Arizona republican., 1914-02-22

the law of life for all who love the good, the beautiful, the true.
 Some Points in Pythian History. The first lodge of the order was called Washington lodge No. l. It was instituted at Washington, b. C., February 19, 1864. This lodge soon went out of existence and the sec ond lodge of the order was Franklin lodge No of Washington, D. c. It is the oldest existing lodge in this order. The first grand lodge, known
 as the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia,'' was organized April 8, 1864. The Supreme Lodge of Pyth- Washington, D. C., August II. 1S6S The Supreme Lodge Knights Of ] Pythias" is the title of our highest | legislative body-it is the source of
 all authority in the order.
 The Grand Lodge Knights of Pyth- 1 ias of Arizona was instituted March
 27, 1884.
 | At the birth of the order in 1864 there were twelve members. There D. i 263 members in 1880; and 464,539
 members in 1895. On December 31 l 1910, there were 711,3S1 members, | and 1875 subordinate lodges. It is , the hope of our supreme officers, as 1 well as of every knight. that our
 membership shall have reached the | one million mark on this, our Golden Irbilee'
 The membership of the Knights of
 Pythias lodge of the grs nd domain
 of Arizona to December 31, 1912, was
 2.067, scattered among twentyfive
 active lodges. The Grand Lodge of Arizona was instituted March 27. 1884, and was composed of Phoenix lodge No. ?, Tucson No. 3, Benson No. 9, Arizona lodge No. 1. Charles ton lodge No. 6. B. A. Fickas of
 Phoenix lodge No. ? was the first grand chancellor.
 The order universal is spending, for the relief of its members and their dependents. between one and two millions of dollars annually. in addition to the disbursements of the
 insurance department. The subord- mate lodges have disbursed in fu- neral and sick benefits alone over S25,O00, 900 and their present cash as- sets are over s1S,00O.000
 The present charter of the order was granted by an act of congress, approved by Grover Cleveland, as president. on June 29. 1894. An amendment of the charter was granted by congress by an act ap- proved by the great Pythian, William Mckinley. as president on June ',
 1900. This is the only fraternal so- ciety chartered by the congress of the United States.
 Pythianism in Arizona.
 The first official notice of the in u troduction of the order into the state of Arizona was the institution of Prescott lodge No. in Prescott, Ariz.. by Past Chancellor A. w. Sef- ton on April 26, 1877, with twenty five members.
 Pythisnism in Salt River Valley.
 Shortly after the institution Of Prescott lodge, Bro. Buck visited
 Phoenix. at that time town of labout 1900 people. The trip was made by stage 125 miles. Here he found but one Pythian. who intro duced him to a merchant, one George F. Coates, and through him he brought about a meeting that. even ing, at the Masonic hall, of some
 twenty-five of the business residents
 of Phoenix. and the next day he | succeeded in the collection of the | entire amount of fees of s20 each, and sent for the paraphernalia and | dispensation, and on September 25, | 1880, Phoenix lodge No. was or | ganized by Bro Buck, with the fol-
 lowing first officers: E. B. Kirk
 land, past chancellor; J. T. Alsap,
 chancellor commander; S. E. Patton vice chancellor; Joseph H. Lively
 prelate; George F. Coates, master of
 exchequer; w. A. Hancock master
 of finance; P. w. White. keeper of
 records and seal.
 Today we have but two surviving
 members who signed the charter at l the institution of Phoenix lodge No