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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1904)
! October 2, 1904 THE OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE. a A i yv VCurious Doings at GRAND BAZOO C. H. No Other Secret Society in the Land Can Match the Novel KB Coliaeum, or "Don," aa it 1 bettar known throughout the Kingdom of Quivera, Is the power houae of Ak-Sar-Ben. From within the walls of that hlstorlo tructure la annually aent forth a pageant that would make the most fanciful fairy tale of our childhood days sound like a backnumber. The Deu Is the great Incu bator where not only the enchanting floata pasa through the chrysalis state, but where inspiration is on tap the year round, and which inspiration resolves itself Into many great schemes concerning the welfare of the Kingdom of Quivera, the city of Omaha, the atate of Nebraska. As In olden days all roada led to Rome, ao in modern times all roada lead to the Den. It la the bub of the kingdom and the workshop of the realm. For ten year the Den ha been the Mecca to which place annually thousands have traveled from forest and plain, moun tain and aeashore, village and metropolis, and even from landa beyond the seas, to pay homage to King Ak-Sar-Ben, No race, creed, color, previous condition or servi tude enters Into the consideration for mem bership: all that Is required la that the candidate will promise to stand up for Omaha and Nebraska; otherwise he can, like the grand bacaza, go to the devil. Loyalty to the realm la the watchword of the kingdom. The year 1904 A. D., and the tenth year of the reign of Ak-Sar-Ben, haa been the moat auspicious of any of the dynasty. "Onward and Upward" la blown In the bottle at the Den, where drones are never een. lie who eata at the Den must work and he who will not work is thrown upon the shores of Inactivity by the rushing current of industry. Men from ail over the United States have visited the Den during the lust aeason and have acknowledged they received new inspiration, new Ideas, that they took back to their home towns and presented to their fellow townsmen. "It is a revelation how you fellows go about things h-ro," said a prominent Des Moines business man. "I have traveled all over the states and have heard of the hustling propensities of the Knights of Ak-8ar-Ben, but never until tonight had I thought that auch a body of representative business men could gatlTer together for such a worthy purpose. My coming here tonight has been an object lesson, vividly portrayed and forcibly told. I will take it back to Minneapolis and profit by it," was the statement of a wealthy Minnesota merchant on a recent occasion at the Den. And quotation after quotation could be repeated to show tho Infectiousness of the work that ts performed at the Den. About the Initiation. Twenty-one hundred and thirty-two ac tive Knlghta of Ak-Sar-Ben and about the same number of honorary members, the latter from all the states and many foreign countries, know this year what the Initia tion at the Den is. The initiation Is no amall part of the work at the Den. Weeks of preparation are spent in perfeottng the ritual and making the exerclsea a happy combination of the serious and humorous. While the Initiate la Impressed with the solemnity of the occasion, he is at the same time entertained, and those who have pre viously crossed the burning sands are given a healing balm for the sufferings en dured In reading hla title clear to a mem-berehlp- on the royal roster. A real stage, with all modern histrionic apportionments. Is utilised in the work of Initiation, and real actors, who "strut and fret their hour away to be aeen no more." until the next week, go through their lines with all the earnestness of a regular troupe appearing at the regular playhouses. And consider able ability la developed by those who as sist behind the scenes. Born have been in X .. ' I in i tiadl fmt r- s 7 MULLIM. the service for years, contributing their services and talents for the one great cause, that of Ak-Sar-Ben. Such celebri ties as Hugo L. RammacclottI, Henry Hardy, Leroy E. Lucas, Fred F. PalTen rath, William Kennedy, George Powell, F. W.. Fitch, Frank Dunlop, assisted by a metropolitan cast, have weekly donned the mask of Moraus, without money and with out price. The Initiation Is varied each year, new and original Ideas being Incorporated as they suggest themselves. General Super intendent Renze says that no small part of his work at the (Ion Is arranging for the annual Initiation. "It Is no trifling task to think oUt the annual ritual," nald Mr. Renxe the other afternoon as he vluwed one of the 1904 floats and gave some In structions . to on of , his ataff. "One ex hausts himself after a number of yeara and eternal vigilance is the only price of a snappy Initiation. I am always on the alert for new Ideas and suggestions along thla line. We get the various stunts worked out, arrange them In auch an or der that a story may be weaved around them, a ritual la written, rehearsals begin, the parts assigned and then we are ready for the' victims aa faat aa the hustling committee can bring them In, This yea.r'a initiation has been said to excel previous attempts along this line and it is our hopes to continue to excel ourselves as the years sro by," Lessons Are "Widespread. It can truly