The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-02
ORDER Of ELkS PAYS TRIBUTE
TO THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED
Annual Service in Commemoration of the Departed Ones
Took Place sunday-Attor ney F. B. Feetham Deals
With Great Mystery of Life in His Address.

MARKED by solcmnity always idcnti.
fed with it's memorial services, the
Grand Forks lodge Of the Benevolent
n Protective Order of Elks yestcr-
day convened in its annual lodge OF
sorrow, Attorney i. b. Eeetham be
Ing the speaker OF the day.
Throughout the world of Elkdom
these services are held annually OF
the irst sunday of Decembe:.
Musical numbers yesterday we've by
a quartet consisting of Mrs. Paul l3
Griffith, Miss Barbara ,enry, Paul u
Griffith and Harold l.. Winslow. and
BY Mrs. Homer M. C,os nd N. b
Elack who sang a due. Louis w
RcNland pi esided ut tho piano.
The ritualistic service of the order
was carried out, and as the roll of the
departed members was called, and the
little Pickering lights we're, one by
one, extinguished, the full import OF
the memorial could not but be i'm.
pressed on those attending.
The great mystery Of life was deal,
with by the speaker, Attorney Feet.
nam, speaking in part as follows:
The life that is with us is an un.
solved mystery which will continue al
long as time shall endure. 1t is be.
yond the power of the intellect of hu.
manity, be it ever SO highly trained
n educated. to for a single momen,
lay physical hands upon and analyze
mat evanescent spark which we cal
life. 1t is something aside from the
material. and the laboratory Of the
chemist and all the implements of re.
search In the hands of our men OF
science, have absolutely failed to ir
any way make any impression upon
explain, or ccoun for the existence
Of life.
In considering this great mystery
We are as much at fault as the most
ignorant savage in the wilds of Africa
Our boosted civilization and learning
nave not placed us one jot nearer the
truth than We're u forefathers thou.
n of a ago, when the world
was young and when it's physical mys.
teries We're an unknown and unex.
plored wilderness.
Many Try to Explain.
1T is r that we have many and
divers systems of religion which at
tempt or .purport to explain this great
mystery. but upon the ultimate analy-
Sis of every such system we find that
1t is invariably based upon the con-
illusions drawn from a faith or a be-
lief In some divine revelation. or su-
p%ernatural demonstration or COM
munication which, while perhaps sat
iS.oSloAS w lHc IiIIuS OI mdny OF us
who can accept such teaching upon
faith alone without the accompani-
ment of any exact %scientifis demon
stration or explanation. is by many
others found to De unsatisfactory and
difficult of acceptance. and we are
again forced to go back to first prin-
ciples in an endeavor to solve. each for
himself. the mystery of our being. The
longer and more deeply we ponder
upon these questions the more firm
~ are we convinced that humanity is
after all an unfinished product, and
that our boasted intellectually falls
far short Of an ability to in any man.
ner comprehend the mysteries of
creation.
Who is there among the sons of
men who can understand and COM
prehend an eternity. a condition, a
universe, or a personality that always
has been and eve shall be? We are
accustomed to work from cause to ef-
rect; to demonstrate III problems out
from first principles: to commence at
h beginning. at the bottom Of things,
and deduce our theories and explana-
lions therefrom. So what shall we say
OF and how shall We comprehend a
condition where there are no first
principles. no beginning, and no end
ing?
Must Recognize Supreme Power.
These considerations and conditions,
and this inability to comprehend,
have led many of us to say that man
Ia but, dust: that this world and this
life is all that we know: that all sys-
TENS of religion are based upon false
theories: that there is in fact no Coo
and no life after death. These