Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-04-01
KNIGHTS IN ctilcAGn
Twenty Thousand Pythians frou
Eleven States Hold a Tuh.1o

Twenty Thousand Pythians from,
Eleven States Hold Jubilee.
knights of Pythias from eleven States
congregated in Chicago recently. More
than 10000 Of them came, and these.
added to like number residing in Chi
eago, made an army of 10000 1t was
one of the biggest conclayes ever held in
the history of the order. and there was
an initiation at the Coliseum which had
never been surpassed in impressiyeness
by this order.
Three men, one of them of national
reputation received the degree of knight
hood. These were Coy. La Toilette of
Wisconsin and two of Chieago's Alder
men, Frank T. Fowler and Milton ].
Foreman. During the initatory services,
which began at O'Clock and did net
end until long after midnight, thousands
of knights were in attendance Many IF
them came that could not get in.
Charles ii. Gushing, the grand cham
eelor of Illinois, presided. The convels-
ton. which was known as a "Pythian
jubilee" was opened by Tinaoleon Lodga.
No. 30l, Of Chicago. Immediately fol-
lowing was reception of the supreme
lodge officers and of the grand lodge off
GERS of the several grand domains. Adj
dresses were made by Robert T.. g.
White of Nashville, Tenn, the supreme
keeper of the records and seal, and BY
Maj. Gen. James Il. Carnahan of Indian
apolis.
Senator Beyeridge OF Indiana was ex-
pected, the intention being to initiate
him into the third degree also. Late in
the day, however, a telegram was receiv-
ed from him stating that owing TO public
duties he would be unable to attend.
Gov. La Toilette was Initiated by the
Garfield Lodge of Milwaukee. Alderman
Fowler by the indianapolis lodge and Al
derman Foreman by the lola men Of
Dayton, Ohio. The three initiates had.
already taken the two first degrees, those
of page and esquire.
More high officials of the knights OF
Pythias were in Chicago than We're ever
together at one time, the grand chance-
lors of eleven States being present. They
represented Illinois. Ohio, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Iowa, Texas, New Mexico,
Indiana. Kentucky, PENNSYLVANIA and
Minnesota.
\ conspicuous figure was that Of Henry
Clay Berry of Illinois. who is the oldest
living past supreme chare ellor.
The Coliseum was dect5ated elaborate
ly for the occasion. flags and Pythian
emblems hanging from the galleries ana
Orders in PERCUSSION. The knights took
care of everything in CONNECTION with the
building while the initiltiors were going
on, the electric lights aad the heat be-
ing cared for by meRbess OF the order.
Even the walters were knights and the
policeman who stood insile the door was
a knight also.
Pythian knights Were everywhere in
Chicago. They paradcd in tue streets,
dressed in their military looking uni-
forms, they filled the hotels and the eat
ing rooms and later they surged about the
doors of the Coliseum The building was
crowded shortly after the doors were
thrown open at 4 p. m. and line half a
block long stretched northward from the
crowded door.
The big building was made into grand
lodgeroom and there all the command
cries in attendance made their Eeadquar
ters during the jubilee. The building will
hold about 1900 persons if well packed
and this means not very many more than
one-third o. the visiting knights got into
the place at one time.