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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1924)
1WL OtfBHAX J ELKS' TRIBUTE TO DEPARTED MEMBERS (Continued from Page l) lodges in our land where our love of humanity at large is shown. Love for humanity shown, indeed, yes. Hut purlieu lar love for those joined in our great fraternity as voiced in our motto: "The faults of our broth ers we write upon the sand; their virtues upon the tablets of love and memory." Symbolic Meanings These subjects might. I repeat, anyone ol them, be chosen as fit and appropriate And others may sug test themselves to you. But 1 have chosen for my theme. "The .Meaning of Our Symbols." In our lodge looms may be found u clock, always stopped at the hour of eleven ; a Bible; the autlers of an elk; a flag: a star. There are others, perhaps, but I purpose to devote my time to these as most significant. Historic Symbolism Symbolism was an early develop ment of mankind and has come down to us from remote ages when man could not write as well as from those periods when composition was very imperfect and its practice limited to the few. In fact, writing grew out of symbols, certain objects typifying abstractions and attributes associat ed with the same the lion for bold uess. the sun for brightness, the quiver of arrows for war. By indi rection and suggestion the message is made clear. Buddhistic Monkeys Many years ago 1 saw in China and Japan a monkey image used for emblematic purpose. His front paws were used to stuff ears, cover eyes, and hold tongue. Occasionally not one monkey was used, but three crouched side by side, one covering his eyes; another stuffing his ears: and a third, holding his tongue. I could never have guessed what it was all about and so asked. I then learned that the simian was intended to represent a maxim from the Buddha: "Hear no evil; see no evil; speak no evil." Mahometan Crescent The case of Mahomet carries sym bolism perhaps familiar to us. A poor camel-driver he received a reve lation that he felt would be wonder fully beneficial to his people. Around him gath"r"l u faithful band to whom he taught the doctrine of the ne God. Persecutions folowed; and the founder of Monometallism, a new cult, was driven from home. The ght of this religious leader from Mecca to Medina, a city that gladly received his teachings, was mude. according tc tradition, under a aew T ioon ; and so the crescent came to Kta:id typically for the Mohammedan Empire and is continued on the flag of Turkey today. Dur'ng the strug gles of the CruKadt rs for the recov ery of the sepulchre of Jesus in the middle ages the followers of Islam carried swords curvet! to represent the crescent moon (as, in fact, they still dot and these were symbolic, not alone of the past history but suggestive also of the destined in crease of their religion. The Cross Opposed Opposed to these Mahometans were the followers of Christ, who al so had their symbol, the Cross, in the very weapon with which they fought. Holding the blade of his sword before him. his right hand grasped perhaps a foot from the crusspiece. the Crusader had the emblem of his faith at his morning and evening devotions. It was, in fact, a constant reminder of his vows. The Christian Fish Another early Christian symbol, not so trell knewn. has come down to us in modified form. It is the Fish, used secretly in early days when the Christians were under con stant persecution. By drawing roughly in dust, or scratching on stone, a likeness of a fish the follow ers of the new cult could find their way to a meeting place, usually a catacomb, or hidden recess. This use was not dissimilar, as the fish was shown headed toward the rendez vous, to the use of painted foot prints leading to a football game or auction in our own day. The point in their choosing this as a symbol lay in the letters of the Greek word Fish, or Ichthus. which furnisn the initial letters for the expression. Jesus Christ. Son of God. Savior. The windows pointing upward in many churches are a survival of this sym bol devised by the early Christian fellowship. OUR OWN SYMBOLS The Bible In like manner, our lodge has chosen its symbols. One seen on all of our altars on the altar for these exercises is the Bible. It is in tended to call our minds repeatedly back to the ideal of Justice for which our order stands. Not the Justice of the Old Testament, which was too often harsh and unyielding the Justice of a people just escaped from thraldom and carrying the rig or of their tormentors all to fre nuently against the