Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-16
TEN THOUSAND PYTaIAyS
knights from Many States Will At
tend FOrtieth Anniversary.
FOUNDING OF ORDER IN OMAHA
Preparation Are Complete for the
BiG Celebration at the Audi
tortuyn Twenty-Third
OF the Month,

Arrangements are being completed for the
fort,eth anniversary Of the foundation Of
the order Of the knights Of Pyth!as in
Omaha. which is scheduled to take place
November %. the date OF the organization
OF Nebraska a lodge No. l.
This was the first Pythisn lodge organ
lied west of the Allegheny mountains.
The organization of this lodge was mmed-
lately followed by p remarkable growth
OF Pythianism in Iowa and adjacent states.
The celebration will be carried out in CO.
operation with the grand lodges of Iowa,
the Dskotas. Missouri Kansas. Colorado
and Illinois.
On the afternoon of November % a public
ma; Inee will be held IN the Auditorium. In
which the degree OF page and esquire will
be conferred upon n large class under the
form Of the drama OF Damon and Pythias
by the famous lola STATE OF Dayton. Ohio.
IN the evening the staff Will confer the
degree Of knight on a r-ass Of 1000 es-
uuires.
Ten Thousand knights.
II il expected that not less than 10000
knights and candidates viii be present in
Omaha during these impressive ceremonies.
engagements have already been made for
20 per cent OF the seating capacity OF the
Auditorium
The lola teani consists of 1O2 members
including its own band and a corps of
nine electricians. The railroad fare Of the
lola team from Dayton TO Omaha will of
itself amount to $3.50 and the total ex-
penditures OF the Pythisn celebration will
approximate $1,000. which is raised by the
lodges Of The participating states. Nothing
has or will be asked Of Omaha or the state
ne Nahraak lis To hiring this grpat celebration
to Omaha. --, ...
The affair will be presided over by Henry
r. Brown OF Cleburhe, Tex. supreme
chancellor OF the order. assisted by the
grand council officers Of the several
states. a.
Tho result of tire entertainment will be
not CniJ u bring a great crowd Of people
to Omaha. but win he an incentive TO the
revival of Pythanism in the west, where
It has been somewhat on the wane In re.
cent years. THE approaching celebration
has already had the effect Of stimulating
the liveliest Interest In the order and al
Of the local. lodges have been materially
increased I'm their membership. Many Ole
members are renewing their allegiance tC
the urder. including some OF the first CRANE
officers VINO had permitted their member,
slip to lapse duriug the general letharsy
in Pythian affahs.
Committee In Charge.
The NebIsSAa gra1d lodge committee IL
charge OF the celebration includes Crane
Chancellor ICELAND OF Fremont, Grand Pre-
late Chase of North Bend and Grand Vic,
Chancellor w. T. Denny.
The local committee consists of i. T.
French, chairman; c.. L. Barton secre
tary; L. e.. Balcombe of the publicity com
mittce, DIR. L.. a. Merriam and w. A. Eos
ter. Or. Roy A, Dodge has charge OF tn
ticket distribution. to whom all intereste,
should apply,
The work up to date insures the com
pletest success of the affair. not merely Il
Omaha, but elsewhere throughout the state
Hooper will send a class OF thirty-si,
Initiates, Broken Bow a class OF ten, an,
western Iowa has arranged for q numbe
Of large classes, as we'll as a number o
lodges from eastern Nebraska. The cele
bration is being largely advertised through
out the entire participating districts. Til
order has a larse number OF travelling me
Included in its membership and these ar
giving the celebration every publicity.
The afternoon matinee at the Auditorium
will be public and the demonstration prom
Uses to be equal to any dramatic perform
ance ever presented in the big Auditorium
The women,s auxiliary societies. not merel