The San Francisco call., 1904-09-10


parted for the East yesterday after
noon. They. received a handsome send
of at the hands of the knights Tenn
plar, fully in keeping with the royal
reception that was accorded TO them
on their arrival here Monday morning.
The feature Of the departure was the
EarIs presentation of beautiful ban
ner of the Great Priory of England and
Wales to California Commandery- NO.
!. This commandery had been appoint
ed a special escort to the Earl while
he was sojourning in the city.
Long before o'clock, the hour an
nounced for the departure of the Earl.
crowds began TO assemble in the court
of the Palace Hotel, at the Market
street entrance and at the entrance to
the court in New Montgomery street
Every window in both the Palace and
the Grand was filed with onlookers.
Promptly at o'clock the members of
California Commandery No. l, arrayed
in their knightly robes and mounted on
their splendid horses, drew up in front
of the entrance to the court. They had
only TO wait a moment when the Earl
appeared. accompanied Oy Sir Knight
Reuben II. Lloyd. AS the Earl stepped
TO the edge of the sidewalk Commander
Charles NJ. Plum dismounted from his
white charger and, with his chapeau in
hand, advanced to meet him.
In presenting the banner the Earl
said: L take great pleasure in pre-
senting to you and the California Com
mandery No. this banner of the Great
Priory of England and Wales 1 am
glad / have this opportunity to show
the appreciation that our order has for
yours. and l take a special pleasure in
thanking you for the great assistance
and kindness you have shown to me
since have been staying in your beau
tiful city
Replying. Sir Charles NJ. Plum said:
In accepting this beautiful banner al
low me to assure you that California
Commandery No. / will always cherish
this gift with loving remembrance of
your visit to our country and to the
twenty-ninth Triennial Conclave held
in our city May God speed you on
your homeward way to England.
At the conclusion of this speech
the Earl handed to Commander Plum
six superb badges, richly wrought in
gold and Jewels, representing the cross
of the Great Priory of England and
Wales, with the request that they be
presented to the highest officers in the
California Commandery. After these
formaIities the Earl entered a coach
drawn by four black horses and the
procession started on its march to the
railway station. A band led the way,
playing lively marches, and was fol-
lowed by the escort of honor, the EarlS
coach being last in the procession.
The crowds lining the streets cheered
heartily and the Earl acknowledged the
salutes by raising his hat and smiling
pleasantly as he passed on the wy to
his train for home.
CONFERS GRAND CROSS.
The Earl of Euston conferred the
grand cross of the Great Priory of
England and Wales upon Colonel Will
liam Edwards and Major Cornelius
Toohey. two prominent local knights,
and decorated them publicly with the
emblem of the order, a massive golden
Maltese cross, with the royal British
monogram in the center, surrounded
by the words Great Priory of England
and Wales" surmounted by the crown
of Great Britain, and suspended from
a cross bar and ribbon of the Victoria
Cross
1t was pleasant interchange of
knightly courtesies which took place
quite Unexpectedly at the Mark Hop
kins Institute of Art during the recep-
tion of Golden Gate Commandery on
last Thursday evening. The Earl and
his party of distinguished visitors from
England arrived somewhat late in the
evening and were made the objects of
special attention.
Major Cornelius Toohey, commandant
of the squadron of mounted official es-
cort during the conclave, presented to
the Earl the guidons of Troops A and
3 of the escort. At a signal from
Major Toohey Sir knights p. NJ.
Thomas and George S. Forderer, the
guidon bearers, lowered their pennants,
detached them from their STATS, and
handed them to Major Toohey, who, with
a brief address. presented them to the
Earl as tokens of appreciation of the
opportunity of escorting the represen-
tatives of King Edward and of the
Great Priory of England and Wales
upon their arrival in this city to at
tend the first American conclave Of
Templars. and begged that the tokens
be carried back to England as souve-
Mrs of the occasion. The Earl of
Euston, in accepting the gifts with
words of praise for the American Sir
knights, and especially those Of Cali
fornia, expressed pleasure at being the
representative of the King and the
British fraters. As further mark Of
appreciation the Earl took the grand
cross from his breast and pinned it
upon that of Major Toohey. He then
took the grand cross from the breast
of Sir Charles Fitzgerald Matter, the
vice-chancellor of the Great -Priory of
England and Wales, and decorated the
breast, of Colonel William Edwards,