The Washington times., 1905-03-18

. Initiate Fifteen Members
and Hold Banquet.
PROCESSION UP THE AVENUE
Humorous Speeches, Good Stories, and
Much Merriment About the
Festal Board.

Celebrating the annual st Patrick s
Night, Almas Temple. Mystic Shrin-
ers held two great meetings last night.
One was in National Rifles Armory,
where they initiated fifteen candidates
into the mysteries of the order and the
other was in the drill hall of the Wash
lnston Light Infantry Armory. where
banquet of 1000 plates was spread.
The Sllriners themselves turned out al
most their full membership to the double
session and in addition there were more
than 200 guests representing nearly
every temple of the Mystic Shrine in the
United States. To the initiatory cere-
monies We're devoted the first three
hours Of the evening, until 1920 O'Clock,
among those who were given the degree
being William N. Moody, chief of the
supply division in the Post Office De
Tartment; Harry Rothschi1d, a promi-
nent mem Der of the German secret So
cieties of the District; and Greed NJ.
Fulton. a well-kncwin member Of the To-
cal bar w. S. Brown. Noble Imperial
Treasurer, of Pittsburg. Pa, was pres
ent as representative OF the Noble I'M
periaI Potentate and took leading part
both in the initiating and the banquet
following.
RaTaOe OF I0S UIOS1.
To the accompaniment of inspiring
music. and with their line of parade
lighted with brilliant red and green fire,
the Shriners marched from their hall
at Tenth and G streets, south on Tenth
street. and thence over the burning
sands otherwise Pennsylvania avenue),
to the banquet hall at Fifteenth and E
streets. Haley's band, which furnished
for he 3IScOIiTSGG
lively airs, while the Shriners dined, and
the spirit of good-feilowship was ram
pant throughout the feast.
The great hall was gayIy decorated
with flags and bunting, and here and
there were bits of green, which might
have suggested that the celebration was
in honor of the patron saint of Ireland
AS the Shriners themselves SAD thelr
merry-making had nothing whatever TO
do with the St. Patreks Day ceiebra-
ton of the sons of ireland, but that
it was merely a repetition OF their an
nual good time.
Personates Harry Lehr.
Granville NJ. Hunt, superintendent of
the registry division in the city Post
Office. gave a characteristic representa-
ton of Harry Lehr, of Newport, to the
great enjoyment Of the assembled hun
dreds.
Carter B. Keene iIlustrious potentate
q
and his witty shafts in introducing the
various speakers were answered in kind
by each of those who were compelled to
stand on tables TO make their voices
heard Yankee Doodle was played by
the band, and it required the united ef-
forts Of Potentate Keene and his fellow
officers Of the organization to prevent
destruction OF crockery as the Shriners
beat time with their knives on cups and
plates.
The first speaker introduced was No
BILE Imperial Treasurer Brown, of Pitts
burg. who conveyed the well wishes OF
his chief to the AImas.
good story was that told by e c.
Snyder, local correspondent of the
Omaha Bee and member of Tangier
Temple, about the difficulty experienced
in deciphering Uncle joe Cannon s
handwriting. He told about a communi-
cation received from the Speaker by
Frank Cushman. Representative from
washington, concerning certain leSisla-
zion which the latter considered neces-
sary for his constituents Mr.. Cushman.
IL seems was able to decipher only two
words of the letter, but, with the aid of
half dozen other Representatives,
managed TO understand every word in
the letter save one. In perplexity Mr..
Cushnsn finally asked Uncle joe
what that one word was, and discovered
that it was confidential" SO said
Mr. Snyder, Il will confide to you all
that Mr.. Keenes calling upon me for a
speech was entirely unexpected. New
l.
tribute to Alnas Temple. and held out
the latcil-string TO all who might hap
pen TO be in the neighborhood Of Tangier
Temple.
Cheers for 0yama.
Three cheers for Marshal Oyama were
proposed by Frank Hosford at the con-
cIusion of his witty discourse, and the
cheers were given with a vim
Greed N. Fulton, one Of the fifteen
candidates, who had been indicted into
the shrine earlier in the evening, spoke
of the impression made upon him by
the ceremony and concluded with an APP
propriate story, the sense of which was
that he was glad he had fined"
II want to say that / congratulate
the facility with which he fights a rear
guard action said William Z. Andrews,
auditor United States Treasury, in the
course of his remarks so well does
Mr.. Walker conduct his fight he con
FfnGed, that any candidate who has
been through the mill, might confess
afterward that he had been led in the
retreat by a master spirit akin only TO
kuro3atkin
''Of st Patrick, whose anniversary
night we have for years chosen for our
celebration. We hear much Of myth;
much of story. We hear that he drove
all the snakes from ireland. Similarly,
we, the nobility Of the AImas, forbid
the appearance Of snakes in any Of our
sI1rines.'
mr. Andrews was the last speaker OF
the evening. and as he closed the band
struck a merry medley 20