wrongdoers ;imong their own number: rather the Justice of a newer and more en lightened dispensation promulgated by the Man of Sorrows. His teach ings were summarized in an aphor ism: "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you. do ye even so unto them." I cannot but feel that we Elks are better for this bimonthly con tact with the Book of Books Whether subscribing, or not. to any of the various creeds which have origin in this marvellous Jewish pro duction, the fortnightly sight at our sesaioue tends toward our refine ment Really. tere ere sixty-six bfxskt ot due me. history . philosophy all hound within one cover, ex tending over a period from earliest dav.n: composed by some of the world's most far-seeing writers; and ending with a matchless narration of the efforts of Jesus to point the way toward better things The Creator It may be a surprise to some of my audience to learn every" Eik must subscribe to the doctrine that over and above us all beyond what we understand at all is an unknown und unknowable Power that guideE the destinies of spheres, of nun and nations. To the words of Victor Hugo, put into the meditations ol the good bishop, we Elks could Sir subscribe: "O You who are! Eccles iastes calls You Omnipotence; tlu the Maccabees call You Creator; the Epistle to the Ephesians calls You Liberty; Baruch calls You Immens ity: the Psalms call you Wisdom and Truth; St. John calls You Light; the Book of Kings calls You Lord ; Exodus calls you Providence; Levit icus. Holiness; Esdras. Justice; Cre ation calls You God: Man call You i Father: but Solomon culls You Mi rcy. and that is the fairest of ali your name?." An Illuminating Incident A few weeks ago I beheld again' for the thirty-second time an inci dent that has illuminated all m previous thought along this line, lc the main hall of the institutior where I work at the east end then are two small windows. A porcb extending out from the east wing, shelters them, so that, for the great- , er part of the year, they know litth sunlight. But once every aemestei the pure beams fill them full clea: full, and straighter than any survey or's line, they strike upon the wal eighty feet away Wondrous pre cision! Wondrous power! that hold: these swinging, whirling spheres as in the hollow of a hand anrl twice a year brings them hack so that their relations are absolutely unchanged as thought stuck in a groove! It is at such moments that we compre h nd the words reported by the prophet i Isaiah 48:13): Mine hand also hath laid the foundations of the Earth, and my right hand hath spaned the Heavens." In such mo ments we read a poem, more beauti ful than sonnet of Browning or apos trophe of Shakespeare, written in blazing glory by the hand of the Omnipotent! 2 Antlers of Protection The choice of the Elk. instead ol the Buffalo, as the animal in whose honor our lodge should be named WM made by a narrow margin; yet was most fortunate. The antlers seen upon our altar and displayed lavishly in our lodge rooms are not symbolically intended as the weapons of assault; but rather those of de fense. They are the antlers of pro tection. I like, in this connection, to bring to mind that picture of Land seer (I believe Landseer was the painter, though I may he mistaken) where the noble animal, head low ered, is warding off the wolves that howl and snap, ready to spring, while the fawn cowers behind its protector. Misconception of the Elk It has been stated frequentry that the name Elk is of Latin origin (I believe our ritual so declared); but this appears, on careful examination, to be erroneous. The mistake comes about quite naturally from the fact that the first reference likely, to an Elk is found in the sixth hook, twenty-seventh chapter of Julius Caesar's "Gallic War." That mas terful man sent out scouts to report to him of the conditions in all of the r gions then being reduced to sub jection by Roman arms. These in vestigators handed in to Caesar a most fanciTul account of an animal which they had found in the interior of the barbaric Gallic confederacy. The old Germanic name was Elsch or Eig which Julius Caesar Latin ized into Alces, the first three let ters constituting the basic word and the other two denoting the case end ing The animal is classified by sci entists under the general term deer, or cervus. Caesar's Description This description is so unique that I quote jt entire: "There are also animals which are called Elks. The shape of these and the varied color of their skins are much like roes; but in size they surpass them a little and are