Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-12-05
THE ELKS ME-
MORTAL Service

An audience filling all the lower
part of the building attended the Elks
memorial service, which was held in
the opera house sunday afternoon.
The audience began to assemble
shortly after 80 o'clock By o clock
the parquette and dress circle were
comfortably filled. At o'clock the
members of the order marched in from
the lodge room and occupied seats that
had been reserved in front of the or
chestra.
! AT this point the curtain arose re-
vealing perfect dreamland of beauty.
The stage decorations probably sur
passed anything ever seen here before
| Flowers and palms were arranged
about the stage, while on each side
were massive columns of evergreen.
while the back ground, of beautiful
scenery, which represented a wood
land. lent itself admirably to the
scheme of decoration. In the center
Of the stage, set in bed of verdure.
was a small fountain. All about the
stage were distributed electric light
bulbs, of red, white, blue and green.
They were set all about the fountain
and the jet of water sparkled in the
vari. colored flame. They peeped out
from among the rich masses of ever
green that thanked the stage on either
side and cleaned like jewels in the
large letters ''B. P. o. E." which on
a back ground of white and framed in
evergreen hung suspended under the
proscenium arch. To the ingenuity
and the accommodating spirit of Geo.
M. West. superintendent of the Stand
ard Electric Light company, is due
credit for the superior effects of cleo
trio light.
! On the stage was a semi-circle of
seats, occupied by the officers of Dan
vile lodge No. 754 B. P. o. E., as
follows Exalted ruler, Paul L. And.
rews; esteemed leading knight, A. @.
Amesbury; esteemed loyal knight.
Charles H Snyder esteemed lecturing
knight, Ralph Kisner; secretary, Ed
ward Purpur; treasurer, W. ]. Rogers;
esquire, William Ellenbogeu chaplain,
K. M. Curry inner guard, George
W. Eggert; tiler, ]. Beaver Gearhart;
trustees. j. f. Tooley, J. W. Robson
and David T. Evans.
Every feature of the program had
something about it to charm and en-
trance the audience. The prelude was
exquisieely rendered and it should be
remarked that throughout the whole
service che orchestra splendily sustain
ed its opening effort.
The members of the lodge who pass-
ed away duting the year were three
in number, Ned 5. Harris, Jahu L.
Evans and Thomas W. Beaver. An
especially impressive part of the SER
vice occurred when the name of each
OF the deceased brothers was called
three times by the secretary. The sill.
enoe which greeted the roll call sym.
bolizlng the deeper sileuce of death.
The memorial address by Hon.
Charles B. Staples appealed to those
present as probably no other words
ever spoken on a similar occasion an
pealed to the heart before. 1t was an
address that breathed in every sentence
the true spirit of humanity. 1t honor.
ed the dead that had passed away and
appealed for benevolence and protec
tion for the living.
Judge Staples has way of putting
things that goes straight to the heart,
In his address yesterday lie uttered
words that will never be forgotten bv
those who heard them.
They will help many a man to rise
after he has fallen and will inspire
charity in human hearts, enabling
them to look with compassion on those
who may fall and err. In every sent
ence were reflected the mans broad
sympathis, his sense Of fair play and
justice and above all his high concep-
tion OF Christian duty. 1t was such an
address as was truly calculated to
make the members of the order better
Elks and which gave every one who
heard it a high conception, not only
OF the order, but also of his own mis-
sion in life and the duty that he owes
to his fellow beings.
The music throughout was a feat
ure' The singing of Mrs. Divel, of
W. r. Miller and of the Orpheus Glee
club each was much enjoyed by the
audience and helped to make the oc-
casion grand success.