Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-09

time in several years there are no suits
pending against the Grand Lodge as the
result of its efforts to stamp out clan
destine Masonry. He urged that Masons
discourage the custom of presenting gifts
to district deputy grand masters upon the
occasion of their official visits to lodges.
I'VE will tolerate among us none who
accepts bribes." said Mr.. Scudder land
we sternly refuse to admit q, our ranks
those whose standard is so low and whose
views are so sordid as to lead them to be-
lieve that fraternity Is to be bought and
sold like merchandise in the market.
There must be no graft"
The Grand Lodge elected S. Nelson
Sawyer as grand master: Robert Judson.
deputy grand master: Charles Smith. Sc
Nor grand warden; William HI. Miller.
grand treasurer, and Edward NJ. j. En-
lers. grand secretary.
a Masonic temple to cost $500 1000. ex-
elusive of the investment in the site. is
discussed by the fraternities I'm Atlantic
City. which are affiliated with Masonry.
The Masons have been gaining in strength
as the city has expanded. and their funds
have been increasing rapidly.
The Masons talk of drill hall. ban
quet room and apartments for the use OF
the lodge and the associated orga MIA
tons. There are two local lodges. Trinity
and Belcher. in addition to the COM
mandery. Knights TempIar and the Tall
Cedars of Lebanon.
The Baltimore knights Templar will
hold their annual services at Old ST
Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church.
Charles and Saratoga streets. the evening
of Ascension day. May %. 1t is expected
there will be about 200 members of the
order present at the services, and in adj
dition TO these there will be a number OF
their friends. Rev. DIR. Arthur B. Kin
solving. rector of the church. has been re-
quested TO deliver the sermon.
1t is announced that Mr. r. L. Holland
of Colorado Springs. Col. is candidate
for grand exalted ruler of the Elks a. the
election to be held in Dallas Tex next
July. He is said to De the only candidate
thus far presented for the position.
Twenty candidates. the limit set for any
ton Lodge of Elks in their new building
on H street Wednesday night. This still
leaves a large waiting list. and Exalted
Ruler Ernest W. Emery has decided that
hereafter initiatOry ceremonies shall take
place every two weeks in order that can
didates may not be kept on the waiting
list too long.
Almost every one of the nearly $40
members of the lodge has been named
for assignment 10 one or the other of the
various committees which will manage the
rural jubilee and barn dance at Benning
in June. and little else is being talked of
at the meetings.
A promising start has beeen made to-
ward the establishment of a library for
the nav home. MeSsrs. Sol Abbot Sam
Richards and Frank b. German, commit
tee in charge. declare that when their la
bors have been completed Washington
Lodge will have one OF the finest private
collections of books in the city.
The latest news from Boston. where
the supreme convention of the knights
of Pythias is TO be held iE me early
part of August. is to the effect that an
arrangement has been entered into with
the Musicians Union of that city whereby
bands other than union bands will be
allowed in the parade
The committee of publicity of the
Grand Lodge. Knights of Pythias of this
domain. publish the following brief
sketch of the progress of the order. for
the information of the public and its
membership:
The knights of Pythias. organized i'm
Washington during the heat of the civil
strife. February -. 1884. labored for a
few years under great disadvantages
The impressive lesson OF friendship which
tradition has handed down as existing be-
tween Damon and Pythias was the basis
for the principles and ritual of the order
organized at an exciting period of the
nations history. the membership has
seen the order. after many trials and
struggles in the early years of its exist
ence become one OF the leading fraterial
organizations in America. Its members
believe that the order did a great deal, in
me early sixties. to restore the friend
nip and good feeling between the men
II the north and the south. This was
he first work of a national character in
which the influence of the order was felt
Following the foundation of the order
the evening of February 80. 1864. In this
city. by the organization of Washington
Lodge. No. l.. came the institution of
Franklin Lodge. No. =. April L. 1864
Columbia Lodge. No. g. May 10. 1864. and
Potomac Lodge, No. 4. June =. 1854. of the
older lodges.
Carrying out the mission of cementing
the friendship between the north and
the SOUTH Alexandria Lodge. No. I. was
organized at Alexandria. Va. February
]. 1865. The work of promoting secret
crder> was found tn he difficult task at
that time by the pioneers i'm the knights
of Pythias. and all of the lodges. except
Franklin. No. >. passed ont of existence
after a few months struggle. Franklin
Lodge, No. =. has continued to live. and
Is consequently the oldest Pythian lodge
in the world.
From this one lodge the order was