destitute of hornB and have legs without joints or ligatures; nor do they lie down for the purpose of rest. nor. if they have been thrown down by any accident, can they raise or lift themselves up. Trees serve as beds for them: they lean against the trees, and thus reclining only slight ly, take their rest. When the hunt ers have discovered from the foot steps of rhese animals whither the beasts are accustomed to go. th y either undermine all of the trees at the roots, or cut into them so f r that the upper part of the tree; m v appear to be left standing. Wh ii the elks have leant upon them, i -cording to habit, they knock dov n by their weight the unsupport d trees and fall down themselves along with the trunks." By Pliny, the Elder Pliny, the Elder, writing appro: 1 mately 100 years after mighty Jul ius, uses two words to mean elk -the one alces being the same as us d in the passage just quoted and r -ferring to the elk of middle Europt ; the other, achlis which has been identified as the elk of the North and which, due to climate, shows some variations in general appear ance from the other though it is fundamentally the same animal. Likely Pliny was misled through different pronunciation of the name by ancient Germait and Scandinav ian. Listen to the words of Pliny: '. . . There is also the alces. which strongly resembles our steers, except that it is distinguished by the length of the ears and the neck. There is also the achlis which is pro duced in the island of Scandinavia: it has never been in this city (Rome) although we have descriptions of it from many persons; it is not unlike the alces but has no joints in the hind legs. Hence, it never lies down, but reclines against a tree while it sleeps. It can o&ly be taken by pre viously euttlnSr isto the tree and thau laying a trap for it. as other- wise it would escape ihrough its swiftness, tls upper Dp is extreme "y large so that it is compelled to zo backwards when grazing; other wise by moving onwards the lip would get doubled up." I may add in comment on the de icriptions of both Caesar and Pliny that they are hardly further from he truth than the conceptions of ;ome people as to the real nature and purposes of the membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 3 The Starry Banner No lodge of Elks can go on car 'ying ahead the work for which it was chartered, without having con tantly in its place of assembly the mblem of national sovereignty and freedom. In its combination of rd. rhite and blue are centered all of he history and legeDd of our past ; ill of the aspiration of our present; ill of the hope of our future. Its nterpr'taticn is limited only by the trength of our brain cells and the varmth of our heart beats. In it re epitomized the struggles of man kind against class rule. It speaks o us of the great charter of liberty wrested from unwilling John; as -ell as of the declarations of Pym tnd Hampden against arrogant "harbs. Mayflower compac t gleams roni its silken folds; as well as that iberty of conscience that drove Rog r Williams out among the sav iges. There is in it. as ideals to ruide us. the steadfastness of Wash ngton : the courage of Jackson; the ision of Webster: the many-sidedness of Lincoln; the simplicity of ""-rant; and the devotion, even unto 'eath. of Woodrow Wilson. It lias onnotations that call forth in soulo dse dormant a renewed confidence n that declaration, enunciated by uburn-haired Jefferson and that onstitution fathered by rosy-cheek-d Madison. Wilson's Interpretation- I have referred just now to the wnea'gc of the flag from the more or ess remote past. But there is a nessage from the near-present as well of Dewey and Sampson; of "chley and Funston: of Pershing tnd the boys in dug-outs, across the vaters. breathing poison, torn by bomb, face to face with kaiserism. It was on Flag Day. 1!17. when American hearts were bleeding that Woodrow Wilson interpreted for UN the great meanings. Said the Presi dent : ". . . This flag under which we serve is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and pur pose as a nation. It has no other haracter than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute these choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet. tho silent, it speaks to us speaks to us of the past, of the men and women who went before us and of the records they wrote upon it. We celebrate the day of its birth and from its birth until now it has witnessed a rreat history, has floated on high the symbol of great events, oi a great plan of life worked out by a great