The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-06
HAIL new YEARS COMING
Billings Lodge in Yearly Gathering to
Mark Mile Stone in Flight
of Time.
From Fridays Daily Gazette.

footing was there such a shaking of
antlers and prancing of stays as that
which took place Wednesday night,
when Billings lodge, No. 1874, had it's
annual roundup and the herd assem-
bled to bid farewell to the old year
and hail the coming, whose infantile
voice was attuning itself to awaken
the world with it's feeble cry. Old.
daddy Elks browsed sedately with
fawns who had just sprouted their
first horns and were rubbing against
the trees in an endeavor to wear off
the velvet and look like old fellows.
Then there were prospective babies"
elklets, they called them, who had
been invited to participate in the
frolic so as to harden them for the
ordeals ahead through which they
must pass before they would be per-
mitted to Craze with the herd.
The committee to whom had been
delegated the onerous and RESPONSE
BILE duty of preparing for the event
had left nothing undone. Everything
was exactly as each individual mem
Der and guest would have had it. The
large lodge room had been transform
ed into a bower of loneliness, a dream
of color and harmony. The decora-
lions, throughout which was carried
with artistic effect the color scheme
of purple and white, the colors of the
order, were a revelation. The walls
were draped with panels and festoons
of ribbons, caught up at intervals
with others, while high up against
the ceiling were palms that acted as
brooches to sustain the fluffy masses
of drapery waving gracefully from be-
low. The station of the exalted ruler
had been converted into a court, par
titioned off from the main room by a
grill work of purple and white,
through the interstices of which glis-
pie and white. The massive mounted
elk that usually stands at this station
faced the tables, which had been set
in the form of three sides OF a rec
tangle, and from his antlers glowed
fairy lights, also purple and white,
while he seemed to look a%pprovingly
at the feasters before him. Potted
| plants, huge, waving palms and holly
added brilliancy to the picture of
warmth and color and gave a sum-
mer-like air to the scene The spot
less linen, ~shimmering cut glass, shin
ing silver and beautiful, fragrant
flowers that blossome dfrom jardiniere
and reposed On the plates of the
guests, all contributed to the rarity
of the ensemble and completed it.
1t was shortly after 9 o'clock when
Chairman Foster brought down his
gavel and called for order. Mayor
George, acting as chaplain, invoked
the blessings of the Grand Exalted
Ruler upon the assembly and Vests
orchestra, hidden in an oriental Court,
made by combining rugs, portiers anu
d~raperies discoursed sweet music and
the banquet was formally opened.
Standing, the entire company join
ed in singing "Auld Lang Syne," after
which Mr.. Foster made a few re-
marks of a warning and c~autionary
nature to the victims of impending
disaster, in which he laid particular
stress on the necessity of looking
pleasant when the time came for the
liquidation of the fines that would
undoubtedly be imposed before the ev-
ening had become much older. Sable
hued servitors, with color warranted
not to come out in the wash, now be
gan to rush between banquet hall and
kitchen and under their repeated as.
saults the latter began to- show signs
of depletion to the manifest arf9ans
age of the former. Gill Clark sang
with much feeling and pathos the soul
stirring song, "Home Amt Nothin'
Like This and was compelled to pay
a liberal fine for having blackened
his shoes instead Of his face. Harry
Allen did really try to sing his best
but it did not save him from the fine
that seemed to have become inevita
BILE, no matter what the excuse neces
sary to impose it, and gave way to
Will Clark who played the cornet and
was also poorer at the conclusion oil
his effort than before he made it. J
A. Gilluly, "unaided and alone SANG
one of his best numbers and the $5
bill he left with the treasurer was
soon covered by another that Ira
Whitney contributed after he hat