Putnam patriot., 1908-08-14

special cars. Our headquarters were at the New st. Charles Hotel.
 Friday, ten of us went to one of the famous French restaurants fur dinner, and had the honor of being introduced to Governor Sanders, and having him sit at the head ot our table, He Is a Brother Elk. of New Orleans Lodge.
 We left at 3 P. m., in special train ef i've parlor cars. for Galveston, Tex as. Our first stop next morning was at Beaumont. Texas, where the local Elks met us at the train with a tiue band, and escorted us to the Crosby House, where We dad breakfast, the band playing all the while. AS We left the hotel each one WAS presented with Souvenir book of the city, The band then escorted Us back te cur train and We were eff for Galveston, arriving al about 5 P. m. We were met by the Elks' reception committee with autos and taken to our hotel, and later around the city. the great sea wall and on the long beach, which was greatly enjoyed. At the Elk Club they kept .open house. while we remained there.
 Galveston has done wonderfully well since 1t suffered from the great flood In laoe The city has not only been re- built, bat great sea wall has been con siructed at q cost of millions of dollars, and the city raised if feet The city has now fine wide streets, pretty resi- dences, up to-date stores and excellent public buildings.
 sunday our special left et 9;so n. m. i for Houston, Texas, and another round of pleasure awaited us there. on our arrival at Il aa n reception commit lee from Houston Lodge, Nc. lal, met us with thirty.ilse autos, and took lis 10 the Bristol Hotel, where n splendid dinner was prepared for us. After din- l ner, we went to the Elks' Club, and each visitor was presented with an
 Eik's oxydiked Fob, with purple rib. 1 bon: Welcoming speeches were made by the Brothers from Texas, and after
 refreshments were sersed, Brother A.. ]. Casey, District Deputy for Massa- ehusetts, replied for the Eastern Dele. galion. Al ip. III. all again entered the autos for Il tour Of the city. Honss ton k pretty huslling city, and there k great fivalfy between Il and Calves. ton=-hoth claiming the hoaof ot being
 the most progressive.
 Me left about Il Ii. ni. en route iof i Dallas, the Convention city, where We
 arrived safeiy tine neNt morning at <
 a. III. Here the party separated, each going to hts assigned quarters, to meet
 again at p. m, for the opening eNef-
 eises at the Auditorium al the State
 Fair Park, about a,00o being present, The delegates were welcomed 10 Dallas
 by Judge Atwell, chairman ot the Re 1 Union tominitiee-the Governor, Nsys
 or, etc. Music and singing by large
 chorus, was also feature Of the pro.
 gram. Grand Exalted Ruler, John K Tener, responded for the Grand Lodge. Tuesday, al 10 a. m., the Convention l proper opened, aud continued to hold
 sessions daily for three days-a great
 amount of business, oi interest To mem. l bers, being transacted. On one day three sessions were held.
 l The Benevolent and Protective Order
 of EIks K now composed of i2o Lod- ges, with a membership Of 2s5 ,;2l~~the
 gain last year being 2e,7sa members. 2s,o00 lIlks were registered in Dallas | Convention, and Il was estimated that
 there were 5,bn present not registered 1 No money was spared to entertain Inc
 visitors, and each day had is special
 ttractions-ssoulhern dinner, biggest
 Barbecue ever given in the worid, open
 air Dances, big Parade, etc.
 Los Angeles was selected for holding 1 the next Convention.
 Our special train left at 2 r. I'll. on the Katy Llne, passing through the
 rich farming country of Oklahoma
 and Kansas. Next morning we stop 1 ped al Parsons for breakfast. then on again through Missouri To St. Louis. 1 From there we were of through Indi. ana, Ohio,ito BufiaIo-reaching there Saturday al i0sD. Fifty-ilve of the
 party Of lls ieft the train at this point for different directions. We stayed in Buffalo over night, and the next day ! we spent al Niagara, visiting the won derfu Fails from both the American and Canadian sides, and going under the Horse Shoe Falls.
 From Niagara Falls we took the all- water route to Quebec, to attend the 1 Ter-t entenary celebeation, stopping at Toronto for a few hours. touching at Kingston and various other places, and then sailed all day through the beau tifnI Thousand Islands. Al :Prestan we changed to a smaller steamer to shoot the rapids of tine st. Lawrence few miles above Montreal. II gave strange sensation going through them for the ilrst tune.
 Arriving at Montreal At P. ns., We again changed sleaners-~this lime 10 the magnificent new Quebec, for Que bee and Il was crowded with people going to the tug celebration. Al 1s. 1T. next morning we reached slaebee, pnss- ing the hig sTsaei bridge Ihat was fe- gently wrecked, and went to our hotel.
 Me arrived just in lime for the twc big days. Me tool. trip to the world