Arizona republican., 1922-06-06
.PHOE NIX IS
OASIS
TO SHR|NERS
.0F new YORK
After Tiresome Trip Over
Apache Trail They Hail
With Delight Rest And
Refreshment Found Here

helTeSnment round Here
No travel-weary caravan of the
Arabian desert ever hailed an oasis
with greater eagerness than was
shown yesterday evening by the 27l
New York Shriners who arrived ir
Phoenix over the Apache Trail. The
head of the big motorcade, which by
Its very size deserves the name OF
caravan, arrived in this city at 5:sc
clock and it was not until 7:30
checked in.
The first practicai intimation of
me hospitality which awaited them
in Phoenix was given the Shriners AZ
Desert Wells, where the caravan was
met by George A. Mintz and Nelson
=. Bledsoe, of FL Zaribah temple
Awaiting the dusty and tired visitors
and their escort of local Shriners was
great barrel of ice cold lemonade
ana mountain of sandwiches. After
induIglng freely in the refreshments.
the caravan resumed its march TO
Phoenix with higher spirits.
immediately upon their arrival. the
ll5 members of Mecca temple of
Rochester and 156 members Of Da-
nascus temple of New York city
We're given the opportunity of re-
IreshIng themselves with shower
paths and Of resting up before the
evening program. Members of the
mecca temple We're escorted TO the
Hotel Adams and the Damascus con-
tingent went to the shrine temple
on West Washington street.
Big Welcome Here
The visitors were welcomed with
open hospitality by El Zaribah tenn
pie of this city and every woman in
the party was presented with a hand
some bouquet of flowers.
Mecco temple dined in state at the
Hotel Adams and the 156 members
of Damascus temple were taken to
the Shirley Christy ranch for
sumptuous repast of which peafowl
was the piece de resistance.
The dinner at the Christy ranch
was an affair of great brilliance.
The guests We're seated at three long
tables on the lawn in front of the
ranch house. Electric lights were
strung among the trees ana the cen
trail motif was an Illuminated Shrine
emblem. At intervals during the din
her and the following program OF
speaking, the saXaphone octette OF
III Zaribah patrol rendered MANY en-
tertaining selections.
Nelson G.. .Bledsoe, illustrious poten-
tate of FL Zaribah temple, delivered
an address of welcome TO the visit
ing Shriners. James d. Henry, po-
tentate of Damascus temple, respond
ed with expressions of thanks in the
name Of his organization. Esten A.
Fletcher of the Imperial Divan also
.x.f- A. - -.
reception which had been accorded
the visitors. Noble Fletcher con
cluded his remarks with short talk
on the purposes of the Shrine.
Resume Journey
The members of Damascus temple
left the Christy ranch at 8 o'clock
for the railroad station 70 resume
their journey to San Francisco TO
attend the 4Sth annual imperial coun-
Gil of the Shrine. which opens on
June 13. The special train of Is
Pullmans in which the members OF
Damascus temple have journeyed
from New York city left Phoenix over
the Arizona Eastern railroad at $3.50
O'Clock.
Members of Mecca temple of Roch-
ester, in a special train of seven Pull
mans, left at 1913 o'clock.
A feature of the reception OF the
visiting Shriners was the quickness
and dispatch with which the great
crowd was accommodated. 1t was
an almost Herculean task to arrange
for the combined visit of both tenn
pies but the members of FL Zaribah
temple were capable managers and
the whole performance was carried
out without hitch. the visitors ar
riving and leaving strictly on schedule
time.
Leave With Regretv
1t was with regret that the visitors
boarded the trains which carried them
away from the oasis of Phoenix
After a hard days journey over the
rough Apache trail they would have
enjoyed a good nights rest in this
city, afterward to inspect the Won
derland of the Salt River valley, but
the trans continental caravan is be-
ing run strictly on schedule, allow
ing for no delays, no matter how
great the attraction
The great convention of the Mystic
Shrine at San Francisco, toward
which the Mecca and Damascus tenn
pies are now journeying, will be at
tended by about rs Shriners from Fl
Zaribah temple of Arizona. The
Shrine patrol will be there as a whole,
and many other additional members
will make the trip. Special cars have
been arranged for the transportation
of FL Zaribah's delegates. who will
leave Phoenix In a few days. The
headquarters in San Francisco of the
Phoenix delegates will be at the Fed
eral hotel.