Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-07
KNIGHTS ARE
BOOSTING CITY
Coming Of State K. 7. Conelave Next
Week is Big Advertisement
for Rock Island.
ATTRACTIONS ARE LAUDED
Members Everywhere Are Delighted
With Preparations Made for
Entertainment Here.

Rock Island is getting big lot of
valuable advertising these days The
exposition and the political days which
were features of the week helped, and
in Illinois even more important adver-
Using of the city is resulting from the
fact that the Illinois knights Templar
meet here next week for the annual
conclave. AS this is but the second
|conclave ever held outside of Chicago
in the 81 years of the history of the
grand commandery, more than ordin-
airy interest attaches to the meeting.
The grand commandery conclave is SO
big a gathering that there are proba-
bly, no other cities outside of Peoria
and Chicago that can entertain it. Of
course there are a few other cities
alone has, but Rock Islands facilities
are not confined to Rock Island, but
include the facilities of Davenport and
Moline. Knights Templar in all parts
of the state know of Rock Islands
reputation as convention city, and
they are delighted that they are to
hold the annual meeting here-for even
Chicago grows tiresome. And that the
members of Rock Island commandery,
No. IS, which is entertaining the meet
ing, are delighted, is putting is mildly.
The local commandery has been busy
making preparations for the event for
nearly a year. and no detail has been
neglected in the preparations.
Good Words for City.
And because of this fact, Rock Is
lands good name is being spread ev-
cry day throughout the state An in
stance of the manner in which the
! meeting is advertising the city is seen
in Joliet, where last week, in an at
tractive special supplement, the Joliet
Republican devotes three entire pages
TO the approaching conclave, and much
space to the attractions of Rock Is
land, The Republican says: Rock
Island has wide reputation in the
F, state and nation as a convention city.
! having entertained at one time or an
other almost every state organization
I of Importance, and having been the
scene of several national gatherings -
And in speaking of Rock Island Com
mandery No. IS, the Joliet newspaper
says: Rock Island Commandery No 1S
knights Templar, is one of the strong
est in the state, having a membership
in round numbers of 800. In no city
in the state outside of Chicago has
the Masonic fraternity in general a
better equipped temple, and nowhere
is there a higher personnel in the
membership" Photographs of many
prominent Knights Templar of the
state. are published, and several OF
leading Joliet Knights. Among the
photographs is one of H. H. Cleave
land of this city, grand captain general
of the grand commandery.
| Big Delegations Coming.
Every commandery in Illinois is plan
ming to send big representation to
Rock Island next week Hundreds are
coming from Chicago, and delegations
numbering from 25 to 200 are coming
from the other large Communicates oil
the state. The local committee already
has assurances that the attendance
here will be fully 1900 knights and
nearly 500 ladies.
The convention is to be one of the
most important of the year in Rock
Island.
Streets Decorated.
Today the work of putting up the
general decorations in honor of the
knights was begun. American flag:
are being hung over the streets and
in addition there are being suspended
arches with the commandery colors
black and white, and from the wirea
suspending the street car trolley wires
are hung long streamers and banners
bearing the different commandery EN-
blems. Everywhere the red cross
with the Latin motto, I'm hoe signo
vinces' is in evidence. The worl
when completed will give very
|pretty appearance to the main bust
ness streets. The Illuminated decora
lions of the different business block:
for the Rock Island exposition is te
remain Up until after the command
lery session.