The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-04


 Miss Louise Moor. Miss Lucy BiclSley, Miss Katherine. Mcknight, Miss Sadie Hamilton and Mrs. R. T. Williams
 Past Exalted Ruler w. P. McCrossin was next on the programme, and respond ed to the eulogy "Our Absent Brothers" ," He said:
 MT. McCrossin's Address.
 Another cycle of time has passed and we are gathered again in devotion to our absent brethren the summer time in its richness of verdure, the fall with it's seer and yellow have come and gone the trees of the forest have shed, the leaves have returned to mother earth; all nature truly sleepeth, 'tis winter
 We are here to expound to the outer world the beauties of Ellxdom, to obey the laws to do good, and, above all, to pay a loving tribute to those who have gone to prepare the way for our com ing. This brings us face to face with the proposition, Who shall we mourn when next we meet? and the thought naturally spurs us on to greater better and nobler deeds.
 ''Who and what are the Elks? This is a question often asked in ye olden days some eighteen years ago, when a few brave souls gathered together in the old Allen hall, on First avenue, on a bright May morning and by the obligation they assumed at the altar and shrine of No. 79 bound themselves into frater- nal union and vowed to do good. When this question is asked nowadays the echo as borne by the winds of the season an- swers in sweet refrain Iris an assoca- tion of American men, whose flag is the flag of the nation, independent in ac- ton, steadfast in purpose to do good in tt.zx~ ~f .x.lr rt.,1 af to relieve the needy, guardians of the home and fireside. teachers of the broth erhood of man, the dispensers of Chris tian charity to all: their doctrine is dis bursement without ostentation, not In words meaningless. but acts: they care for the poor, they seek employment for their brothers. they revere virtue, abhor deceit and deception.
 "On such occasions as this the most solemn and potential for many reasons; not as a church sect, but in obedience to the teachings of book of laws, the Holy Bible, we are gathered together to remember the virtues of our brothers. to obliterate their faults, if any they had, to garland the tablets of memory with the sweet incense and fragrance of all the good their lives taught us and to proceed with the work they left un- finished that we may join them in the grand pastures beyond.
 I've have listened to the roll call of the dead, in vain we have awaited an answer. yet memory, Christian faith and good fellowship supplies us the want. They are omnipresent. ever with us. Upon the call of Brother Erwin Schll- finger how many of us who loved him in life remembered the refrain of his famous 'Yodle' song, so often sang for the amusement of us all? Did we not see through memorys eye upon the call of Brother Emile Chuck the merry twin kle in his eye, face wreathed in pleas ant smiles, and recall of him, as on char ity's call he answered: Give five. boys, not one, what kind of Elks are you any way?' And John J. Laughran, our old hearty hand grasp and listen anew to the familiar greeting of Hello, Bill. Then we see upon the call of another, a tall familiar figure. supported be cane, gift from the El<s for valiant services, a judge. chancellor, dealing in. equity and justice with all loved and beloved man among men. Brother I. J. Altman. When the name of Brother Ed Sidel was called we of the older set could recall his devotion to this city, see again some of his productions in plans and speci- fication for monuments in Birmingham. "Al good Elks. And so. my brothers as each one is called we. their associates and friends, can feel their presence. would that time could permit of speak 1 ing of them all. Suffice it to say they were of the B. P o. E.; they have build l cd well: are gone from us so far as their physical presence appears. Their