The Cheyenne Daily Leader

THE K. OF P.

Meeting of the Grand Lodge—The Parade and Drill—Speeches and Ball.

The grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias of Colorado, met at 10 o'clock yesterday morning in this city. The grand lodge representative of each subordinate lodge in the state, except that of Trinidad, was present. The members being wearied by traveling, a goodly number of them having arrived during the morning, the meeting was adjourned shortly after it was convened without the transaction of any business except a resolution that the parade take place at 3:30 p.m.

There are some twenty visiting representatives in the city, and there would have been a large assemblage of the order here had they and the railroad officials agreed upon the matter of fare. The grand lodge will meet for the transaction of business this morning at 10 o'clock.

PYTHIAN PARADE

About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon the members of the Fifth cavalry band formed in front of the Masonic block, and after the rendition of a couple of martial pieces, the knights of the Cheyenne lodges, accompanied by the visiting representatives of the grand lodge of Colorado, filed out of their hall and formed on the street. Led by the band, they marched through the principal streets and halted in front of the court house building, where a recess of some twenty minutes was taken, after which those of the knights who were to participate in the competitive drill, had their competitors been present, were reformed immediately in front of the court house. As soon as they had formed the commanding officer stepped to the front and saluted the three gentlemen who had been selected as judges, viz: Major Wham, paymaster, U. S. A., Capt. Montgomery, Fifth cavalry, and Mr. Smith, who were seated on an overlooking balcony, from which they watched the squad of Pythians perform their evolutions. They marched by fours, by sections, by company, moved in echelon, and obliquely, and counter marched in all conceivable ways. All the movements were executed in a very creditable manner, their alignments almost invariably being as accurate as an advancing upright wall. At the conclusion of their well performed drill the judges complimented the officers and men very highly for their efficiency. The full command was then marched from the court house to their hall, where they disbanded until their public reception at Recreation Hall, which took place at 8 o'clock in the evening.

EVENING EXERCISES.

According to programme the Knights and invited guests assembled at Recreation Hall. The hall was most handsomely decorated with large national flags and banners and devices, emblematical of the order of Knights of Pythias. The Fifth cavalry band was present to enliven the occasion with superb music.

Shortly after 8 o'clock, C. N. Potter esq., secretary of the executive committee, called the large assemblage to order, and introduced Hon. A. Worth Spates, who had been selected to deliver the address of welcome to the visiting Knights to Wyoming territory. The gentleman advanced to the front of the platform and, after addressing himself to the audience, he said:

Visiting Knights:

I speak from the depths of the heart that which finds responsive echo in the breasts of the people of Wyoming when I bid you welcome to this western capital. You come not as strangers but as brothers, bound by strong but invisible ties to brothers here associated in a sacred cause, which commands the admiration of man and has the approval of heaven. Your banners bear the sentiments which I would to God were graven upon the hearts of every man, woman and child of the republic—Friendship, Charity and Benevolence—glorious triumvirate of grandest virtues, proclaiming peace on earth, goodwill to men.

Language is powerless to describe the first link in your chain of ennobling sentiment. Banish friendship from the abode of men and earth would be dark indeed. As well strike the sun from the midday heaven or pluck the stars from the midnight sky. I would appeal to the world to foster and encourage every undertaking and aid and sustain every movement which has for its object the association of men in friendly alliance, which binds heart with heart and unites soul to soul and recognizing the fact that one touch of nature makes the world akin, disregarding the barriers of life and ignoring the distinctions of time, trampling down the boundaries that would prevent the coming together of the high and the low, the humble and exalted, uniting them as with fetters of steel in the hallowed cause of charity and benevolence.

Charity—Oh, blessed word, how can I speak appropriately of it. Compared with which all else is as the tiny snowflake to mighty avalanche, and sparkling dew drop to roaring Niagara. Methinks that upon the brightest page of the archives of the Most High, it is recorded in blazing characters, whilst angels sing its praises and cry to us from the battlements of heaven, Esto perpetua, and yet to our shame and disgrace, poet has truly said: "Alas for the rarity of christian charity under the sun."

Oh, arrest that selfishness which would repudiate the greatest of virtues, and God grant that upon the wings of the wind there may go to the confines of earth that spirit which dries the tear upon widowed cheek and hushes the cry of orphaned heart, which forgiving the erring one, says, go and sin no more, and which falls as the rain from above and is twice blessed, blessing him who gives as well as him who receives. Last, though not least of your sentiments sublime, is that of Benevolence, the practice of which has marked upon the sands of time, the names of many who were not born to die, and inscribed in loving hearts, the memory of others who, departing, left behind them cheer and encouragement for the poor and unfortunate, and aid and succor for the weary and distressed, forming a combination which thrills the hearts of men whenever civilization has wandered. You have expanded with the flight of years until your banner of peace kisses the breeze of every part of our nation's expanse, and in the near future you will o'erleap the boundaries which now confine you, and the people of all the world will rally around the standard which does not speak of the conquests of war but of achievements no less renowned, and upon the folds of which is inscribed that which will linger in the bosoms of men as the ages come and go, and until the wreck of matter and chaos of worlds.

Then Knights of Pythias of the Centennial State, coming from your hills and valleys, and mountains and streams, from where flowers ever bloom and snows ever linger and from your vaults of gold and caverns of silver, I welcome you from the heart of hearts of the generous people of Wyoming; welcome to our far reaching plains sleeping like a giant 'neath our balmy skies; welcome to our mountains, climbing in silent majesty toward the stars, and thrice welcome to our capital, the Magic City of the new west.

The speaker was warmly applauded at the close of his remarks.

Mr. Potter then introduced P. G. C., Hon. W. W. Corlett, upon whom devolved the duty of addressing the members of the grand lodge on behalf of Cheyenne lodge No. 2. The speaker, after expressing his congratulations on the presence of the grand lodge officers, proceeded in an eloquent manner to portray the principles of the order of Knights of Pythias, and the benefits of such an order generally. The order which he represented in part was increasing, he said, until an enrolled membership of over 100,000 could be proudly pointed to. The speech, which had been written with great care, and read with splendid effect, was a most powerful exposition of the scheme and far-reaching benefits of the order of the Knights of Pythias, and should be published in the literature of the order.

Warm applause followed Mr. Corlett's speech, when an intermission was announced to be followed by dancing. There being a fine, large assemblage present, the pleasant pastime was indulged in most heartily.