Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-12-31
ELKS HOME
OPENED TO
THE PUBLIC
Many Friends Visit ST.
Johnsbury's Latest
Lodge Room

The spacious and slightly mansion
at 80 Railroad street long known as
the Underwood house and purchased
the past year by the St. Johnsbuly
Elks for an Elks Home was thrown
open to the public Tuesday afternoon
and evening and many hudreds Of
towspeople availed themselves of
the opportunity to inspect the prop
erty. Members of the order served
as a general reception committee anu
the visitors We're shown all over the
building. The rooms were decorated
with cut flowers and potted plants
and a big American flag floated to the
breeze over the main entrance.
In the main dining room fruit
punch was served by Miss Rhea c.
ellison and Miss Mary Rathbun.
Throughout the evening music was
furnished by Sargent's orchestra
with Alphonse E. Drouin at the pi-
ano. Vocal selections were rendered
by Mrs. Hazel E. Levasseur, Mrs.
Collins A. Brodien and Paul Farm
ham, while Paul Sargent gave violin
solos.
During the afternoon nearly 400
ladies visited the building and
throughout the evening several hun
dred more availed themselves of the
hospitality of the lodge.
The Elks Home is one Of the
most substantial of the St. Johnsbury
mansions and in rcnovating the build
ing only ono of the partitions has
been removed and some of the fine
carpets and attractive wall paper has
been preserved. Entering the nai.
one finds the same paper that covers
the walls of the Longfellow home in
Portland. Here, too, is an 11-prong-
ed pair of elk horns, the gift of Dr.
Aldrich of Jefferson, N. H.
At the left are the large double
parlors with the piano at one end and
grafanola at the other. The walls
have attractive pictures and the
funiture harmonizcs splendidly with
! the furnishings of the room. From
the hall one passes to the main DIM
ing room, where an old fashioned
clock, about 200 years old, : at once
attracts attention. This is the gift
to the Homo Of Walter L. Painle'
and William II. Trainor Beyond the
main dining room are two smaller
dining rooms and the kitchen where
a range is installed Of the very --latest
model.
A large part Of the basement Ii
finished off for a room for buffe
lunches.
Following the winding stairway
from the first floor to the second foo
one comes 4 the upper hall where
fine caribou head is seen, the gift o
DR.. J. M. Allen. Over the parlors il
the large billiard room with two tab
les for both billiards and pool. Op
positc this room is the reading room
with magazines on the table and few
books on the shelves. The card hoon
is also on this floor and one or tw'
other rooms that can be used for con
ferences. The carekeeper OF tn
Home will have a room on this fiool
The large attic is not finished off bu
IS one of the, future plans of tn
lodge to utilize this for lodging
rooms for members.
There are few houses in 81
Johnsbury that could be SO easily an
comfortably transformed into fra
ternity house and one of the grea
charms of the place is that IN renov
ating the building none Of the rlchl
grained woodwork was destroyed an
all the "comfy' surroundings of tn
house have been preserved.
The lodge is to be congratulate
upon its great achievements of tn
, past few months in securing an
furnishing SO beautiful and comfort
able a headquarters for its members