people." Not an Academic Affection This love of the flag, which EIks delight to make manifest on Nation al holidays and at every session of every lodge, is not an academic af fection, brought out for show ar.d confined to visible and vocal dem onstration, but is translated into beneficent action, as hospitals and world war service stand witness of. As an order we should prefer to be accused of chauvinism than of any tepid adhesion to national ideals. Our Americanism carries no prefix, though our ancestors or we individ ually, may have come from foreign shores. Patriotism, in our creed, can not be diluted and still remain patriotism. The Star of Fidelity When the mariner's compass, near the close of the Age ol" Darkness, was adopted pretty generally in Europe by seamen, the greatest impetus was given to discovery and exploration. Now the steersman at the binnacle, his eye watching the magnetic needle might follow the course laid out. no matter how dark the heavens were. New travel routes were at once charted : commerce took on wider territory India was opened up, and China, too. as never before; and America was discovered. The general use of the magnetic compass was not the least of the indications of the breaking of ney light for Society. And he would be foolish indeed who would attempt to disparage it. Compass Manipulated Still remain, however, some ele ments of superiority in steering by the North Star, which never has had variableness, neither shadow of tun ing. It is in this variableness of the mariner's compass, the ability to manipulate it to cheat it, it I may use the word that Joseph Con rad has hit upon for the background of one of his most powerful tales. A sentence or two, copied from this story of treachery, will explain how the device was manipulated to fal sify directions: From "End of the Tether" "The chief engineer took off his coat with careful movements, and proceeded to feel for the brass hook screwed into the wooden stanchion. For this purpose he placed himself right in front of the binnacle, thus hiding completely the compass-card from the quarter-master at the wheel . . . The iron in the pockets of the coat had done its work and the Sotala' butted the sheer ridge of a stone reef which would have been wash at high water. This made the shock absolutely terrific. Everybody in the ship that was standing was thrown down headlong; the shaken rigging made a great rattling to the very trucks. All the lights went out; several chain-guys, snapping, clat tered against the funnel; there were crashes, pings of parted iron-rope, splintering sounds, loud cracks; the masthead lamp flew over the bows and all the doors about the deck be gan to bank heavily" Tb point T am xryTne tip make is tbia that, though the mariner's compass was one of the greatest in ventions ever made by man. had the captain in this story, as undoubted ly in many another instance, been steering by the North Star, he would not have suffered ship wreck. An Incident Ah, the North Star. Gods beacon of fidelity! Well I remember a little group gathered on a Wednesday night in a Filipino shack, far away from the white man's land. There were two young lieutenants and two school teachers man and wife. They were seated around an oblong, glistening nana wood table, eating the ice cream served by Moio boys, when suddenly the round-burner lamp be gan dancing a t urious mazurka up and down, as a fat lady not very familiar with the steps. It happened most abruptly, this curious dance, over the shiny table, and as accom l animent for it the creaking of the large bamboo beams that furnished the frame work of our nipa dwell ing, i stumbled out of the house as quickl as 1 could, after diving tor our lamp and blowing out the flame which, as darkness came, left behind a thick smell of kerosene. I was guided to the entry by hearing the spoons from the ice cream dishes latter from step to step as our guests and my better half got out. I joined them outside in the street shaking dizzily. We stood in front of the house, telegraph poles still swaying, house still creaking, and ground moving as the swell of an ocean after a storm. "When will it collapse?" we asked each other, watching anxiously, in the bright moonlight, the small house which we had for several months called home. Then the tremblings died out. No one who has not experienc ed a heavy earthquake shock can ap preciate the consternation caused by one. In this case comfort came to us, as we looked up the street named Magellan, but called by us Ameri cans Smelly avenue. There, low down on