Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16

Pacific, and S. B. Hege, district passenger
] agent of the B. and o. railroad. The even
I ing was very pleasantly passed, and there
| were a few of the toasts inevitable on such
| occasions. to which happy responses were
| made.
Consideration OF the subject matter will
| be resumed at an early date at similar
] gathering at Baltimore. 1t Is believed tina
| there will be a large attendance of Mary
| land and District Templars at the trIen
! NAL conclave. The cooperation between
the communicates of Maryland and the
, District is rendered all the more pleasan,
because the District communicates were
under the Jurisdiction of the Maryland
| Grand Commandery until few years ago
| and the friendliest relations have always
| prevailed between the fraters Of the two
| Jurisdictions. The itinerary for the triI
| has already been substantially formulated
although some minor details remain to be
| disposed of. The route chosen Is an at
tractive one and is expected to meet the
hearty approval of the Templars of bott
jurisdictions.
Washington Commandery, No. L. X. T.,
celebrated the seventy-ninth anniversary of
the issuance of Its charter Thursday even
ing The celebration consisted of both work
and pleasure. The work was the rendition
of the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross in
the asylum. This was followed by an en-
teTta1nmeunt in the music hall Of the tenn
pie. The hall was handsomely decorated
for the occasion under the direction of Sir
Knight Hohof of the commandery. The
banquet which followed was attended by a
large number of fraters of Washington
Commandery and a few invited guests of
distinction in templary. A number of in
teresting toastS were proposed and felici-
tous responses made after an invocation by
Sir Daniel McFaran, who was for twenty
two consecutive years prelate of Washing
ton Commandery. A letter of congratula-
ton was receiced from Grand Commander
MaI( -1,rh hos x,,f ,l,1l1,
covered from his long and serious illness
The toasts and responses were as follows
welcome, Eminent Commander George
f. King; The Grand Encampments of the
United States, Junior Grand Warden
Frank H. Thomas; THE Grand Command
cry" Deputy Grand Commander Andrew
w. Kelley; THE History Of Washington
Commandery," Past Grand Commander E.
G. Davis; Our Sister Communicates" Emil
nent Commander Middleton Of Potomac
Commandery, No. 3. Toasts were offered
to the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter, but
in the absence Of Grand Master Wetmore
and Grand High Priest Ober were drank
without responses Remarks were also
made by Past Commander George M. Walk
er and Thomas p. Morgan, both now Off
GERS of the Grand Cornmandery.
Washington Commandery was chartered
January IA, 1873, in the closing weeks OF
President Monroe's administration. Its
first meetings were held in the old Western
Masonic hall, near 10Th street and Penn
sylvania avenue. In his last official cir
cular Eminent Commander Claude F. King
gave an interesting short account of the his
tory of Washington Commandery. He says:
THE first election of officers took place and
Nicholas Blasdell was elected most emf
nent grand commander, John Frank, gen.
eraItssimo, and Benjamin o. Tyler, cap
tain general John Davidson was the first
treasurer ard Joseph Ingle the first re-
corder. The petition for a charter was
drawn up January 4, 1925, signed by the
newly elected officers and other members
Of the cOmmandery-fourteen in all-and
addressed to Henry Fowle, deputy grand
Of the United States. The General Grand
Encampment of the United States, as the
Grand Encampment was then designated,
was formed in New York in 1915.
Under its constitution the first four Of
ficers were empowered to constitute new
councils of Knights of the Red Cross and
encampment of Knights Templar, and it
was customary for these officers to issue
charters direct without the present inter-
vention Of a dispensation. A charter, there
fore, was promptly issued to the sir knights
who signed the petition, under date of
January IA, 1913 the day we celebrate
During the darkest days of modern Ma
sonic history from 1885 to 1S47, the charter
as well as the original petition upon which
1t was issued were preserved, and both are
now in the possession of the commandery
To recount the history of the commandery
since its organization, or its reorganization
In 1S47 would be to tell of the growth and
the prosperity of the city whose name 1t
bears; of historical events in which II has
participated; of knightly courtesies that
have been received and extended; or a
pride in its personnel which each knight
Templar borne upon it's rolls can appreciate
and without egot.sm proclaim"
The present officers of the commandery
are as follows: Claude F. King. command
err: Jacobus s. Jones, generallssimo; VIM.
III. Yerkes. jr.,. captain general; Jas. A.
Rutherford, senior warden; John S. Beach,
junior warden Rev. ]. Russell Verbrycke,
prelate: Gabriel F. Johnston and Albion K
Paris, associate prelates: Albert F. Fox,
treasurer; Henry s. Merrill recorder; ].
Claude KEEPER, standard bearer; Benz. s.
Graves. sword bearer; Ralph w. Lee,
warder; Nathaniel B. Fugitt, Charles H.
Smith and Abram r. Server, guards; Edwd.
kolb. sentinel; s. Porter House. adjutant;
Edwd. W. Zea, assistant adjutant; Geo. E.
Strobel quartermaster; Millard F. Lord,
commissary; Thomas H. Mitchell. herald;
Gabriel F. Johnston, musical director.
commandery are still living: Eldred Il.
Davis, 1867; Warren H. circuit, 1887; Har-
rison Dingman, 1912; David G. Dixon,
1898: Henry X. Simpson. 1894; George H.
Charles T. Caldwell, 1898; Jesse F. Grant.
1899: Joseph A oliver, 1900; william s.
Parks, 1901; Fred. w. Behrens, 1902.
Coldwell Company, No. Z, of the Uniform
Rank, knights of Pythias, has elected the
following officers for the ensuing year:
Captain, Thomas E. Landon; first leuten-
ant, Charles L. Saur: second lieutenant, J.
F. Skidmore; recorder, Thomas A. Bynum
treasurer, p. g. Ratssle; chaplain, Frank
]. Henning. Theo. Schondau was named as
first sergeant and Harvey Belt as second
sergeant. The company's affairs were re-
ported to be in fourishing condition and
the spirit and enthusiasm of the officers and
knights Loyal undiminished At the regu-
lar meeting, when the above-named officers
were chosen, Col. Harry Coggins of the
of ~ QcfF NJ a a
ed Coldwell Company. wishing for MOI and
the rank in Washington and elsewhere the
most prosperous year in its history Major
George w. Heisley also spoke cheering
words to the company, and wished the rank
great success. Coldwell Company Is ar
ranging for a number of aYnllsemenfs dur