The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-11

pected. The order is exceptionally
strongly organized in the eastern states,
thing near $4,000.
In it's ranks are the wealthiest and
staunchest class of Catholic churchmen-
When new councils are instituted or the
degree teams of one order or section
visits another it is always the signal
for a grand banquet an outpouring of
good fellowship, acd everything is car
rled along In a way that is character
istic of the strength of the order. Re-
Gently delegation made swing
around the councils of the Pacific coast.
being composed largely of knights from
the middle states and the territory east
of the Rockies.
There was a little incident happened
which showed the excellent spirit of
the order and which did more to give
it prestige than anything else could
have done While the team was jour
neying across the country from Spo-
kane, Wash, to Butte Mont, a washout
occurred on the Northern Pacific which
was carrying them and they were
obliged to stop at the small town of
Hope, Idaho, for two or three days.
Colonel Frank Towers of Denver, Colo,
who seemed to be the leader of the
knights was not long in taking a survey
over the situation. Seeing that they
were hOpeleSSly delayed and would not
be able to reach Butte in time to carry
out the programme as arranged, he
made inquiry in to the situation before
him.
He learned that the village of Hope
had but one church of the Congrega-
tional denomination, and that in deep
debt. 1t occurred to him that Some-
thing might be done to alleviate its
financial stress. The place had lively
crowd of young people, and he proposed
to them, without their knowledge as to
the body with which they were nego-
tiating that Towers All Speciality COM
pany of Chicago put on an entertain
nTOEan6C nf teh
gladly turned over to the ladies of the
church 1t was agreed to and the next
evening Towers went through the train
ringing a coW-bell and Summoning all
the passengers to attend the speciality
performance and then leading the pro-
ceSsion with his company from the train
to the village hall 1t was thronged
with the best people the place could
turn out for such an exceptional event.
mixed programme was rendered in
fine shape, great many musical and
literary numbers and the "All Stars"
forged at once into fame. The proceeds
We're sufficient to pay off the
church Indebtedness and every body was
satisfied, the Hope citizens all the time
being under the illusion that it was
really d speciality company to whom
they had listened
At the time of the washout which was
laying the train out terrific storm had
devastated that section of country, leav-
ing homeless many people. With the
/
every way, it occurred that the perform
ance might be repeated and the money
derived this time distributed among
those who had been rendered needy by
the havoc of the storm. Again it was
advertised and again the people re-
sponded literally. The numbers on the
prCgsh n1me We're given with even more
dash than before, and If possible the
audience was more pleased than the
first night. The whole was carried
through without the, Hope denizens
knowing differently until at the close
the discovery was made that it was
knights of Columbus degree team which
was putting ON the specialties.
The apt application ofswhat talent was
at hand to a noble purpose not only
strengthened the lodge in the estima ton
of outsiders. when the facts became
known, but it made bearable the other
delayed, and did two Great charitable
turns to tie people Of THAT little town,
which will occupy a separate page in
the annals of Hope history.
f., P Cochran, Cottonwood Falls; J.
A. Campbell, Severance, and J. E.
in the. Odd Fellow LODGES of the state
as the Kent bond committee, were in
Topeka Thursday They were appointed
to look after the routine matters relat-
ing to claims that might be made
against the accounts of d. w Kent. the
lamented grand treasurer of that organ
ization, who a few months ago took
/ flight for other pastures. The adjudi-
caticn of the affairs in this connection
are left to the United States district
court.
Capitol lodge No. 3 of the A. o. U. w.
of this city recently celebrated its TWEEN
| tV-fifth anniversary The b0dv has opa