, 1901-12-13

The reception rendered Supreme
Chancellor Ogden II. Fethers. Knights
of Pythias, by the members of Damon
lodge and the visiting Knights at the
castle hall Of Damon lodge. last even
ing, must have warmed the cookies of
that ~gentleman's heart. He was made
to feel some of the boosted hospitality
of Wyoming as exemplifed by one of
the most popular orders in the state
and by one of its hospitable subordi-
nate lodges. There were fifty gentle
men present, representing the grand
lodge of Wyoming and several of the
subordinate lodges. In fact, the grand
lodge was represented by its head,
Hon. Milton B.. Moore of Saratoga, the
grand chancellor; of of it's supreme
| representatives, Hon. VIM. r. Schnit-
ger of Cheyenne. and by its indomi-
table grand keeper of records and seal,
Hon. Charles 8. Greenbaum, of this
city, who was everywhere at just the
right moment for the comfort of the
guests of the evening.
The grand lodge and the city were
also favored in the presence Hons. E.
S. Johnston and 3. W. Stone, both
past grand chancesiors of the grand
lodge.
Among the other guests were Post
master George w. Hoyt, ]. o.
Churchill, A. D. Kelly and Frank Bon
of Cheyenne; ]. J. Fsgan of Saratoga;
J. T. West of Minneapolis; j. l.. Ford
Of Carbon; H. v. Williamson, the drug
gist, and Fred A. Miller of the grand do
main Of Nebraska.
Mr.. w. H. Frazee presided at the
meeting at the castle hall and introduc-
ed Mr.. Moore, the grand chancellor,
who made a short address on the work
Of the grand lodge and touched upon
the question Of COMPULSORY benefits,
which is 10Y receiving much atten-
ton in certain of the subordinate
lodges. He then introduced Mr.. Feth-
ers. who, upon coming to his feet, was
greeted with a hearty burst of hand
clapping that brought a smile of gratifi-
cation and recognition to his hand
some and kindly face. Mr.. Fethers is
a gentleman of commanding presence
and with a fine voice. and his address
lasted for about an hour. he holding
the audience, often winning warm ap-
plause and hearty commentator from
his hearers.
He touched the condition of the SUI
preme lodge, both as regards men and
money, saying there were about 570.-
900 active members in the order and
over half a million non-active mem
bers, whom he counted for the reason
that he heartily believed in the maxim.
"Once a Pythian, always a Pythian."
I'm fact" he said, this recognition of
the non-active is fixed by law, for do
we not speak of them as suspended
Members"
He said he believed that many of
the brethren then in the hall would live
to see the day when the Pythian ban
ner would encircle the globe. There are
lodges in the most eastern of the Brit
ish colonies in North America, lodges
in Hawaii and a Pythian club. the fore
runner of n Pythian lodge, in Manila.
1t was made up of members of the or
der in the United States who are now
living in the Philippines. and he hopes
during his term of office to see 1t form
ed into a working lodge.
Mr.. Fethers referred to the recent
trouble in the Endowment rank, and
paid a high tribute to the members of
the supreme lodge in the courageous
way they had met and solved the diff
ficulty. The rank has lost not to ex-
ceed twelve or fifteen per cent of its
membership, and already the board of
control had paid nearly one-half of the
Indebtedness incurred by the faithless-
ness of some of the trusted officers of
the rank.
Coming to the uniform rank, the
military branch of the great Pythian
trinity, he spoke of the courage and
patriotism of that rank, which in the
late war with Spain had sent nearly
5000 Of its members to the defense OF
the flag of the country. The order as
a whole had done its full duty in this
regard, but the patriotism of the rank
had been the inspiration of thousands
Of men all over the world
The address was a wonderful expo
sition Of the tenets Of the order, and
cannot but have a lasting benefit upon
the grand domain of Wyoming, which
had been so signally honored in this
visit from the head Of the order. and
to Damon lodge, which was proud in
deed to be the host on this occasion
of the representatives Of the grand
lodge is doing honor to the supreme
chancellor.