Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-15
'ELKS' ANNUAL REUNION
Thousands of Delegates in
Philadelphia Today.
BEAUTIFUL DECORATIONS
Convention of Grand Lodge to Be
Opened Tonight.
SESSION IN GRAND OPERA HOUSE
The Candidates for Of1ce-Many At
tend Clam Bake-Tener Leads
for Exalted Ruler.
BEAUTIFUL DECORATIONS
SESSION IN GRAND OPERA HOUSE

| PHILADELPHIA, July 15.-Opening day
| of the Elks' convention week was greeted
| with clear. warm weather not too warm,
| however, to make the day unpleasant for
| sightseeing. While thousands of Elks ar
| rived Saturday and Sunday the real in
flow OF members of the order did not be-
| gin until today. From 4:15 am. when the
| first delegation came in from Mobile. Ala.
! big herds of Elks came every hour and will
| still be coming when the II o'clock toast
Is sung tonight on City Hall plaza. Grand
Lodge members predict the largest attend
ance ever at an Elk convention.
Grand Secretary Frederick c. Robinson
of Dubuque, Iowa, said today that the
registration Of delegates to the Grand
Lodge meeting is the largest in the history
| of the orde-. Philadelphia expected a great
| army Of visitors and is fully prepared to
entertain them. The city Is decorated
as it never has been before and every day
until Saturday will practically be holiday
The streets in the central part of the city
are TANNED with enthusiastic crowds and
the familiar Hello Bill is heard every
where.
The convention of the Grand Lodge will
be formally opened at the Grand Opera
House tonight with prayer. songs and
speeches. The principal address of well
come on behalf of the local lodge will be
made by Representative Moore of this city.
Mayor Reyburn and Gov. Stuart are also
expected to extend the hand of welcome.
The response will be made by Grand EXalt-
ed Ruler Henry A. Melvin of California.
Judge Melvin may speak only a few min
| utes as he has a cold. which, however, is
rapidly yielding to treatment.
First Official Entertainment.
The first official entertainment of the
members of the Grand Lodge took place at
noon at park on the New Jersey side of
| the Delaware river. The members and
their ladies were conveyed there in specially
chartered steamers. which. before landing
made tour of the river. passing the
League Island navy yard and the big ship
| building plants. The festivities at the park
began with a clam bake and food din
ner.
The headquarters Of the Grand lodge Of
hcers at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel were
| damned with new arrivals all anxious to
register and get into merrymaking and
| sightseeing. which made up the greater part
OF the days program. Those who did not
go to the clam bake spent the day in greet
ing new arrivals or in visiting the many
historic places in Philadelphia and vicinity.
Independence Hall. in which the old Liberty
Bell hangs. was the favorite place for most
of the visitors.
Political Sidelights.
The political side of the convention is
looming up strong today. Every candidate
| for Grand Lodge honors is either here or
| is represented by energetic agents, who but
tonhole every delegate that presents him
self for registration. John K. Tener of
Chareroix. Pa the grand treasurer a cam
didate for grand exalter ruler. seems to
lead for that high honor, and his election Is
freely predicted. Dallas, Tex, appears to
nave the held to itself at present as the
place for the next convention
The Cincinnati lodge of Elks which ar
rived here today, stopped off at Harrisburg
and placed a large wreath of roses on the
monument in park there to the memory
or late Grand Exalted Ruler Detweler.
Yesterdays Arrivals.
Yesterday was day of arrivals The
Louisiana delegation came in on the South
ern railway special, accompanied by bands
of Elks from Texas, ssssippi and Ten
nessee. They were heartily cheered as. with
bands playing. they marched down Broad
street to their hotel. There are already
1000 visiting Elks here.
from the west special trains arrived al
most hourly, bringing lodges from Ind ana,
illinois and the great northwest They
fairly swarmed over the city, at the same
time announcing that they were only a few
of the host who would come later.
Last nights electrical display was a beau
uful sight. The vast number of lights
blazed out on every conce -vable design, the
symbols of the order being most numerous
! The illumination of the Broad street court
or honor and the city hall was a gem of
art in a tai frame, a blaze of electricity
and white, with skyscrapers as an Overflow
ping border. By day Philadelphia's usually
somDer streets are mass of waving color
by night the city's heart is a triumnh of
light, an EdiSonian fairyland
The convention will formally omen to-
night, when the visitors will be welcomed
by Mayor Reyburn on behalf of the CITY
and by representatives of the Philadelnhia
he fret
business session will open on Tuesday at II
o'clock. Other sessions will be held Thurs
day and Friday.
On Wednesday morning there will he
parade of massed bands, and the parade of
lodges will take place on Thursday. at
, which time it is officially estimated tina.
nearly $1,000 Elks will be in the procession
The new constitution of the organization
adopted at the last annual session of the
Grand Lodge. will go into effect on Tues
day, and under it some important matters
| will be brought up for consideration at the
present session.
Discard!ng OF the elk's tooth as an en-
| blem Of the order. though 1t has never been
an official emblem, is one of the important
| matters that will be taken up. The de-
structon Of the elks to secure the teeth and
| the fostering of cheap imitation elks teeth
| upon members of the fraternity at excess
| i've prices are among the causes that led
| to the agitation.
Election of delegates will also take placa
| for the first time under new system
Lodges of the even numbers will in tha
| future elect delegates on the even years
| and lodges of the odd plumbers 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 be brought I'M
! for discussion is that relating to the negro
Elks The Elks object to the negro organi-
| cations styling themselves 'E,lks" and will
| take steps to protect the name in court IL
! necessary.
| Under the new constitution the Elks will
| have a court before which they can settle
| their difficulties. Should there be no hitch
| five justices will be elected to the court
| which will be known as the grand forum
| During the entire week of the convention
| there will be special entertainments, ex-
! cursions given for the visitors In this and
| surrounding places. All of these will he
free to the members of the fraternity.
| Buoy Highly Valued.
Several months ago the lighthouse au
| thorities, as an experiment. placed a com.
| bination light and bell buoy Off the Vir-
l