The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-26
ELKS' MEETING
WAS BEST EVER
MINNEAPOLIS LODGE DELEGATE
GIVES HIGH PRAISE.
f. r. Towle Says Cincinnati Enter
tanned the Many Thousand Visitors
with Lavish Hospitality, Spending
More Than $5O,OOO-Iheresting
Features of the Lodge.

without doubt the eighteenth
grand lodge session at Cincinnati was
the most successful In point OF at /,
tendance and all the features that go |
to make up great occasion of the
kind that our order has yet held and |
I doubt if it will ever be surpassed or
equalled," declares F. F. Towle, past
exalted ruler Of Minneapolis lodge
No. A, B. P. o. Elks, who was the
delegate to the grand lodge.
Forty thousand Elks were offici-
ally registered, and the estimate was
that there were 100000 visitors to
Cincinnati each day while the grand
lodge was in session. The local lodge
had a fund of $4,000 for entertain
ment be sides a guarantee tuna, ana
/ guess the money was all spent
says Mr.. Towle, for in the history OF
all the big, times we have ever haa
never has there been such lavish hos
pitality. There were fifteen miles OF
Systematically decorated streets, and
the colors of the order were to pc
seen in all parts of the city and us
| suburbs The decorations We're the
most elaborate I have ever seem as
high as $4,000 being expended upon
| the decoration and illumination of
| single building.
zone night the 1851 delegates and
| their ladies were taken on steam
boat fifteen miles down the river. AS
the boat came slowly along on it's re-
turn trip we were greeted by a contln-
uous line of gorgeous pyrotechnic dis
| plays. All the towns along the river,
the big manufacturing plants, the
| clubhouses and residences were lllu-
minated and each had fireworks dis
play When we reached the city
!. proper there was such burst or
Sewport, Bellevue and Cincinnati as
I never expect to see again. nave
been dealing in fireworks myself for
twenty years and 1 have never heard
of anything to compare with this dis
play. s ,,,s
long. It took two hours and quarter
to pass, according to my watch, ana
? it moved rapidly, too. The members
of the Covington lodge, which re-
ceiyed first prize for unique appear
ance, were .attired as Kentucky col
J. onels. They wore Prince Albert sults
white overgaiters, black slouch hats
+ fierce mustaches and each had MS
: hand at his right hip pocket as II III
readiness to draw gun In defense OF
his "honah." The Baltimore Elks ap:
. peared as firemen in full uniform anc
- had with them an engine that was
badly battered by the falling OF
building, which killed the horses tina
. drew it at the great fire. .
: 'The Greenville, Miss, lodge, l4(
x strong, appeared as cotton pickers
with a mamoth float representing
u cottonfield, and a cottongin In opera
n ton. This lodge also gave a parade
g daily in carriages, with their lad1es
'e the men wearing white flannel suit
Is trimmed with purple. The Norfolk
le Va, Elks appeared as peanut plckers
Philadelphia lodge turned out IN ful
It dress with opera hats, and there wer'
It dozens of. other characteristic an(
t. striking features Of the parade, ant
n bands until you couldn't rest meal
d this literally and not fguratlvey TO
It they played all night on the street
as well as during the day. There Wer
a. big barbecue and a number OF SD
- diversions. One of the most enjoyabl
ST events was a grand ball at the grea
/ music hall rendered the Elks by tn
t. Shriners, which was attended by sew
$ eral thousand people. On the CLOSING
re- days the entire city seemed to cate
II the enthusiasm and the streets OF tn
- downtown district were packed VIII
people holding high carnival
Is THE growth of the order. has pee
s. to such proportions that looked t
is see steps taken shortly to lessen tn
KS grand lodge representations as IN
VS. of business. There were forty-on
lie Elks from the Manila lodge, Whlc
is has a membership Of 238, and they re
ID ceived the prize for having travele
the greatest number of miles in tn
: aggregate 10000 miles. They ap
reared attired as PHILIPPINES. Lo
. Angeles lodge was their nearest com
81 petitor, having travelled 10000 mile
w IN tho aeeregate,' .-r. e.