Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-24
PATRIOTIC SONS HOLD
SPECTACULAR PARADE;
VIEWED BY THOUSANDS
Members Pass Down Broad
Street in Glittering Array;
Pennsylvania Reserves
Make Hit
REVIEWED BY THE MAYOR

More than 20, 900 officials and members of
the Patriotic order Sons of America
furnished dazzling spectacle this after
noon when they appeared III parade which
proved to be the gala event of the golden
jubilee convention of the state camp of
that order. held in Philadelphia through
out the entire week
Tho long line, composed of more than $50
camps. 25 uniformed c9mmanderies, the
First Pennsylvania Reserves and several
hundred floats, was reviewed by Mayor
Smith, Judge John NJ Patterson, many dig
ntarics Of the order and their wives from
a grandstand erected in front Of the Amer
ican Academy of Music, Broad and Locust
streets. Delegations from Illinois, Ohio.
Connecticut, Tennessee New York, New
Jersey. Maryland Delaware and other
States assisted in the festivities of today.
COME ON SPECIAL TRAINS.
Last night and early today special trains
arrived at various terminals in Philadel-
phia filled with members OF camps repre-
senting every important point or section in
PENNSYLVANIA. They were greeted by
brother members of the local encampments.
Shortly before noon they were conducted
to Broad and Diamond streets, the starting
point of the huge pageant.
Hundreds of bands, features and novelties
were introduced by the visiting bodies to
entertain the spectators who formed COM
pact mass on both sides of Broad street
from the starting scene south to Dickinson
street where the parade was dismissed.
Nearly 5000 members of the Philadelphia
branch of the order were represented in
the event.
COMPETE FOR PRIZES.
Competition for the many cash prizes,
amounting to a total of nearly one thou
sand dollars, increased the enthusiasm in
this afternoons proceedings Forgetting
the factional differences and criticisms that
arose in the early part of the week the
members of the State order "sicked' up
for the occasion. assembled their fife and
drum corps, string band or novelty, and
planned and prepared to meet the gaze of
the three military officers chosen to act as
judges. The identity of these men, who
are said to be attached to the National
| Guard, and the location from which they
reviewed the parade had been kept secret
| by the members of the committee in charge
| of the pageant.
The line was set in motion by Marshal
| Stees shortly after . o'clock this afternoon.
| The general committee of the convention
numbering 500, arrayed in Palm Beach suits
was the first body to sollow the platoon
of mounted policemen that made clear the
way. They we're followed by the COM
mandery general division, which includes all
the uniformed camps of Pennsylvania, in
charge of Colonel Horace " McFadden.
Colonel William w Shank who has d.
rected the efforts of the First Pennsylvania
Reserves. the official military body of the
order who have created considerable inter-
est at their encampment in Munyon's
Grove, Fifty-fourth and jefferson streets
for nearly a week, headed his command,
nearly 1000 strong, in the wake of the COM
manderies,
Five divisions of State camps and for
eign delegations, under an appointed mar
shall formed the nucleus of the long body
which followed to the strains from forty or
more bands.
The sixth and last division of the parade
was composed entirely OF floats repre-
senting camps, communicates and indus
trial institutions
In order to get an early start for the
parade the delegates gathered in the
Academy of Music at 1880 this morning
and began to close up the business OF the
convention. The ritual ceremonies and plea
of allegiance to the newly elected presi-
dent, Ernest Z. Clark. and other State Of
ficers were conducted by the national
president of the Patriotic Order Sons OF
America, J. Calvin Strayer OF York, Pa
The delegates adjourned for the day fol-
lowing the rites of installation of the new
State officers.
The heaviest and tallest man I'm the
parade was John S. Porter a delegate from
Dauphin County. Although only "a years
old he weighs 371h pounds and is feet
4 inches tall
The parade was preceded by tour of
the city in which the delegates inspected
Independence Hall and the Betsy Ross
House. A visit to the Curtis Publishing
Company by personal invitation of Cyrus
III. X. Curtis was part of the days en-
tertalnment-
Patriotic services will be held tonight
in front OF the Betsy Ross House Among
the speakers win be President Clark, Judge
Charles n. Brumm. of Pottsville; Gabriel
Meyer. Charles Fl. Weisgerber and Abe
Goldbacher.