the horizon, very much lower than we expect to see it here, shone the North Star, familiar mark in our life twelve thousand miles away. Ah, the North Star, God's beacon of fidelity! Clock Stopped at Eleven The clock stopped at eleven is a constant reminder of our brothers who have answered to the insistent call of Nature anil gone farther. Every night at eleven, for a minute or two. our lodge rooms are darken ed and we think of our loss. Faults forgotten, virtues written on tablets of loving memory. Not alone of those who have left us forever, but also of those temporarily absent. At this time you are thinking you of Num ber 7.1? particularly of your broth ers. This comfort is left to you, and to us. as in the case of all who have been summoned, the words of Plato, quoted from his teacher, Socrates: "I shall no longer remain with you. but shall depart to some happy state of the blessed. ' At the close of the address. Mrs. James T. Begley sang very charm ingly "Just for Today," by Abbott, which was a fitting close of the im pressive and beautiful service. After the ceremonies by the offi cers of the lodge the benediction dismissed the members of the lodge and the audience who departed very much impressed by the beauty of the ceremony WHY SUFFER SO? Get Back Your Health as Other Plattsmonth Folks Have Done Too many people suffer lame, ach ing backs, distressing kidney dis orders and rheumatic aches and pains. Often this is due to faulty kidney action and there's danger of hardened arteries, dropsy, gravel or Bright's disease. Don t let weak kid neys wear you out. Use Doau's Pills before it is too late! Doan's are a stimulant diuretic to the kidneys. Doan's have helped thousands. They should help you. Here is one of many Plattsmouth cases: Leland O. Bennett, 319 Marble street, says: "Heavy lifting together with exposure weakened my kidneys. My kidneys acted so freely I had to get up several times at night and the secretions scalded in passage. My back became so lame and sore I could hardly work, and a dull, gnaw ing ache made me iose my sleep at night. After using one box of Doan's Pills from the Mauzy Drug company. I was relieved and T am not subject to these attacks any more." Mr. Bennett is only one of many Plattsmouth people who have grate fully endorsed Doan s Pills. If your back aches if your kidneys bother you. don't simply ask for a kidney remedy ask distincly for DOAN'S PILLS, the same that Mr. Bennett had the remedy hacked by home testimony. 60 cent- at all dealers. Foster-Milburn Co.. Mfrs.. Buffalo, N. Y. "When Your Back is Lame Remember the Nam-." PLATE SI PPER There will be a plate supper and program at Rock C-eek school, dis trict No. 6. Friday, Dec. 19. Every one invited. PEARL PANGLER. dll-2tw. 4td Teacher. Standard Bred Single Comb REDS! E. F. GRYBSKV PlitlMMHJt Pton 3604 Mynard, Nebraska COUNTY OFFICERS WANT GAS TAX USED AT HOME Commissioners Vote Down Good Boads "50-50" Plan for Spending Money. Practically unanimous opposition met the "fifty-fifty" plan of the Ne braska Good Roads association fur expenditure ol any money raised in Nebraska from a gasoline tax for good roads in the convention of two hundred and fifty county offi cials from every section of Nebras ka, at the Castle hotel yesterday, says the World-Herald The officials comprise county com missioners, supervisors, clerks aud registers oi deeds, aud in a resolu tion passed with only a few dissent ing votes, the convention went on record as favoring a 2-cent gasoline tax. the money to be used exclusive ly in counties where it originates for highway construction, mainten ance, etc. The Good Roads association's plan was to pool T.l per cent oi the fund from all counties under control of the state highway commission and send the remainder back to the counties where it originated for use in road construction there. Fear was expressed by many deb-gates that it the fund or any part of it should be turned over to the state for expen diture on good roads, it would go toward "tourists' routes" or arter ial highways, which they said would be of very little benefit to the farm ers. Commissioner Charles I'nitt of Douglas county and Chris Anderson, one of the supervisors of Kearn J county, led the opposition to the Good Roads association's plan, sub stituting the resolution which final ly passed. "We want any money coming from a ga-soline tux to be used in the counties where it originates, because we know the roads that will be of most benefit to the farmers will be constructed." said Anderson. "Just ORDER OF HEARING and Notice on Petition for Set tlement of Account. In the County Court of Cass coun ty. Nebraska. State of Nebraska, Cass county, ss. To the heirs and all persons in terested in the estate of Grace Den Windham, deceased: On reading the petition of R. B. Windham, Administrator, praying a final settlement and allowance of his account filed in this Court, on the 11th day of December. 