Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-10
WINS SECOND HONORS
Success of Columbia Command
ery's Drill Team.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CONTEST
St. Bernard of Chicago Finishes In
First Place.
PARADE OF UNIFORMED MEN
Next Triennial May Be Held in This
City-Applause for Mascot
PARADE OF UNIFORMED MEN


|
| SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. July 10
| The great drill contest of the knights
Templar is over and the team Of Columbia
Commandery. No 2. of Washington d. c..
| after a spirited and splendid contest car
| ried off second honors.
| The drill was witnessed by thousands
| who cheered Justify for the District sir
| knights they went through the various
| evolutions with machine-like regularity
| and the swing Of trained regular troops.
The first place was won by st. Bernard
| Commandery of Chicago. with Columbia a
| hot second. 1t is said there was only few
| slight differences between the two leading
| teams. and the judges decided in favor of
| the Chicagoans because they had won by
! but few points.
| From the beginning of the contest it
| said TO be the toss of penny whether the
| decision would go to Chicago or to WASH
| ington, and the men of Columbia Com
| mandery are everywhere the recipients of
praise and congratulations on the excellent
showing they made.
The third prize won by Raper Com
mandery Of Indianapolis. with Englewood
/ Commandery fourth.
From the outset it appeared that the fight
! Tor the drill hOnorS would lie between St.
/ Bernard. Columbia and Raper. and while
/ the Washinstonians are somewhat disap-
| pointed because they did not win first place.
| yet Capt Frank F.. Gibson and his men are
| as happy as clans at high tide over the
| honors and prize they will take back home
| with them. They realize that the teams
| they competed with had been drill ng hard
| and persistently and had almost reached
the paragon point of perfection, and there
| lore to take second place in such a contest
| was sufficient honor.
Big Parade Yesterday.
The day of the big Knights Templar pa
rade was yesterday. and all Saratoga was
! hled with expectations. The strain of mar
t1al music was heard in every direction as
| the sir knights of the various communicates
| marched to the places assigned them for
formation Onward. Christian Soldiers"
was heard from nearly every band.
Columbia Commandery Monday evening
kept open house and although no invitations
were issued the crowd was immense The
commandery did itself proud. and souvenirs
ana hospitality We're handed out All the
constituent commentaries OF the District
called and pledged their loyalty in wishing
| the host success in the prize drill. Among
the communicates which paid their re-
spects in body were Engewood. No. So
Chicago: Hanselmann, Cincinnati, Ohio and
| Damascus, No. IS. Chicago. 1t was past
midnight before the headquarters closed
| The sir knights of the District have made
| their presence felt. and no one would be
surprised to see the next triennial in Wash
ington. D. c. Atlantic City and Chicago
are in heated fight for the plum and the
Capital city is figuring as d compromise
city.
One of the contenders for the prize drill
Raper of Indianapolis endeavored to steal a
march on Columbia and get on the race track
first yesterday morning. The Indiana men
were due there at $50 o'clock am but
CAPT. Gibson had Columbia's team UP at 4
o'clock. and although the sir knights had
been In bed only few hours. they respond
ed to the call like true soldiers. Hot coffee
was served at 30 O'clock. and the surprise
of Rarer members was great when they
allshted from their automobiles at $50
o'clock and found the District boys in pos
session Of the track. The final drill before
the contest was the best yet and Columbia
stock went up in the betting. st Bernard"
of Chicago the favorite.
The teams drilled in the following order.
Raper, Columbia. st. Bernard, EngIewood
and 1vanhoe of milwaukee,
The great parade is thing of the past
The District had the honor of heading
the tenth division preceding the New
York state sir knights. The District sir
knights were headed by the Grand Com
Eminent Sir Thomas p. Morgan, followed |
by Washington Commandery. No l. and
band, under command Of Eminent Sir John
S. Beach: Columbia No. 2, with Baumlen's
Albany Band Of sixty pieces led by the |
crack drum major Of the United States |
Johnny" Whallen.
Others in Line
No 2. under command of Eminent Sir !
Chas. E. Baldwin. followed by Orient, |
No. 5, with the 1st Regiment Drum Corps |
under command of Eminent Sir Tompkins,
followed by De Molay Mounted Com |
mandery. No. L. under command Of Emf
nent Sir James L. Marshall. There were |
about 200 swords in line from the District, |
and the Washington contingent was one Of |
the features of the parade. Columbia Com |
manderys goat. with its blanket covered |
with medals, horns vanished in gold, with |
black and white ribbon tied to horns made |
hit and was the only mascot in line. |
When the Columbia Commandery drill |
team, Capt. Gibson commanding marched |
in commandery front down Broadway the |
spectators applauded.
The alignment was perfect and stretched !
from curb to curb Only one other organi- |
zation in line maintained the commandery |
front formation in parade, it being Louis |
Vile, No. l, Louisville. Ky. which won !
first prize at San Francisco three years
ago. Sir knight Charles S. Domer, a mem |
Der of Columbia drill team. and formerly |
captain of the National Fencibles, greatly |
aided Capt. Gibson in perfecting this most |
difficult movement.
The Baumlen Band gave concert at
Columbias reception yesterday afternoon |
The drill team members however. retired |
at $50 o'clock, to secure much-needed rest
and be in pink OF condition for drill today |
The march and movements executed in line |
of march yesterday gave them confidence |
which was badly needed.
ic tod hat I'll