The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-21
Montgomery Club Initi- ates Banner Class. TWENTY-FIVE N0vITIATES TAKE LONG WEARY JOURNEY Parade, Ceremonial and Banquet Fill Day and Members.
 ----s-- Local A.neH of zanera Temple Holds Most Successful Convention Re- s> corded in History of shrin- CTS In AIabams--rhe
 Newly Cenverted.
 

Yesterday was shriners' Day in Montgomery The Montgomery club had things in hand and from the lime that the Birmingham delegation pa radedi from the union passenger station until the last toast was drunk at the New Exchange Hotel last night, the town besonged to the members of the Mystic order.
 There were three great events: the parade in the afternoon, the cermon- iai in the early hours of the night and the banquet in the hours that fol- lowed. In every part of the day the spirit of the Shriners dominated and charmed.
 The public thought, of course. that the parade was the thing. Thousands saw It's antiquities, and as the many novel ideas. expressed ingeniousiy in material form. passed kaleidoscopic- ally along the way. the thousands cleered.
 The initiation may only be talked about. The banquet is something that the members will tell If they feel iike 1t.
 It may easily be said that the be- ginning of the day for the Shriners was made when the large delegation from Birmingham reached thescity car ly yesterday morning. There were nAftEt train at tho union passenger station they formed in line. two and two. and marched up town. All the way they sang songs about how dry it was in Birmingham and how wct they hoped it. would be in Montgomery.
 s.I am so dry. I am so dryi You need not ask the reason whyi
 Through the desert hot
 We weary trot,
 Oh, list to the wand'rer's cry."
 From that time on people of Mont gomeFw knew 1t was Shriners' day. They couldn't get the idea away even if they wanted to. Not fez had bean shown, not a sheiIx was seen but the Birmingham bunch showed that there was Shriner to dominate the occasion of- the rising of yesterdays sun
 Many ,Btrmingham shriners.
 The Birmingham crowd represented the Magic City's part of Zamora Tenn pie. It comprised some of the most prominent men of that city. Chief among them, naturally, was w. c. Scott. who is the IIlustrious Potentate of Zamora Temple. With him were near a hundred Mobiles. all well known in Alabama. and with so many friends in Montgomery that they had no time to talk with everybody that had the glad hand waiting for them. They just said ''ETelio!@ and paused where it was possible.
 About the same time arrived many others. Nobles from Mobile, from Sal- ma; nobles from Dothan and Anda1u- sia and OpeIika and from a score of other cities in Alabama. reached town upon various trains. In little while the red badges of the Shrine were fiecking the sombre black of everyday costume in such way that Shriners seemed more plentiful than ordinary prominent ycitizeus.
 The exact number of Shriners in the city yesterday will never be known. The best calculation made was that all of the two hundred badges prepared for the members of the order were used and many more were needed. This was made by D. W. Crosland, Secre- tary of the Montgomery Shriners' Club. who estimated that there were about three hundred present.
 The parade was the great feature of the day from spectacular point of view. Novel features had been pre- pared and their showing was done ip most artistic manner. From circus company wintering in Vandiver Park were drawn elephants and cages for animala- Even Monty. who made The Advertiser famous some months ago was there and he drew such weight of Shriners as to arouse the pity In the hearts of the on-Iookers.
 The parade was led, of course, by the Police Chief w. H. Taylor, who drove in
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