New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-15
ELKS SWARMING IN.
Orer QOOOO Make Philadelphia For
get 1t Is Sunday.

Philadelphia. July 14-PhiadeIphia is sitting
mp. rubbing its eyes and pinching itself With
bands Of music playing along the streets on
Sunday. IL looks as though the city had struck
n fast pace The annual reunion Of the Benevo-
lent and Protective order of Elks OF the United
States has already brought such crowds that
Chestnut street and Market street and all the big
hotels hubbling over The big delegation or
Denver EIks arrived at the Broad street station
at Q o'clock tonight and marched down Chest
nut street with it's band PLAYING lively airs. vet
the people never moved muscle BY the time
sor1a Of the other Westerners get here the city
may become 60 accustomed 70 a crowd that II
VIII ask for other conventions whether they be-
gin on Sunday or not
Philadelphia has exerted it's utmost power n
entertainment for the EIks one department
store spent $4,000 its exterior decorations.
Another spent 81 600 while nearly every store
I'm the CITY. every newspaper office and many
private homes are lav7shly decorated with flags;
Elk insignia and electric lights one ~ the news
papers has nearly 5000 electric bulbs down
the front Of lts building IN Broad street
All the grand officers Of the order have reached
town. and the grand lodge will he formally re-
ceived tomorrow rTrht. The formal sessions
will begin on Tuesday Committees Of the local
lodge of Flks have been busy for weeks upon
tho details Of the entertainment. and visitors
will got an entirely new impression OF slow
Philadelphia"
Inward Of twenty thousand FIkS nave IN
rolled their names at the official registration
bureau since Saturday. During the day dele
gattops from Denver Mobile. -. Louis, Atlanta,
Waco Tex; Columbus. Ohio: Evansville ma
Alton III. Florence. s c; kenosha' WIS.,
Santa Fe y NJ. Lancaster, Ohio: Rennington
Vt. Milwaukee Omaha and New York arrived
and each train brings more delegations
A
delphia EIks held reception AZ their home TO-
day Many Of the visitors also went on slsht-
seeing tours.
The convention VIII formally open tomorrow
night when the visitors will be welcomed by
Navor Revb,Irn on behalf of the city and by
representatives Of the Philadelphia and state
lodges The fret grand lodge business session
Will open Tuesday at II o'clock Other ses-
sions will he held on Thursday and Friday
on Wednesday morning there will be a parade
of nnassed bands The parade Of lodges will
take place on Thursday which time II IS
officially estimated that from twenty thousand
10 thirty thousand Elks will he in the process
sion.
The new constitution of the organization.
adopted the last annual session of the grand
lodge. will go into effect on Tuesday and under
il important matters will be brought up for
considerable at the present session The dis
cardlng OF the elks tooth emblem of the
order. though II has never been official
emblem. is of the important questions that
will be taken up The destruction of the elks
to secure teeth and the fostinG of cheap imita-
ton elk's teeth upon members of the fraternity
a excessive prices are among the causes that
have led 10 the agitation.
The election of delegates will also take place
for the first time under a system. Lodges
of the even numbers will in the future elect
delegates on the years and lodges OF tho
odd numbers will elect in the odd years, so that
delegates will be elected for two years. whereas
in the past they have been elected each year.
Another matter that will he brought up for
discussion is that relating to the negro EIks
The F,Iks object TO the negro organizations styl-
ing themselves "Elks.' and will take steps to
protect the name I'm court If necessary.
Under the new constitution the Elks will have
a court before which they can settle their diff
culties. Should there be hitch. five justices
will be elected to the court. which will be known
as the Grand Forum.