The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-22
ADDRESS BY c. 0. DALEY
Also John E. Regain and n. c,
Hotaling Spoke; 0rpheus Club
Sang Selections
,m Fridays Daily.

ID around the club house at Second
fnd Hickory streets. Each of them
ore little silk flag, pinned to the
foat lapel. In front of the building
spEn Hickory street was the Sandon
and, arrayed in red capes and red
laps, and playing appropriate airs
rom time to time, as the people as
sembled
After a time the band took the form
of ring and played the Star
Spangled Banner" while the ceremony
of the lowering of the flag took place.
The men removed their hats, while
the national emblem was drawn down
from the flag staff at the top of the
club house, and was detached and
made ready to be carried horizontally
in the parade. Those chosen to march
with this flag were F. NJ. Currier, F.
j. Packard, NJ. Frank McLaurin, E. A.
Bode, F. e. Crandall and J. R. Snow.
Then the parade formed. This was
headed by . E. Browder, trustee of the
Elks, earring large flag on the staff,
and accompanied by four past exalted
rulers, n. p. Paulson, Charles Taylor,
Charles P. Butler and Peter NJ Fergu-
son.
Back of these marched the Sandon
md of twenty four pieces in column
tours. Then marched the marshalS
the day, Esquire F. ]. Thompson
I'd Colonel c. E. Johnson. These
ire followed by officers of the local
tdge: Exalted ruler, l. N. Tompkins;
steemed leading knight, Roy H. AL
Fsor, esteemed loyal knight, Ivan
Bowen; esteemed lecturing knight,
/ DR.. B. H. McCleery; treasurer, c. l..
Oleson; secretary, F. w. Force; tiler,
o. j. Lundberg, and chaplain, F. w.
Bates. After these came the main body
| of the Elks, all in column of tours and
in the middle of this division was
carried the large flag, which had been
lowered from the top of the club
house.
The procession moved from Hickory
street up Second to Cherry, and
thence by way of Cherry, Front, Main
and Second streets to the Mankato
theatre. The paraders marched in and
took their seats, followed by a con-
siderable audience of others.
Was Beautifully Decorated.
The interior of the theatre had been
prepared for the occasion with great
care and was tastefu1ly decorated
Flags were on all sides in profusion. At
the back Of the stage, over the stage,
draped from the boxes and the bal
comics, and in other places, the stars
and stripes were to be seen, in what
ever direction one might chance to
look. ..-- .
On the stage also was a row of the
beautiful weathered oak chairs, that
sad been brought from the club house,
: well as an altar and several pedeS-
Is of the same material. On the ped
stalls were vases of flowers, of the
Tree national colors. There were red
loses to signify courage, loyalty and
devotion; white lilies, denoting char
ty, purity and truth, and blue violets
signifying justice, brotherly love ana
fidelity.
The program at the theatre opened
with popular and appropriate airs,
played by the Elks' orchestra in the
orchestra pit. Columbia, the Gem of
the Ocean," 1.-The Battle Hymn of the
Republic" Marching Through Geor-
gia," Hail, Columbia, Happy Land"
and other patriotic tunes were rem
dered in rapid succession. The or
chestra consisted of DR.. G. N. Weyer
at the piano; E. L. Lamm, violin; A.
ID. Fletcher, cornet, and Dr. G. H.
Nerbovig, clarinet.
Officers of the lodge and speakers
of the day took seats on the stage,
and back of this row was seated the
Orpheus club. Exalted Ruler Tomp-
hi Grct
planning the meaning of the oc-
casion, the honoring of the national
emblem by the Elks, which was a
distinctly American order, with no
counterpart in any other land. The
exalted ruler propounded series of
questions, as prescribed in the ritual
to other officers of the lodge, bring
ing out the four great principles of
the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks, charity, justice, brotherly love
and fidelity.
Chaplain F. W. Bates led the open
ing prayer, asking the divine blessing
on the flag, the nation and the order.
History Of the Flag.
e. H. G. Hotaline recounted the history
OF the flag, which is in part as fol-
lows:
1.-The right of freedom was pro-
claimed by the colonists on July 2,
1776, and two days later, on July 4th,
the Declaration of Independence was
adopted. In response to the demand for
a banner more representative of the
aims and ideas of the new country, on
June 14th, 1777, one hundred and
forty years ago today, congress de-
clAred the national flag to be thirteen
stripes, seven red and six white, with
thirteen stars in circle on blue
field.
According to most authorities the
first flag of this description was made
by Betsy Ross. at her home, No. 239
Arch street, Philadelphia, building
still preserved and pointed out as the
birthplace of the national emblem.
George Washington, acting as COM
mitteeman. submitted the design of the
flag to Betsy Ross, and it was upon
her suggestion that the stars be made
of FIVE points, as in France, instead of
six points as in England. In 1875, aft
ar Vermont and Kentucky had been
admitted to the Union, two stripes and
two stars were added to the flag. The