The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-04-03

Il
friendly greetings of .'Hello Bill" wer
pleasant recollections to him. Nh
Guttersen is n pleasing speaker, an,
his remarks were very interesting.
a. G. Weaver entertained the mem
bers with three songs, playing hi
own accompaniment on the guitar, Fl,
can whistle as well as sing. "II'
Done Me Wrong" was the title of hi
first selection He responded t.
F, three encores. Mr.. Weaver is an ex
cellent entertainer.
Fred c. Robinson, grand secretary
of the Elks lodge of Dubuque, Iowa
was present and gave an address OF
I"Om Guests" Mr.. Robinson is {
handsome gentleman, an entertaining
speaker, and although not much larger
than Tom Thumb, has powerful
voice and an excellent delivery. Wher
speaking he stands on chair which
elevates him only to the height of the
ordinary person. In humorous vein
he referred to his size, saying that
1.-THE grand exalted ruler was six feet
four inches high, and that he was but
IA sample of the grand officers.
Our Wives and Sweethearts.
State Treasurer c. G.. Dinehart
came down from st. Paul to attend
the banquet and gave an excellent
talk on "Our Wives and Sweethearts.'
Mr.. Dinehart was assigned the sub
iect for the reason that he is a
bachelor, and last evening the toast
master in humorous way referred to
him as the one single man from the
marble capitol. Mr.. Dinehart is a
great favOrite in Mankato and south
en Minnesota and was one of the
hOnored guests at the banquet. He has
Il sweet musical voice and is mem
Der of the state republican quartet.
His remarks follow:
Mr.. Toastmaster and Brothers: Le-
vinski, whose nationality it is un-
necessary to explain, feeling indisposed
went to Il doctors office. There he
found the waiting room filled with
people. He spoke to the man next
to him and said, "This doctor must be
a pretty good one?" EYES," was the
reply, 'He is the best specialist in
the city" "Vell, he must charge pref
ty good prices?" "Yes, he charges
$50 for the first visit and $25 for the
second visit and any subsequent ones. .
Levinski repeated over to himself, $50
for the first visit and $25 for each
visit after; $50 for the first visit and
$25 for the second" When the room
had been cleared of patients and Le-
vinski was left alone the doctor OPEN
ed the door and invited him to enter
his consultation room. Levinski jump.
ed up and rushed to the doctor with
open arms and exclaimed, "Here I am
again doctor" So 1 find myself in a
similar position. Here l am again.
You see me here in a dual capacity.
Our exalted ruler has asked me to
speak and to sing. In times gone
by and now l have been and am called
a politician. That is bad enough but
to be called singing politician is
to my mind the most disagreeable and
of appellations. But be-
cause of my brotherly love and friend
ship I am going to swallow hard and
try to forget and do both.
The fact that / am to sing sug-
gests harmony. Not because there will
be any harmonious renditions, but be-
cause song in itself suggests har-
mony and there is world of meaning
in that word. Harmony of music, har-
mony of color, harmony of design, har-
mony of endeavor. Harmony of en-
deavor or effort is, 1 believe, what
Elks should strive for; what they
should emulate and practice. Ours is
a benevolent organization. Charity is
a prime object; one of the cardinal
principles. But we cannot accomplish
much if we are divided, if we have
differences or disagreements. They will
come but let them be as minor chords
in the great harmonious symphony OF
good deeds and not as Earring dis
cordant notes. Elks charities must
not lie dormant. They must not be
like the grains of seed in an Egyptian
mummy case where no helpful moisture
can reach them. The rose of Jericho
found on the Desert of Arabia after
it blooms folds itself into u small
dry ball and a favorable wind blowing
it is waited to the sea where moisture
is absorbed and i'm due time it is re-
turned to the land where it germi-
mates, takes root and blossoms. Let
us with the breath of our voices
raised in righteous helpfulness blow
this seed of benevolent and protective
charity into the sea of harmony of en-
deavor and there will be returned to
us the beautiful fragrant, gorgeous
flower of accomplishment.
In this connection we call again for
harmony and L am constrained to
suggest that we let public opinion
be the great organ in which is played
the grand overture of charity. Let
harmony of endeavor be the master
oroanist and when he touches the keys
on the key board of Benevolent and
Protective Elkdom and presses the
foot peddles of ardent devotion to this
or:,o;nlo fharo will swell forth the