Gilpin observer., 1910-12-08
E[KS LODGE
OF SORROW
GRAFTON DELIVERED BY THOMAS
M. HUNTER, OF DENVER, PRINT
ED IN FULL-A MASTERPIECE
OF ELoQUENcE.


were present at the opera house, when
Central City lodge, No. 557, B. P. o..
Elks, held their annual memorial SER
vices. Thomas NJ. Hunter. the we'll
known journalist of Denver, delivered
the principal address. His oraticn was
one Of the grandest ever delivered on
an occasion of this kind in Central.
Mr.. Hunter spoke in part as follows:
"It is an inspiring and consolins
reflection that on this day, in every
lodge of Elks, in the United States,
in snow-bcund Alaska, in the dreamy
Hawaiian Islands, in the far away
Philippines and in the heart Of the
Antilles, wherever the American flag
floats,-our dead are remembered.
"a great branch OF the church mil
liant teaches that We should not
eulogize the dead; that personal trib-
ute to the endearing traits of char
acter Of those who have passed
beyond our view is only species Of
vanity There is a great deal Of truth
in that thought. The eu,ogist some
times desires to call attention to him
self fully as much as to honor the
dead. His wellrounded sentence, his
fulsome praise are perhaps as pleas
ing to him as any impression he
could possibly convey Of the lauiab' e
life Of the departed friend. 1t Is not
my purpose tonight to eulogize the
brothers who have gone over to the
great majority.
Il come to speak Of Life, and not of
Death. Death Is not an accident; 1t
is a necessity. Being a necessity. 1t
cannot be an evil. II all who have
come into the world and passed away
had remained, there would be no
FAINT to set foot.
"Since the flight of years began,
countless millicrs have lain down in
their last sleep. Yet history, sacred
returned from the tomb. and the lips
OF Lazarus were sealed. He spoke no
word. Where vert thou, brother,
those four days?' besought the an
xious Mary. There lives 70 record of
reply.
Faith and nature point to immor-
tality and every man hores for an
other and better life, but We know
no mere of the future than did our
ancestors who dwelt in caves. All
We know is, that at the last,
"Sceptre and crown must tumble
down
And in the cold ground be equal
laid
With the poor crooked shovel and
spade"
"The unfathcmed mystery Of the
ages Is the Hereafter-the problem
ever present is Lie. We cannot 1--we
in the future, nor can we dwell in the
past. Is 1t not then idle. even In this
golden hour of recollection. to spec.
ulate concerning the great mystery
when the battle OF life is on and the
field is covered with the wounded
the troubled, the hopeless ard these
who need our help?
Three hundred years ago the
greatest literary genius Of our world
wrote the doctrine OF a prior time
in these words, Mems evil manners
live In brass; their virtues we write
in water
Man was grop.ng toward the light
but the march was long and weary
and the highways ran with the blood
OF the weaker.
1.-The brotherhood Of man was a
dream. It was the survival not of the
fitteet in character, but OF the strong
est in physique.
Forty years ago the dream became
a reality in practice, and there came
into the world the realization CT an
old thought. One imbued with the
Elks' spirit. declared: He who stoops
above fallen brother, sands erect.
'Tn the practice Of that thought
the gospel Of brotherly love triumph.
ed. Henceforth the spirit Of the gen.
tie Nazarene was to animate and rule
a powerful fraternity OF men.
mo more could, 1t be said truthful.
1y that Mems evil manners live in
brass and that their virtues are
written in water Instead. the Bene.
VIOLENT and Protective Order Of Elks
gave the world this brighter and mob.
Ter motto: The faults Of our broth
ers we write on the sand; their vir-
tues upon the tablets of love and
memory