Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-07
DEPARTED ELkS HON0RED
Omaha Lodge Takes Sad Note Of
Brothers Absent.
BOYD rs FILLED TO CAPACITY
John A.. Rine and Arthur wakeley
Pay Tribute to m Members OF
order Gone Ahead and Tell
of Lessons OF Life.
BOYD IS FILLED TO CAPACITY

Nineteen members OF the Omaha lodge,
Benevolent and Protective Order Of E-ks,
have answered the death call OF the
Grand Exalted Ruler during the fiscal
year. To commemorate the virtues OF the
absent brothers"-for Elks write the faults
OF men upon the sands that are soon
washed away-members OF the local lodge
and the relatives and friends Of the dead
gathered at the Boyd theater Sunday morn
ing for the yearly memorial services.
When the hour OF Il was sounded the
playhouse was filed to It's capacity with
the sorrowing friends OF the men who have
laid aside the antlers. Beautiful and inn
pressivs were the services. as conducted
according to the ritual Of the order. At
the same hour-for Il o'clock to the Elks
calls TO memory the absent ones-every
lodge in the United States held similar
memorials.
The Boyd stage was fittingly arranged
for the ceremony. Forming a somber
background was a massive frame Of black,
surrounding the names OF the men who
have been called by death in previous
years. These names were seventy-three in
number. dating from the establishment of
the local lodge in 1886 until December, last
year. They were inscribed in white upon
black glass and the big picture was IL
Illuminated by electricity. Above the frame
was the well known clock Of the order
and the words. "Our Absent Brothers
Flowers were banked profuse.y about the
frame and the pulpit.
When Secretary I. w. Miner called the
death roll for the last year nineteen names
were added to the list in view Of the
audience. As each name was enunciated
the inscription was lighted in the frame
and on a white drop curtain lantern slide
uknenesses Of the brothers we're shown.
This vas particularly touching,
Musical numbers we're given by the
E-ks' lodge quartet, consisting Of J. R.
Gerke. w. s. Rigdon. c. P. Lewis and
c. 5. Haverstock. the Chambers musical
trio. composed Of Henry Cox, Paul Tuneys
and Miss Ethel Brown; Miss Hazel Love
land. soprano; Mrs. A. 1. Root, contralto
and the full vested choir Of sixty voices
from Trinity cathedral. under the direc.
ton of Ben Stanley.
EuIOgy by John A. Rine.
There we're two addresses. John A Rinc
delivered the eulogy which was a fitting
tribute to the memories Of the dead. Mr.
Rine's words touched upon that which Ia
good in men. He emphasized saliently tn;
motto Of the order that The Faults d
Our Brothers We Write Upon the Sands
Their Virtues Upon the Tablets of Low,
and Memory
Mr.. Rine's eulogy was, in part, as fol
lows:
"Once each year we cease our labor il
our various walks Of life and pause be
fore the altar Of remembrance to drop
tear in memory OF the dead.
o those we mourn today many wer,
with us at our memorial services one yea
ago. Before another year rolls round, VIII,
knows but what there are those Of u
here who will be called to the grand lodg,
above.
"The portals Of the Elks' lodge ar.
closed to no one because Of his religion
belief. Within the sacred precincts o
that lodge sit men Of all denomination
ana Of all ereeds who believe in tn
fatherhood Of God and the brotherhood o
men. Our order is unfettered from doub
on the one hand or dogmatism on tn,
other.
while no creed marks the road we shall
tread in life. the principles of our orde
stand as landmarks in this world OF stl
and error, pointing to all the way to
higher, nobler and purer life. Our institu
ton is erected on four great principles
Charity, Justice, Brotherly love and Fl
deity, and there are none more safe
surer or more enduring.
Those whom we mourn today have lai
their burdens down; they are beyond tn
reach Of blessings or Of blame; their spirt
await US in the white hush o
/ eternity and we now leave them to God
/ watchful care. expressing the hope that
! In Charity and Justice,
With Fidelity and Love,
We may meet our absent brothers
In the realms OF Joy above.
1 Arthur WakeIey's Tribute.
Arthur c. Wakeley delivered the address
4 He mentioned the fact that in the princips
1 cities OF the country similar services wer
1 being conducted before the S0O,OO0 member
Of the Elks' order. He referred to the ali
sent ones as having preceded the living o
life's journey and leaving good deeds be
+ mind them. His address follows in part.
This voice Of memory speaks to US &c
z day in tender accents. 1t lifts its wanC
and inspired by eulogy. by music and b
song, We summon into the happy sunligI
of the present the faces OF those whom "
meet no more in their accustomed place.
We recall their good deeds; We emphasis
their virtues, their little, nameless, VI
. remembered acts Of indness ana of low
and doing this We ourselves gain inspire
ton.
. In his poem Of LalIa Rookh,' the DO,
Moore relates how a young Hindoo gi
upon the bank Of a stream had lighted
n sE all lamp, and placing it in an earthe
; vessel, which she mad adorned with
o wreath Of lowers, she committed it. wit
trembling hands, to the stream. and Wa
anxiously watching its progress. 1t wa
g explained 70 LaIla Rookh and her con
pani0ns that this was the way in whiC
friends offered up their vows for the sal
return OF all who had gone on some DANCE
: Gus voyage. II the lamp sank immediatel
the omen was disastrous, but il it wei
shining down the stream and continued
burn until entirely lost from view, IN,
the return of the loved one was consider,
certain.
Even so, my brothers, il has seemed
me, hat We too. members Of a rraIerni
distinctly American, a fraternity which h
attracted TO its membership so much
the nOblest and the best OF American eli
zenship. that we. too; have been commltti
to the stream OF Time our various lang
There is the lamp OF Justice, by whose co
. slant flame We see revealed the equity
the Exalted Ruler OF US all; the lamp
Brotherly Love, by whose clear radIan
we are able to look into each others fac
ana see that We are indeed brothers.; q
lamp Of Fidelity, an uneFring guide to o
f,orsrana in the darkest vfcissirudas OF III