The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-19
mand for the same, thus materially
curtailing the rayages OF the disease.
The Pythians' Golden Jubilee.

The Pythians Golden Jubilee.
| Marshalitown Times Republican:
The knights Of Pythias are celebrat-
| ing the golden jubilee" of the order
this week commemorating its organ
ization fifty years ago February -,
as lodge OF thirteen government
clerks In Washington. Now the order
has nearly 5000 lodges with mem
bership of nearly 100000. The officers
of the order estimate that 100000
persons will take part in the jubilee
exercises.
| In its inception the order was In
tended to be confined to government
clerks. The ritual was written by
Jutis Henry Rathbone, an ex-school
master who had secured government
Iclerkship. The civil war was in pro-
gress and there seemed to him need
OF patriotic fellowship among those
who served the nation clerically. So
the first lodge was instituted with its
membership OF thirteen OF whom two
are still living. The merit of the
order forced 1t farther afield until its
membership approximates million,
Its assets are more than $4,000, 900.
its expenditure during the fifty years
of its existence has exceeded $40,-
100000 'for the elevation. the better
ment and the happiness of mankind.
fest when in the outbreak Of the
Spanish war the uniform rank Of the
order rendered its entire membership
to President Mckinley, himself
member of the order.
Its auxiliary order the Pythian Sis
tiers is most effectively useful in
very quiet and unassuming fashion,
not only among the membership of
the Pythians but in a general way.
Altogether the golden jubilee of the
K. Of p. is one to be noted and as
sisted generally.
1t would be extremely hard to make
a reasonably accurate estimate of the
wide helpfulness and ready assist
ance given by fraternal orders in the
United States. We are nation Of
"joiners." Somehow we Americans
like the dramatism Of the lodge and
the rftualistic work, the nodding
plumes and the glitter OF peaceful
swords. But beneath all the gorgeous
apparel, under the sheen of imitation
armor, below the chapeaux and beyond
the pomp and circumstance OF parade
lies the moving impulse strong in
brotherhood and the sincere desire
and purpose to guide, guard and pro-.
tect fraternally each other, to afford
shelter to the dependent, TO dry the
tears on the faces of widows and
orphans, and relieve suffering and
want. The spirit of the Samaritan is
the spirit of the fraternities. The
secrecy with which they surround
themselves would, II broken and en-
tirely revealed, uncover little. For
the purposes which are written into
i the rituals take open form in action
The lodge is merely mutual brother
hood pledged to fraternity and under
solemn obligation to It's own, an
obligation which does not prevent
any of the standard organizations
from extending its helpfulness far be-
yond the limits Of the obligation and
of its own membership.
Some day, we may hopefully believe,
human brotherhood will cover the
earth and bind all men together in
a common bond under common
obligation. Perhaps the fraternities
are the nucleus Of the coming uni
versal brotherhood. At any rate an
order that appeals to a million, that
seeks to protect and uphold in man
hood and righteous living is mighty
force for good and an impulse toward
the supreme obligation that Christ
put forth in the golden rule.