Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 8, Number 41, Decatur, Adams County, 17 February 1910 — Page 3
•expahac of a prosperous and assured lift to come, leading through the portals of their own Home, which is founded upon the rock of many years of enterprise, the heights to which led the stepping stones of adversity. f down upon the steep mountain sides of adversities, through the vistas of the thirty-five years, we find them narrowing fro mtirne to time until at the dim beginning we see the little lodge that was INSTITUTED AUGUST 20, 1875, in not the “city” of Decatur, but what was then the comparatively "little village" of Decatur, located on the banks of tiie St. Marys river—-or in the rich, musical, and suggestive language of the Indians —"The Kekionga,” from ■which Indian name the lodge took its name. For it took but eleven years from the time that the idea of the establishment of a fraternal order of the Knights of Pythias was born in the brain of Justus H. Rathbone and sprang forth and grew into the institution of the first lodge in Washington City, D. C., in 1864, until the movement rapidly spread to all parts of the country and reached the town in the "widls of the middle w-est," among the first in Indiana. On the date of August 20, 1875, a number of the representatives of the town gathered in the third story of the frame building on the east side of Second street, on the site of the present Yager Bros. & Reinking store, where under the auspices of the grand officers the Decatur lodge was instituted with thirty-five charter members. FIRST MEMBERS AND OFFICERS Past Chancellor —W. W. VanNesg. Chancellor Commander —R. A. Curran. Vice Chancellor —B. S. Thompson. Prelate —S. W. West. Master of Exchequer—John P. Quinn. Keeper of Records and Seals —William M. Walters. Master of Finance —L. D. Phelps. Master at Arms—C. T. Dorwin. - Inner Guard—Fred Sehafer. - Outer Guard —George Morgret. Trust'" .i —Seymour Worden, Millen Burns and M. V. B. Simcoke. Other members: Chester Burt. David Eley. W. S Congleton. Qodfiey Christen. Ansel Blossom. John J. Chubb. > Barry Cannover. F. M. Thomas. Martin Huffman. Charles Kellison.
■ikJH kJ ■ LI kJ ■ ■ kJHkJ ■ kJ ■ kJ ■ kJ ■kJOI ws k/■ — — 5 Up rose the wild old winter king Northward o’er the icy rocks, ■ And shook his beard of snow; Northward o'er the sea, ■ ■ “I hear the first young harebell ring, My daughter conies with sunny locks ° ’Tis time for me to go ” This land's too warm for me. -Leland ° ■ | It’s Time to Think About | o ======== " 5 • = o While you may not be exactly in the humor for this sort of sentiment today, and while, the weather does not in- J E dicate it nevertheless, it is ,but a short time until the Robin will be giving forth his sweet melody of Spring. We o 8 have a carrol that we Wish you all to learn and that is that we will show for the Spring of 1910, the most complete o R line of goods in every department, ever shown in Decatur. • 4.1, o ■ A representative of the store recently returned from a trip to the east where he spent several days learning the . 5 new styles in ladies suits, in dress goods, etc, and we wijl be glad to tell you all about the new things for spring. We . O have already received some of the new Russian Blouses, which will be quite the rage this spring and you are most ■ to cordially invited to come in and look them over. Let us help you make up pour mind what you want for spring. . to Our new goods have begun to arrive, and from this time on we will be ready to show you most anything you want. ■ o HEMEMBER-We sell Ladies Suits and Jackets, Always the latest style, and the best quality for the money. . ■2 O r Dress Goods Department, Our White Goods Line, and everything else in our store will simply bubble over this ■ |2 Spring with desirable goods and you should not by any means fail to Look Them Over ? Io &P you do we will prove to you that our Spring Greeting at this time though a little early, is most sincere. c '' ' I Io ' . ============= J I: ■■ ■Q n ■ n ■ n ■ n ■nanHnß n in ■ n ■ n ■nßnnnH n ■ n ■ n ■ n BOBOHnB n ■ o ■ o ■ O 808
MEMBERS OF THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS BUILDING COMMITTEE
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D. N. ERWIN
George W. McConnell. A. R. Bell. - Mark M. McConnell. Jay Rugg. E. S. Edmunds. I. C. King. Frank Railing. David King. E. G. Parker. N. Blackburn. E. F. Numbers. S. Cast. • FOUR CHARTER MEMBERS LIVING. Os the large number of charter members, but four are now living who have enjoyed the membership of the lodge through all of these years, until the present time. These are A. R. Bell, of the firm of Smith & Bell; Godfrey Christen, retired, one of the most prominent citizens og Decatur; Fred Schafer of the Schafer Hardware Company, and C. T. Dorwin, former proprietor of the Moser studio, and now engaged in the photograph business in Lafayette. The first member joining the local order after the charter members was F. M. Schirmeyer, who has continued with the lodge all these years. THE FIRST MEETING PLACE. When the lodge was instituted here the Henry Derkes building, in which the Holthouse drug store is now located, and adjoining the Odd Fellows’ block, was in the process of construction and the Knights .made arrangements for the building of a third story
ORVILLE HARRUFF
