The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-04-07

/ Paradise Mrs. Mamie SkuSe Ger
ZACH played the Accomplishments to
the musical numbers.
! J. B. Richards, past chancellor
1 commander of the Knights of Pyth-
| las, announced that the governors
private secretary, Mr.. Andrist of st.
Paul, would deliver a short talk, and
| Mr.. Andrist, who had just arrived in
the city. On the evening train, grace
fully acknowledged the Introduction.
World of Disappointment.
Ladies and gentlemen" said Mr..
Andrist, "this is world of dis
! appointments. No man has ever had
/ a greater proof of that than / have
myself. When the governor told me
/ this morning that he could not attend
tonight on account of sore throat
II was much disappointed, as / had
j thought we could come together. 1t
is his hope, however, to be here to-
| morrow. He asked me to express
his regret, as he had been looking
| forward to being present this even
! ing. After / got on the train / said,
| L suppose there is diner on this
/ carp But there wasn't and | was dis
/ watched the fields and meadows and
scenery fly past the car window
consoled myself by the thought of the
excellent dinner which | hoped to en-
4 10y at my brothers house in this
/ city. | was doomed to disappoint-
ment, and SO / have to appear before
you, my friends, without a dinner -
| am delighted to be here, delighted
/ to be in Man1ato. l have brother
] who lately moved here, and as an
1 elder brother / thought it would be
well to come here and see how he is
behaving | also have many friends
4 in the Knights of Pythias. My good
| old friend Fred Wheaton was a mem
Der, and / have been balloted upon
and accepted, and have standing
| invitation to join which / hope to
avail myself of in the future / have
! been in Mankato before. When l met
my friend Hunt tonight he thought
! that this was the first time l had
come to Mankato, but it is not. /
/ went out gumshoeing in days gone
| by, and during my travels came to
| Mankato. / have often thought of
/ what peculiar position / am in now,
"a democratic secretary to a re-
publican governor. Surely politics
make strange bed fellows. Since
holding the office of secretary to the
/ governor / have had a hard road to
travel Governor Hammond was my
/ dear friend, and his death came as a
great shock to me. He was one Of
Gods noblemen. Governor Burn
quist was very kind to me during my
| sorrow, and is a fine gentleman, and
am sure you will think so tomor-
! row when you see him. | am glad
to be here tonight, and / have no po-
litical irons to heat. l am glad to be
here and receive this kind welcome
| at your hands," Enthusiastic ap-
plause greeted Mr.. Andrist at the
! close of his speech, but his humorous
description of his dinnerless state
had appealed to the knights and
Sisters, who regarded him with anx-
,iety and sympathy T4E ~
u Was Given His Dinner
] Chancellor Jones invited him to go
1 to the dining hall and have his din
ner, feEtarki1g Ithatah was sure the
IadieSawere anxious that The have his
dinner as they were all looking his
way Hi 20
"Thanks," said the governors
private secretary, f'and am also
. looking that way and with an
alacrity that brought forth laughing
applause from the assembly Mr..
Andrist went dinnerward.
i After a pleasing vocal solo, and
1 encore number by Sidney Davies,
Judge w L. Comstock, who was to
officiate at the presentation of en-
blem pins, delivered an interesting
address on Pythianism.
Brother knights and friends" said
Mr.. Comstock, 'tit seems almost toe
bad to break in upon this program Of
| artistic culture but there are many
here SO deeply interested in Pythiar
Knighthood that they would not be
satisfied without having some light
thrown upon the subject. Personally
am deeply Interested. The first
time / ever took an oath was in Ole
Castle Hall, when / took the vows Of
Pythianism. l may say that perhaps
feel little as did James Whit
combe Riley when he wrote those
| lines about that old sweetheart oil
mine The secrets of Pythianism are
| so closely interviewer with those
thoughts that the less said perhaps
the better In view of the presence
1 of so many beautiful ladies we car
! say only a part Of what might be
said, or break our vows of secrecy
The knights of Pythias are purely
/ an American order, which knows but
one flag" (Applause) "but the under
| lying principles go back as far as
history is recorded. Back in the days
when knight made right, in those
feudal days the world was becoming
so vile that in the hearts of some Of
the better men arose protective anG
chivalrous thoughts and they tried
to serve the innocent Then came the
days when knighthood was in flower
Men did not serve because they were
bound to, but wherever the knights
went they lent aid to the weak, and
gave protection to defenseless
womankind, who in those days suf-
fered much from the general wicked
ness. When they rode forth in
armour they went forth to serve
4 freely those who required their as
1 siStance and better things dawned in