The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-21
Takes knights of Pythias Drill
Prize.
Wichita Is Awarded the Second
Place.
NESS MEN WE'RE THIRD
All Made an Excellent Showing
in Contest.
Parade One of the Best Ordered
Ever Seen in Topeka.

Topeka has seldom seen a better
ordered or more attractive appearing
fraternal parade than that which
marched down Kansas avenue about >
o'clock Wednesday afternoon. And To-
peka is something of a connoisseur in
the matter of fraternal parades. It wit
nesses an average of about two parades
a month the year round. and has seen
at least four In the last thirty days.
1t is the military feature. which forms
the climax of the knights of Pythias
demonstration. The swords. the
plumes, the gold lace and the bands all
contribute to the effect. The uniform
rank of the Knights of Pythias is
modelled after the United States army,
and the drills are copied from the
tactics of the manual of the United
States army. Five companies of six
teen men each lined Ninth street while
the officers of the day. mounted on
horseback, pranced up and down be-
fore them. When Brig. Gen. J. H. Lyon
gave the word the procession started
the five companies swinging into line
ahead. of the column of uniformed
Knights. These latter formed a double
lire between which the carriages of
officers and Rathbone Sisters filed.
From Ninth street the parade marched
north on Kansas avenue to Sixth street.
East on Sixth street it made its way
to Fourth. where it turned west once
more Along Fourth street it marched
to Harrison and south on Harrison to
draw UP on the west side of the state
house square. At Eighth street the
I carriages containing General Carnahan
I commander of all the uniform rank OF
/ the order. and other notables We're
/ drawn up to review the procession.
/ Six hundred and seventy eight people
marched by.
When the uniform rank had again
/ been drawn in line and halted on Har-
rison street the ununiformed part of the
parade scattered to the sidewalk. Their.
1 the columns were drawn up about the
/ carriage of the cOmmander-in-chief
who addressed them. General CarEa-
han is a natural speaker. of easy man.
ner and well selected language He
4 told the mem erS before him of the
work in charity that the uniform rank
/ had done. paying out % million dollars
4 for aid to the poor since its first muster
! in 1878 He told them how when this
/ Spanish-American war broke out, when
the call for volunteers was not yet 4s
hours Old 80, 600 volunteers from the or =
/ der had signified their desire 10 him to
serve in the army Of their country.
The uniform rank furnished three
4 brigadier generals IN that war as wen
4 as dozens of capable and valogOus Off
fcers. When the last supreme encamp~
It
military commander there furnished the
uniform rank all the necessary camp
equipment during its stay and extended
other unusual courtesies.
THE DRILL CONTEST
When General Carnahan had finished
/ speaking the Pythians were allowed to
! break ranks and form an open square,
with the crowd, about a space a half
block long on Harrison street. Within
this space the five companies drilled AS
stated these drills are taken from the
manual of arms. But three companies
entered the regular prescribed drill.
Two more, new and vet unfamiliar with
the entire code were permitted to con-
/ test for the fifth and sixth prizes.
Back and forward, in and out, OBJ
liquely and in platoons and tours they
marched until perspiration trickled
down the faces of the working men.
Girard company, No. u, which has won
prizes at several supreme encampments
and cannot be rivaled by any militia
company in the state, took first prize.
/ $50. It's officers. J. H. Mccoy, captain;
L. H. Phillips first lieutenant, and A. T.
4 Havely, second lieutenant, are excel
4 lent disciplinarians. When the company
+ left the drill ground al double quick
shouts of applause went up from the
/ spectators. The company was marked
90 by the judges Major A. NJ. Harvey
and NJ W. Saxon.
The second prize. $780, was taken by
Wichita company No ? with a grade of
IS, while Ness City took the S75 prize
with a ranking Of 81. Pittsburg and
Scammon, who did not go through the
same drill with the others, were given
fourth and fifth prizes respectively.
While the tactics were in progress on
/