The Washington herald., 1907-08-27


that capitals are always hot-beds OF Sc
dition. Il Is frequently said that Wash
Ington citizens are more ready to crlti-
else the rational administration than are
the people OF any other American city
in view Of this it might be considered
singular that the only fraternal order
whose constitution demands OF its mem
bers loyalty TO the existing government
was born in the National Capital. Yet
when the date OF the first meeting OF the
kpishts Of Pythias is considered, the ap-
parent anomaly Is explained It was In
1854, when the nation was torn with in
ternal strife. that Justus H. Rathbone
and few Of his friends. founded the
Pythian order. choosing for its basic
principle brotherly love. between members
After the civil war was over, and the fra
tefnity began 10 reach out for men,
Ders IN those States where sectional feel
ING had run high. it proved a potent fac
tor in bringing about cordial and intimate
relations between men Of different polit-
zeal Affiliations.
NO secret order has a higher ideal than
that which the knights Of Pythians ex-
poets each member to realize It is that
OF love for ones fellow-man so great that
It will transcend all lesser things. and
leave seif-love forgotten. The sentiment
Is a very old and very sweet one. II
goes back into the fourth century be-
fore Christ. and touches the lives of two
students who were followers OF Pythag-
oras, and who were members Of a Sc
cret society that believed in and taught
his doctrines Damon and Pythias were
their names. and IN the stress Of polit-
ical strife that swung about Syracuse.
their home city, they found need of a
close friendship. They were men OF high
ideals and unblemished honor, and the
corrupt political atmosphere incident 10
the rule Of DiOnysius was not pleasing
TO them Pythias publicly denounced tho
tyrant and was imprisoned for his Je-
merity. and condemned 20 death. He
asked permission 20 go home and arrange
his private affairs and knowing the love
OF Damon TO be strong, offered him as
hostage against his return. Damon viii
hngly came and stayed In prison, and
when Pythias. after overcoming many
difficulties that beset his return journey.
arrived at Syracuse just in the nick Of
time to save Damon from execution,
D.onysius was so touched by such de-
Votion that he pardoned the offender.
He even asked to be admitted as a third
into so loyal and devoted a brotherhood
but the friends refused him
The longest search in history or my
thology would not have revealed a story
so we'll suited as this to the purposes OF
Rathbone when he was seeking a name
and an ideal for the order be proposed
10 establish. The order was TO be a
secret one and the members were to be
government clerks only 50 the idea Of
brotherhood was strong. Mr. Rathbone
wished 70 use the word knight" in the
name OF the organization. knowing 1t
would be ever an inspiration TO the men
10 live up to ali that is implied in either
Its medieval OF modern significance The
rest OF the name came as he was reading
Banin's play, Damon and Pythias," and
the beauty Of the idea came to him. Tc
a fellow-cierk he said: I shall call this
the Knights Of Pythias." and so a beau
utul ideal was crystallized.
On February Is. 1854 was held the first
meeting OF the Knights Of Pythias. at
which the ritual was read. and from this
TACT Robert A. Champion room at 269
r street, Washington, has become a
milestone in Pythian history. The men
in attendance that evening were D. L.
Burnett, E. S Kimball, ". II. Burnett,
Charles Il Roberts. and a Mr.. Driver.
or these D. L Burnett alone survives.
ana he Is stiU a worker in the govern
ment service. All these organizers save
champion were members Of a society
known as the Arion Glee Club. and q hall
Tor their joint use was taken and soon
began the struggle for existence which
hampered the first years Of the orders
life While teaching school in the Lake
superior country some years before. Mr..
Rathbone had, - his leisure hours. writ
ten ritual for a secret society. and this
was accepted By the new order All the
early members were sworn not 20 reveal
the secrets Of the embryonic order, and
each became an eager and enthusiastic
committee or one 10 enlist new members
from among government clerks.
50 It began The early years were
pretty rough travelling, and the fight for
existence pretty hard. but the men back
Of 1t had courage, and their faith in the
good OF the order was so strong that one
fancies they must have been gifted with
foresight sufficient TO make them look
down the years ahead and see the
Knights Of Pythias, over 100000 strong.
taking their place among the leading fra
lernal organizations Of the world.
Washington Lodge, No. !, was the first
ri
the order had degrees" and its officers
were Venerable Patriarch. .syVort11,,
Chancellor" Vice Chancellor" Scribe :,
Banker Guide" and Inner" and
outer Steward" Subsequent legislation
changed the degrees TO ranks" and the
titles OF officers were made more chfvalric
as wei as more distinctive. The Grand
Lodge OF the District OF Columbia was
formed in April. 1864, and J. K. T. Plant
was made Grand Chancellor. The Grand
Lodge was necessary as a body In which
TO vest authority and propagate the
order, but there were few members when
II was established. Franklin Lodge. No.
?. which afterward proved the savior OF
ehe fraternity, was chartered in April
1864, and located at the navy yard II
began with thirteen members. and in its
success efectually disproved any and all
theories in regard to the lack of luck
where that nun er is concerned.
In a little while several other lodges.
including one at Alexandria, Va. were
established. This, with two others. soon
died Rathbone resigned from his lodge
and from the order he had founded, and
in the summer Of 1865 Franklin Lodge.
+ No ,, having absorbed Washington, No.
+ ]. was the sole survivor of the Pythian
movement 1t struggled braYely along.
de- r,,.,,sf,nrc oaanrffnor xssfsl.