Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-31
HEADQUARTERS
OF BEN HuR WILL
NOT Be REMOVED
Or. Gerard, Grand Chief of
Order, Denies Rumors That
Main Offices Will
Be Here.


Ben Hur is going to remain in Craw.
louisville, Ind. This statement wa.
made last night by DR.. R. H. Ger.
rard, grand chief of the order, at a
banquet rendered him by the mem.
bers of Fontenelle court.
Nearly 200 members of Fontenelle
and other courts of the city, to.
gether with a number of prominen
citizens, greeted DR.. Gerard and
loudly applauded him as he arose to
speak. The doctor spoke of the
strides that the Tribe of Ben Hur
has been making in the middle west
during the last few years, expressing
the opinion that this is the territory
from which the fraternal organize
tons gather the bulk of their mem
bership, and then got down to the
meat of his speech by saying that
when he arrived in Omaha yesterday
afternoon there was thrust into his
hands newspaper clippings and an
architects sketch. This sketch, he
said, purported to be that of build
ing that the Tribe of Ben Hur pro-
posed to erect here as a western
headquarters. Said the grand chief:
No Idea of Moving.
1--WE have no idea of moving our
headquarters to Omaha, or else
where. The order was founded in
Charlottesville and there it will re-
main. l don't know what local
members may do in the matter OF
erecting home for the use of the
local tribes. Whatever they may do,
we will help them all we can. 1t is
up to them and the people of Omaha
to build, regardless of whether the
building costs $4,000, or $S00,000."
DR.. Gerard asserted that there
are four cities that he enjoys visit
ing. One is Omaha and the others
are St. Louis, Philadelphia and Ia
coma. He referred to Omaha as
one of the best cities in the country
"a city of splendid homes and a
live and active commercial organiza-
ton, all backed up by a rich and
prosperous agricultural section.
To the members of the Ben Hur
tribes he expressed the hope that
they would get together and erect a
fraternal building, adding, That is
possible, but whether or not it is
probable is a matter that is up to
you"
Mayor Smith Speaker.
L. c. Nelson presided as toast
master and introduced Mayor Smith
as the first speaker of the evening.
The mayor detailed the growth Of
Omaha and in welcoming DR.. Ger
rard referred to the Tribe of Ben
Hur as one of the pioneer fraternal
orders to locate in the city, giving
the assurance that in the event it
should be decided to locate the head
quarters here, the citizens would be
found ready to aid in every way pos
ssible in keeping the interests of the
organization at the front.
Speaking in behalf of the business
men of Omaha, Charles E. Black
expressed the opinion that Omaha
is about the easiest place in the
world in which to borrow money.
He invited DR.. Gerard to remain
here, look over the town and then
we believe that you will decide to
make it your future home and the
home of your fraternal order"
John L. Kennedy, who apparently
was under the impression that the
Tribe of Ben Hur contemplated
moving its headquarters, said,
"Come here and we will breed into
your institution this Omaha spirit
We want you to look over the city
and secure tho site for your build
ing"
Others on Program.
Other speeches were made by
James H. Walker, Lincoln, past
grand chief, who asserted that Lin
coin would work hand in hand with
Omaha in whatever might be
required to obtain the headquarters;
w. M. Robertson, district deputy;
Mrs. c. S. Bryan, George Lee, w.
Dale Clark, Mrs. Vera Lee, Omaha;
and J. J. Cassiday, Lincoln, state
manager.
Doctor Gerard was the last
speaker on the list. 1t was appar-
ent that prior to the time when he
addressed the gathering all of the
speakers were of the opinion that the
tribe was seeking a change of loca-
ton for its headquarters, for they
all boosted for Omaha and detailed
the benefits that would accrue to the
order by locating here.