the department of Minnesota
and the Dakotas, when he was called
upoA to speak, eloquently testified to
the regard in which that gentleman is
held by the members of the order.
Counselor Gravel said that he felt more
prord than he could tell to be present at
meeting Of a council of the order
whici-. had prospered as no other council
Continued on Twelfth Page.