Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-02-24
LOVING TRIBUTES.
PAID TO WATTLtS
FOR LON SERVICE
Brilliant Banquet at the
Woman's Club by St.
Johns Lodge
IS GIVEN LOVING cur
Visitor Says Was Greatest
y Event He Has Ever
Seen in Pythianism

Nearly 200 Pythian gathered
around the banquet board at the Wo-
mans Club last night to pay tribute
to Frank Wattles, retiring keeper Of
records and seals of st. Johns Lodge
after serving for nineteen years
There were many touching moments
during the evening and seldom has a
community sent so many of it's repre-.
sentative men to a gathering to lay
roses at the feet of tbs living or a
sprig of lilac upon the bier CT the
dead
The banquet hall was beautifully
decorated in the colors Of the l'dge
and at the end, golden letters, sus-
pended just above the heads of the
diners, spelled the name "Wattles.'
Just back of this, on the stage, the
Putnam orchestra crowded every va.
cant moment with harmony and at
times relieved tense feeling with lit
tie jazz.
The menu, prepared in the inimita-
Bile style for which Mrs. J. E. John
son is noted, was in keeping with the
brilliant occasion, beginning with a
fruit cocktail, and followed by lettuce
and tomato salad, roast turkey, petit
pois in tirnbales, oyster dressing,
mashed potatoes, current jelly, mince
pie, coffee and cigars.
Col. Hilburn Officiated.
AS master of ceremonies Col. S. ].
Hilbun announced the purpose of the
gathering and paid a high tribute TO
Mr.. Wattles as a friend, an official
of the lodge and citizen of the COM
munity. He said it was particular
fitting that Mr.. Wattles' predeces.
sor in office, J. B. Donally, now a
resident of West Palm Beach, had
made the long trip to Palatka to at
tend this occasion, and Mr.. Donnelly
replied in few timely remarks.
Judge E. q. Haskell told of his early
association with Mr.. Wattles, how he
numbered him among the classes at a
small Sunday school he established
here thirty years ago, and how he
had watched Mr.. Wattles grow into
manhood and into the substantial cit
izen that he now is. He spoke of Mr..
Wattles' father and many other inter-
esting incidents that are now history.
Harry Cooper, also a boyhood
friend and associate spoke feelingly
and regretted that he was not prepar-
ed to say all that was in his heart to
say.
I. H. Milham, past supreme rep
resentative of the Minnesota domain
of Pythians spoke Interestingly of the
thirty-five years that he. had served
as Pythian, many years being in
China where he organized three lodg-
es. He said, in conclusion, that the
he was witnessing was
the most remarkable he had ever seen
and that he firmly believes that St.
Johns lodge is the greatest in the en-
tire domain, all things considered, and
that there must be a reason, which
he inferred to be the untiring work
of the retiring keeper Of records and
seals.
J. D. Morey, of Springfield, O., also
spoke briefly of his appreciation of
the occasion and j. C. Durrance, grand
prelate of the Florida domain was
eulogistic in his refer
ences to Mr.. Wattles.
Robert Ransom, Of Mizpah lodge, St.
spoke of the high regard
in which st. Johns lodge is held, and
of the man he believes largely re-
sponsbile for 1t.
George w. Lansing, who succeeded
Mr.. Wattles, and who was the first
commander Of st. Johns
Lodge, and was Vice grand chancel-
lor, paid a fitting tribute to his pre-