The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-06-03
FOR A LODGE HOME.
Plans Maturing for $4,000
Lodge Building.
K. OF P. TO TAKE $1,000 IN STOCK

X. OF P. TO TAKE $1,000 IN STOCK
Different Sights in View. The Carsten
Corner Very Favorable. The Plan is
Good One.
A movement is on foot whereby
new lodge building may be erected in
the near future. A lodge room with up
to.1ate equipments is badly needed In
Denson, and the plan is receiving con-
siderable encouragement, not only by
those directly Interested, but by capt.
talists who are looking for invest.
ments.
Mr. o. W. Wheeler has taken
great deal of pains to outline plan
whereby a building can be erected at
cost of between $4,000 and $4,000. 1t
is proposed to erect q two story brick
building having double front, 100 feet
deep with basement. On the ground
floor there will be a double store room,
on the second floor will be two suits of
Office rooms and lodge room, together
with banquet, property rooms and
kitchen. Mr.. Wheeler has gone 30
far as to get almost the exact figures
He has consulted with the sight owners
and with contractors and also with
different merchants who are renting
as to the probable rental to he derived
from such store rooms After very
careful and conservative estimate he
finds that such building will pay on
an average eight per cent on the In
vestment Now the question is, can
and will the stock be sold. We know
of three men who have signified their
willingness TO each take $1,000 worth
of stock. From business stand point
it would seem the Investment would
prove a good one. The addition of
this fine building to our city would be
a grand thing for the town. and would
be an inspiration to lead others to
build. In fact we have it on good
authority that should the plans be
carried out and the building committee
decide upon the Carsten corner, Mr..
Carsten will Immediately erect other
brick buildings between the corner
and his present location. Inasmuch
as the Knights of Pythias has taken
the initial steps in this enterprise it
may not be out of place to give little
history regarding the organization.
The following is written by Mr.. Frank
j. Stillman who is now located at
Washington. d. G.
A few months less than forty years
ago five men met in small room in
Washington and laid the foundation
for the order of Knights of Pythias.
Three of the FIVE are still living and
residents OF Washington.
Two of the three surviving founders
of the order are brothers, David l.
Burnett and William n. Burnett, The
third party is E S. Kimball, Justus
H. Rathbone and Robert A Cham
plOn having passed away some years
since.
1t is somewhat remarkable fact
that at one time, since the organization
of the order, none OF the founders were
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias,
and at the present only one of the sur
vivine three is member of the order
The first lodge established, Washing
ton No /, disintergrated and completely
went to pieces within eighteen months
after Its organization. La the mean.
time, however, other lodges had been
establ shed in the District of Columbia
from which seed has been scattered
aliover the civilized world, until to-
day the membership If the knights of
Pythias in the United States is upwards
os6Oo,o00.
Mr.. David L. Burnett, thu only one
of the original i've founders of the or
der who still retains his membership,
became reminiscent one evening thi
week and talked Interestingly of the
inception and early history OF the order.
"The Knights of Pythias is the out
growth OF singing class formed here
In was hington in 1861 remarked Mr..
Burnett, who was the first scribe"
and active figure in the plan of organi-
cation. 81 came from Mt. Pleasant, la
to Washington, in 1863 as private sec
rotary TO Senator James Harlan.
was something of a singer and in the
course tf few weeks l met Justus H.
Rathbon and e S. Kimbal also local
musicians of considerable note. Early
in 1864 my brother, William Il. also a
good singer, came from Iowa and Sena-