People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1897 — Viewed From the Inside. [ARTICLE]

Viewed From the Inside.

From the Archer. To Readers of the Archer: It was ray pleasure to attend a of Apollo Temple Plato’s Archers. at their lodge room, in the Iron Hall Building, Indianapolis, Tuesday evening, Apr. 27th. Arriving at the hall a little before 8. after squeezing my way through a crowd of candidates and members reaching from the street clear up to the doorway, the first impressions were akin to those when approaching a city convention, so intense was the interest manifested. In the hall officers were busy getting out the uniforms and apurtenances for the approaching initia tions. When so great a crowd of candidates were in waiting it was useless to think of transacting routine business to any extent until these people were admitted and their suspense re lieved.

After calling to order, the pass word was taken up, to know that none but Archers were in the hall. The captain then read from a handful of applications the names, addresses and occupation of 36 applicants who were in waiting. All this time the regular members were constantly streaming in, till every chair was occupied, and also a hundred or more folding chairs brought in from the corridor, leaving scant room in the center for the work of the team in conducting the initiations.

Proceeding with all possible speed with the necessary routine, the outer guard was notified to prepare the candidates for admission. What followed cannot be told. It could not be correctly conveyed to a reader’s mind were it permissible. One at a time the candidates were ushered in to undergo a course they knew not why, or how, or what the lesson until later on. Then following this, while yet remaining on the outside, the hall was re arranged within for their reception in a body, to view with open eyes and ears the object lesson, and take the “Gold Cure” in its fullness. The incidents attending the first ceremony were so replete with enjoyable antics, and really side splitting performances for the onlooker, each one seeming to introduce new features as he was conducted through the mazes in his journey onward, that upon their return to the hall their faces beamed in wonderment at failui’e to discern the whereabouts of. or the methods in use a few moments before. And here let me divulge a secret attending the success of this ceremony which alone gives Archery precedence over any other organization. Not a man who takes this initiation but can, with no condition of failure be depended upon absolutely to be on hand at following meetings, with as many of his intimate friends as he can possibly prevail upon, to see for himself, as they are put through how it teas done to him. Then for half an hour the can didates are given an object lesson from life’s daily experiences, which is so comprehensive, so

real, and so ihlpressive, ihat no one, be he thehumblestsnoveler in the gravel pit or schooled student in the arts and sciences, but what sees “the joker” that in all business life and transactions has been played to beat the producer out of the just reward for his honest industry. It will be observed that at a session like this the business features are given scanty attention but sufficient reference was made to satisfy all that this branch had not ‘been lost from sight. I was told that this was not above the average attendance for months past, that the weekly initiations ran from 17 to 63, but more generally from 25 to 35. But even this is a great work for a team to perform, and speaks for both team and the parts prepared for each. The Hall, though quite large, is insufficient to accommodate the increasing membership. But the force will soon

be diffused throughout the city in ward Temples for it is claimed by those most active that before winter fully 10,000 regularly enlisted Archers will be in line in this one city. I have not overdrawn this in any particular. And it speaks only of one Temple. Then think of Diana Temple, which has leased Mansur Hall, one of the largest Lodge halls in the city, indefinitely, and will also be an active hustling factor in the new work. Go to Indianapolis and you will conclude Wayland is right in reporting Archery as “taking

like wild fire.”

H. V.