The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-03-03

Good fellowship, more particularly
good Pythian fellowship and good
Red-Blue and Blue-Red fellowship was
strongly in evidence in the Pythian
castle hall on West Gambler street
Wednesday evening. 1t was present
in pre-war, pre- 18th amendment, pre-.
Volstead quantities. The occasion was
the payment by the Reds of their oh.
legation to the Blues, the victors by a
narrow margin in the attendance con.
test that was held in December and
January.
Three hundred and fifty or more
knights crowded the castle hall of Tt
mon lodge, No. As, X. of p, to the ut.
most of its seating capacity. Every
victorious Blue made determined eff.
fort to be there, although the streets
were slippery and treacherous because
of sleet storm that had visited Mt.
Vernon in the course Of the afternoon
and early evening. The Reds were
equally resolved to be there and show
the Blues they could be good losers
to the very end.
The program as arranged by the
Red committee was given in its en-
tirety. The only change was that the
parade was somewhat curtailed. Be-.
cause of the icy and treacherous con.
dition of the streets, the knights,
headed by the X. of F. band and IL.
Illuminating their progress by red fire,
marched only to the public square and
returned thence to their castle hall.
For the Red committee, o. G. Tay.
lor presented the Hon. w. M. Koons
as the POSTMASTER. In accepting the
duties of this office, Mr. Rooms said
he was gratified and proud to be iden-
tilted with the knights of Timon
lodge. He knew of no other body of
men who would have undertaken a
march in Mt. Vernon under conditions
that had been overcome by the
knights.
AS tribute of respect and sympa-
thy for Charles Hayes, whose wife
had but recently passed away, the
company present was asked to stand
for a moment in silence.
The program proper began with the
always popular STARS and Stripes
Forever" by the X. of P. band.
For the Blues, the Hon. l.. Tate
Cromley was presented. Speaking in
a humorous vein, he protested that
the thing was being done all wrong,
that he was being asked to respond to
something that had not yet been pre-
sented Affecting to be serious, he
roasted the Reds and lauded the
Blues. He paid tribute to- Captain
Barber, the leader of the victorious
Blues, and affected to be generous to-
ward Walter Doup, the captain of the
Reds.
Mr.. Cromley was in good vein
of humor and drew copiously upon his
rich fund of stories and anecdotes for
illustrations of points and apt hits he
sought to make. l
For the Reds, the losers, A. B. Will
liams spoke. He himself had been a
Blue in the late contest, but the Reds
felt and knew they could entrust
themselves to him inasmuch as Judge |
+. O, Levering, who was to have
spoken for the Reds, was unable to be
present on account of illness. Mr..
Williams said this was to him hap
py event. one of the most pleasant of
1t kind he has taken part in since
coming to Mt Vernon. He was par.
ticularly impressed, he said, speaking
seriously, of the good nature that pre-.
vailed, and which feeling had been
notable throughout the late contest
Most people can be good winners,
while but few can be good losers. The
Reds must be good losers. for. he con-
fessed he, had been unable to dis
t'nguish any of them from the VIC
torious. jubilant Blues. Mr., Williams
ioned with Mr.. Cromley in paying a
tribute to the skill and strategy Of the
two captains. Barber and Doup. He
hoped to see other contests like this