The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-06
PYTHIANS ELECT
 THEIR OFFICERS Grand Lodge Was in Session All of Yesterday ALEX M. CAREER ELECTED Will Be Grand Chancellor of the Ala bama Knights of Pythias
 for the Ensuing
 Year.
ALEX M. CAREER ELECTED

The grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias held the annual election of off cers yesterday afternoon. The balloting was spirited and the results were received with cheers and applause The following were elected:
 Alex M Garber of Talladega, grand chancellor.
 E. P. Nichols of Roanoke grand vice chancellor.
 Thomas E. Knight of Greensboro. grand prelate.
 G. G. Miles of Montgomery, grand keeper of records and seal.
 J. M Danneily of Pensacola, Fla, grand master of exchequer. B, c. Jones of Bessemer. grand master at arms.
 J. D. Bloch of Mobile grand inner guard.
 T. B. Sanford of opelka. grand outer guard.
 J. R. Riggs of Montgomery, supreme representative to fill the unexpired term of the late Hon. Tennent Lomax.
 Jesse B. wadsworth of Blocton, su- preme representative for full term | lodge adjourned until last Il ght when a picked team from all the lceal lodges i exemplified the secret working of the ann plified degree on a candidate at Magnolia hall. The sessions today will be from g a. m. to D. m. and from p. m until the business is completed, which will prob ably be in a few hours.
 A committee was appointed to meet Mir. Neal of Chicago. president of the board of control of the endowment rank of that city. The committee consists of Past Grand Chancellor A. Steinhart of Green vile, Judge Disque of Gadsden, and Rivers Carter of Birmingham.
 Morning Session.
 The first session of the grand lodge convened few minutes before 10 o'clock. It was presided over by Eli P Smith. chairman of the local arrangements com mittee.
 The first thirty minutes of this meet ing was devoted to exercises of a public nature. Mayor Drennen addressed the body composed of nearly 300 Knights of Pythias, who live in Alabama.
 MT. Smith, in introducing Mayor Dren- nen, said:
 Brethren, we will open the first ses- sion of the grand lodge with a prelm- mary meeting.
 T want to tell you through the chief executive of Birmingham and our brother Hume Jones how glad we are to have you here on this occasion of the thirty-first gathering of the grand lodge of Alabama.
 The Knights of Pythias wield a wide 1 influence in Alabama, and Birmingham and Jefferson county form a part of the order in Alabama. We have very dis tinguished citizen with us this morning who is not a member of our order, but 1 he tells me confidentially that he is very sorry he is not. I think we will give him chance to reform on that line. We love Mayor Drennen, we people of Birmingham, so much so that on yes terday we elected him mayor of Birming- ham for the third time. At my solicta- tion he agreed to come here and deliver the welcome address on behalf of the city I take great pleasure in introduce ing Hon. W. M. Drennen, mayor of Br- mingham."
 The Mayors Speech. Mayor Drennen arose and made the 1 following address:
 This is the first time that have had the opportunity and the honor of extend ing the hospitality of this city to the grand lodge of Knights of Pythias of Alabama. know the warmth and un- bounded generosity and hospitality of the citizens of Birmingham and the members of the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias of this city, and voice the senti- ment of them all when say we are glad to have you with us here today, and ex- tend to you our most cordial greetings. Representing an order, as you do, found- ed on mans nobility, our anticipations will have been fully realized for this oc- casion if we can have you commingie with us not as strangers but as well come guests, as neighbors and as friends during your stay in our city.
 The order that you gentlemen so ably represent here this morning was founded by the Hon. Justice H. Rathbone in Washington City just before the close of the war, and at that time the total mem- bership consisted of three lodges, number ing only 7S members. At the close of the year in 1902 you had something over 553,- 900 members. and are increasing at a most wonderful rate. During the past year you expended for relief more than one and one-half million dollars, this relief be- ing given by the subordinate lodges ex- elusive of funeral benefits and insurance in the Endowment rank. In the Endow- ment rank I find that the insurance car