Americus times-recorder., 1920-01-19
SHRINERS HAVE
GREAT DAY OF
FUN And FROLIC
Americus Turned Over
To Visitors From
Early Morning

They came, they saw, they con-
quered. The fezzed hosts of South
Georgia Shrinedom, 1900 in num-
ber, in vaded Americas before dawn
today, and will not retreat until it is
all over at l o'clock Tuesday morn
ing. The capitulation of the city was
complete, and not the slightest resis-
tance was offered
Greeted by a thick fog that threat
ened the festivities early but in the
mid-afternoon turned into a Deauti-
full, balmy, breezy day, the special
shine train from Savannah, bearing
the officials of Alec temple, Alec
band and patrol, and numerous
mobiles gathered up along the way,
rolled in at the Seaboard station at
about am. Those who could
sleep through it all remain in their
berths until decent hour for rising;
others hoped out fright now and
started things
Local Committee on Hand.
The official welcome did not start
until Z o'clock. At that hour the
/ local committee, with 25 autos bear
ing big welcome signs, were waiting
at the Seaboard station while the Wis
iting Shriners who had not already
gone uptown, piled out. But most
of the visitors preferred to walk, so,
the band and patrol leading the pro-
cession, they marched to the Wind
sor Hotel, official headquarters for
the occasion, to lively music.
At the hotel registration took place
and Mayor Sheppard extended hear.
ty welcome in behalf of the city.
Early inquiries by local Shriners
elicitated the information that Po-
tentate Freeman Davis, of Savannah,
had been taken i'll and was unable at
the last minute to make the trip. But
his place was to be ably filled, the
Savannah bunch reported, by Noble
Ernest A. Cults, native of Ameri-
Gus, who is the next highest officer
in the Shrine in America.
Fun On Lamar Street
The Alec orchestra played in the
rotunda of the Windsor while hands
were being shaken and registration
completed. After these preliminaries
the band took it's place in seats pro-
vlded in the center of Lamar street,
on the pavement and the fun began.
Lamar street had been roped off from
Lee to jackson street, and the pave
ment cleanly swept, until it resembl-
ed ballroom floor. Here the wear
ers of the fez frolicked to their hearts
delight To the jazz tunes PLAYED
by the band they and their ladies
danced on the pavement for a time.
On either side of the streets the stunts
committee was busy making the candi-
dates realize what it means to be-
come Shriner. And smiles and well
comes and handshaking was every
where.
A tent erected on the pavement in
front of the Allison Furniture store
by the Order of the Eastern Star, and
presided over by Noble Frank +.
Payne, proved popular place Here
sandwiches, hot coffee and cold bot
tied drinks were served free to all
Shriners.
Out To The Cue
The fun and frolic continued un-
interrupted all morning until 1890
when word came from the Barbecue
club grounds from Noble L. A. Nor
gan, chairman of the cue commit
tee, that everything was in readiness
there for the big feed, and cars
were hurriedly loaded and the invad-
ing hosts raided the commissary of
Noble Morgan. From the barbecue
, the Shriners returned to the city to
prepare for the big parade which
started at o'clock from the court
house, the last event on the pt6gram
before the secret ceremonial 1T the
court house in which the 100 candi
dates were to be put through stunts
of initiation of which they had never
dreamed, and which they will remem.
ber for the remainder of their lives.