1924, and all prior accounts, and for decree de termining heirship and distributing residue of estate; It is hereby ordered that you and all persons interested in said matter may. and do. appear at the County Court to be held in and for said county, on the 22nd day of Decem ber. A. D. 1924. at 10 o'clock a. m., to show cause, if any there be. why the prayer of the petitioner should not be granted, and that notice of the pendency of said petition and the hearing thereof be given to all persons interested in said matter hy publishing a copy of this order in the Plattsmouth Journal, a semi weekly newspaper printed in said county, for one week prior to said day of hearing. In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand and the seal of said Court, this 11th day of Decem ber, A. D. 1924. ALLEN J BEESON, (Seal) dlS-lw. County Judge. 25 DISCOUNT All White Ivory in our stock, consisting of Mirrors Trays Buffers Hair Brushes Combs and numerous other items. Also PHOTO ALBUMS which formerly sold at prices ranging from 75c to $3.50 We are discontinuing these lines, so the wise Xmas shoppers should come early to obtain their choice. F. G. Fricke & Co. 186 Phone 186 'Aristo' Oriental Pearls B. A. McELWAIN .FraPT.T.TR as rave as you turn it over to any state commission, it will go into t he main highways, leading to the larg er cities, and these roads will be of no benefit to the farmer unless the loads about his farm are in shape so he can reach them. The larmer has just as much right to a pavi ! road around his farm as ih- tourist lias across the state." Arthur Bowring. of M rriman. chairman of the Cherry county com missioners, was assisted by W. B. Cheek, of Omaha, affiliated with the Automobile club and the Nebrask i Good Roads association, and T. C. Byrne, of the Chamber of Commerce, in the fight for the association 'a fifty-fifty" plan. "By the plan Cnitt and Anderson suggest." said Bowring. "Doughu and Lancaster counties will get the lion's share of the tund. By our plan, the poorer counties in the western part of the state will share in the fund equally. A system of disconue t ed highways will result." Mr. Cheek and Mr. Byrne in their talks, explained that their plan extended to the money derived from automobile licenses, as well as that from any gasoline tax. Mr. Cheek charged that the Dougles county com missioners did not represent the sen timent of the Omaha business Inter ests in the matter. He said the com missioners' plan was too se lfish. fot years 25 Ounces for 25c 'Use less than of higher priced brands WHY PAY MORE? THE GOVERNMENT USED MILLIONS OF POUNDS BACK AT THE OLD STAND And all ready to tmy and handle cream. Will be pleased to meet all old customers and new one as well. Henry Klinger, M. YV. A. building. Plattsmouth. dl-utd Th? fircst cf gift goods for Christ ?nas for every member of the family can be found at the Bates Book and Gift Shop. Toys for children, books and all of the finest novelties and art goods that can be desired are ready for yonr inspection. Make this store your Christmas headquarters. Can You Think of twelve more appreciated gifts than twelve Photographs? Can You Think of twelve gifts that would be less expensive? Sittings made by Dec. 21st, ready for Xmas. But make an appointment now! Werner Studio GIFTS THAT LAST Amber Toilet Sets Manicure Sets "3l Amber Shaving Sets Military Sets Hand Decorated, Gold Inlaid Ivory You will find a large assortment of the new and popular Amber Toilet Ware here the gift that every woman wants. Toilet Sets, $9 to $40. Manicure Sets, $6 to $25. Shaving Sets, $3.50 to $15. Military Sets, $5 to $15. Separate pieces Picture Frames, Dresser Clocks, Mir rors, Boudoir Lamps, Combs, Brushes, Trays, Hair Re ceivers, Powder Boxes, Jewel Cases, etc. $1 to $9. Hand decorated baby sets, S3. 50 - $ 5 MANTLE CLOCKS Latest shapes, Mahogany finish. Guaranteed, dependable American movements. A very useful and pleasing gift. $11 to $25. M Our Annex Art Shop offers many GIFT SUGGESTIONS Console Sets, silver and fancy colored glass, $2.50 to $15; Boudoir lamps, beautiful shades, $3 to $7, and dozens of other pleasing and seasonable novelties. M. D. Brown, Jeweler 6th and Mam Telephone 47