Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-02-16
Knights of
Pythias
PREPARATIONS FOR cELEBRA.
TON or LARGEST ORDER OF
PURELY AMERICAN MEM
BERSHlP.

Nhot1lNGI ON, II. VI TED. 10
Preparations have been maze through
out the country for the celebration
this week Of the fortieth anniversary
Of the founding Of the order OF the
Knights OF Pythias, the largest frater-
nal and benevolent organization hay
ing a purely American membership.
1t was on February 10, 1864, that five
men met in Martins Hall in this city
and took the initial steps toward the
foundation of the order. The five men
We're Justus Henry Rathbone, who
conceived the idea, Robert A. Cham
pion, DR.. Il. S. Kimlball, David l.. Bur
nett. Messrs. kimball and d. L. Bur
nett are still living and are active
members of the fraternity.
Justus Henry Rathbone is famous
as the actual founder of the, order, and
the person to whose dramatic inspira-
ton is due the most beautiful features
OF the Pythian ritual. He submitted
the first draft OF the ritual based on
the story Of Damon and Pythias to
. members Of the old Arion club. a
musical organization which existed
in washington in the later years OF
the civil war. From this small begin
ming sprang Washington Lodge, No. i,
X. of p, afterward merged in Frank
lin Lodge, No. 2, which is still in
evidence. This latter lodge Is
the fruitful mother Of nine
thousand Pythian lodges now flourish
ing in fifty-four domains, and carrying
upon their rosters an aggregate OF near
" six hundred thousand members.
There are also about fifty Thousand
Of the knights who belong TO the uni
formed or military branch of the ord
er, which Is known as the Army OF
the Lily"
1t has long been supposed and gen
orally believed in this fraternity that
the idea of a great society based on
the immortal story of the friendship
of Damon and Pythias first came to
Mr.. Rathbone while he was teaching
school at the copper town Of Eagle
Harbor on the Keewenaw peninsula,
Lake Superior, in 1861. Later MT.
Rathbone removed to Washington and
became a clerk in the surgeon gener-
ais Office. He was q vocalist and II.
tualist 81 note, and his skill was dis
played in many ways, but In none
more notably than in his first draft OF
the Pythian ritual, which Is recog-
nized as remarkably beautifully and
effective. Mr.. Rathbone died at Lima,
Ohio, in the residence Of Past SUI
preme Chancellor Walter B. Richie
about thirteen years ago.
According to Pythian history the
ritual was read and the first steps to-
ward organization were taken Just
forty years ago tonight, when Mr..
Rathbone and his friends met at the
room Of Robert A. Champion, the oc-
casion being a rehearsal Of the Arion
club. Later in the same week another
meeting was held and the preliminary
organization completed. The supreme
lodge was organized In 1858 and in
corporated by congress June 20. 1884.
once founded, the fraternity grew
marvelously, and today while n OF
the youngest Of such orders It Is one
OF the largest and most fourishine
from every viewpoint. In addition to
the grand lodges in every state and
territory of the United States the ord
er has jurisdictions in British Colum
bia, the Maritime Provinces, Mantle
ba. Ontario, Hawaii, Alaska and Cuba