for their headquarters, which they have occupied continuously until the building of this new Home. They moved into their new quarters in the Derkes hall the same year. Some time afterward, the other hall, which was honored with their >. Htntion, was burned with the entire block. It was a fortunate thing that the lodge had already moved, for its existence was a precarious one at the best in those days when the town was young, when they had great difficulty in meeting thir rent and other expenses. At one time in the first two years of their life, when the limited number of members was so small, and finances so correspondingly short, that it seemed the roof could no longer be kept over their heads and the wolf no longer be kept from the door and from forcing them to surrender their charter, a few of the loyal members, whose hearts were ever in the right place, got together and advanced the funds that tided them over until a more prosperous day, and proved again the “survival of the fittest.” No wonder is it that these faithful members now rejoice in this day—the great one of ail others when they can come into “their own.” To these of all others, without doubt, is this day a most hallowed and sacred one. PLANNING FOR NEW HALL. Through all these years, one great aim of theirs was the owning of their own hall, and to this end, the
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H. F. CALLOW
first step was taken twenty years ago in the purchase from the Porter estate of the lot between the present Hensley and the Everett & Hite buildings. This was purchased at a cost of $2,000, with the intention of some day building thereon. Time passed and still the lodge felt itself unable to build, and the lot lying dormant, gradually grew in value with the upbuilding of the city until it found itself in the vefy heart of the business world and valued at $5,000. Last spring the lodge seriously considered, not the building of a “hall,” but a "home,” and with the figuring of its best financiers and executives, found that one could be built and freed from debt in a short time with good judgment. As a “home” should be on a residence street, and as one could be secured there for a much less sum of money, it was decided to sell this lot, this bringing $5,000, and the purchase of the Dugan property on Third street, between Madison and Monroe streets, just north of the Murray House, and within a block of the business part of the town, was made, at a much less sum, leaving them much to apply toward the building of the Home. The estimated annual income of the lodge from lodge dues, fees, etc., is $1,500, and this with the saving of the rent, the amount made in the sale of the lot, that realized from the sale of the old house on the newly acquired property, will easily pay off the
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J. L. GAY
debt in a short time. To help matters much, certificates in the sum of twenty-five dollars each, were Issued an dtaken up by the members who will carry them for five years without interest. Twenty-five hundred dollars was raised in this way. To bring matters to the final issue, THE BUILDING COMMITTEE was appointed, into whose hands was given over all the work attending the construction of the building. To this committee is due much of the credit for the successful outcome, the members giving freely of their time and talents, and working together at all times in perfect harmony. The members of the building committee, with the date of their admission to the Knights of Pythias ranks are: E. B. Lenhart, trustee and president, April 8, 1897. O. L. Vance, trustee and secretary. March, 1898. James Hurst, trustee and treasurer, July 3, 1884. H. F. Callow, November 11, 1897. J. L. Gay, admitted by card, November 23, 1899. D. N. Erwin, April, 1896. Orville Harruff, January 29, 1903. The plans for the large and spacious Home were made by Architect Oscar Huffman, for whose excellence this hall will be a most noble monument. The work of superintending the entire construction was given over
* J ‘-lai
C. L. WALTERS
into the hands of James Hurst, as superintendent of construction, who looked after every minutest detail, from its beginning, July 1, 1909, until its final completion, January 1, 1910. THE DECEASED MEMBERS The growth of the lodge has been a remarkable one until now it boasts a membership of more than two hundred. With the passing of the years many of the members have dropped out for various reasons —some moving away and some called by death. On the walls ot the parlors of the new Home are hung the pictures of the deceased brothers, and though they are not here in person to enjoy the victory and success of the order in which their hearts were wrapped, their likenesses are given an honored place in the Home for which they have helped build a solid foundation, and will ever be an inspiration to those who are left. The deceased brothers are: H. Oberwegner (the first cashier of the National bank). John T. France. I. J. Miesse. George Woodward. Dr. A. L. DeVilbiss. Anson Van Camp. Bob Phillips. E. N. Tyrell. John Quinn. Wilson Merryman. George Marquardt. Peter Ashbaucher.
Dr. R. A. Curran. Arthur Baughman. John C. Ault. 8. M. D. Snow. Hart Quinn. James Place, W. P. Miller. THE PAST CHANCELLORS. from the very first of the organization tS the present time, one for each year, who have thus served in the highest office of the local order are: C. T. Dorwin. F. M. Schirmeyer. G. Christen. A. R. Bell. R. K. Erwin. J. S. Boyers. J. N. Frfstoe, J. C. Patterson. James Bain. Ijevi Linn. N. A. Loch. Charles H. Elzey. A. H. Sellemeyer. E. Burt LenharL D. N. Erwin. James Hurst. H. F. Callow. Charles Simcoke. O. L. Vance. F. V. Mills. D. B. Erwin. Alex Hoyer. W. A. Lower. J. L. Gay. John R. Parrish. J. C. Tritch. Oi val Harruff. Bruce Christen. Luther S. Hower. C. O. Sipe. W. B. Johnson. Fred Hoeneisen. S. E. Shamp. Clyde Rice. C. L. Walters. THE PRESENT OFFICERS. Trustees —James Hurst, E. B. Len hart, O. L. Vance. Master of Work —C. L. Walters. Chancellor Commander —Arthur Suttles. Vice Chancellor —Ed Ashbaucher. Keeper of Records and Seals —Jonas Tritch. Master of Exchequer—Fred Mills. Master of Finance —Dan Erwin. Master of Arms —Fred Ashbaucher. Inner Guard—-Fred Fruchte. Outer Guard —Roy Mumma. STORY OF DAMON AND PYTHIAS. (By D. B. Erwin.) The order of Knights of Pythias is founded upon the beautiful and pathetic drama of Damon and Pythias. (Continued on Page 6.)