be said that atories of the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Initiation have been carried to all parts of the United States. During the past year delegates of various conventions convening here have been put through the crucible and not found want ing. Visitors of all professions and trades, of all ages and nationalities, have been ushered into the mysterious chambers at the dan, and aa one man they have voted the initiation a revelation and a triumph. As a striking case in point, one of the delegates attending the recent convention of the International Union of Steam Engi neers said he could not go to sleep at his hotel after the initiation, so he lust passed the hours away writing home to his wife, -telling her all about tho wonderful things seen at the den and the experiences he had gone through. Men prominent through out the country In political, commercial, aoleatlflc, literary, agricultural and other pursuits have visited the den during sea sons past, with the result that the fame Coronation of Ak-Sar-Ben HE culminating point of Interest In the Ak-Sar-Ben festivities is the coronation ball. Here it is that the social aide of the organization merges into one general cele 'fill's. bration, and the carnival season closes In a genuine festival. It has been a time when society comes forth for a general display, and the formalities are duly taken into consideration. And yet with all the for mality that aurrounds the ball as being an exclusively court function, it has always been a most Interesting spectacle and an alTalr enjoyed by those who take part in It. Naturally the interest centers chiefly on the Identity of the king and queen, for the names are always kept secret until the moment when the king lifts his own mask and then graciously removes the covering from the faqe of tho fair young miss who has been chosen to reign with him. Elaborate ceremonial Invariably marks the coronation of king and queen. Cour tiers, pages, attendants, maids and matrons of honor, and all the paraphernalia of royalty la brought into play for the time ' the Old Den When M. AT Tf:l;v . it 3 1 1 GRAND BAZAZA-FRED PASTENRATH. of the Ak-S:ir-Bcn Initiation knows no geographical boundaries; It is wrld-wlde In Its fame. This year's Initiation began Monday even ing. June 6, and continued every Monday evening until September 19. On the '.atter date the royal books were closed and the decks cleared for the real work incident to the fall festivities. Short Talks m Feature. One of the Important features of the Monday night initiatory exercises is that of thj short talks given after the obliga tory part of the program haa been con eluded. To the tune of "America" lines, apropos of the fertile valley of Quivera, are sung by the -candidates and guests, and then comes the oratorical part of the exercises. A grand mufti for the evening la selected in advance, this honored position being filled by a different person each Mon day night. The custom of last year of having the same mufti for the season has been abolished. The grand mufti for the evening is given a list of speakers, who short-talk on auch subjeots as Inclinations or occasion suggests. A list of the speak ers at the Den during the past season would show the names of many men prom, lnent In all walks of life, not only in Omaha and Nebraska, but in places re mote from the Antelope state. This ex changing of Ideas between men of different localities, laboring under different condi tions and seeing things from varied stand points, has been one of the most helpful features of the initiatory exercises. Help, ful hints for the man of business havo been heard on the rostrum at the Den; bright scintillations of wit, humor and pathos have flashed from the speakers' platform like sparks from the forger's anvil, and Invaluable suggestions for all classes of men have been spoken by the long list of men who have graced the speakers' stand at the Den. The initiations have been oocaslons when hearts beat firm, hands grasped hands and the Interests of the king dom of Quivera never lost sight of. The out-of-town members are admitted free, the only return asked for. the favors shown being that they will boost and yell for Ak-Sar-Ben and the interests the or der represents. In this way thousands are annually placed on the royal guest list and the bread thus cast on the waters returned a hundred fold duringr the fall festivities. It is a business proposition and a good one. There is an old saying to the eSect that being, and a mimic scene of regal splendor Is produced. And then after the king has made known his royal pleasure through his heralds, the Joyous subjects give them selves over to participation In the dance. It hus been customary to Intersperse the dances with a fine band program, so that the evening Is made as enjoyable for the spectator as for the participants. In the past the coronation bull has been held at the Den, where money has been lavishly spent to provide a setting fitting for the occasion. This year the ball v.ill be given at the Auditorium downtown. Ho:e the ar rangements will be made as complete as at the Den, and the hr.ighta and their ladles will be given ample opportunity to show their fealty to the gracious sov ereigns In the line of Ak-Hur-Ben. A departure thla season will be the mask ball on Saturday evening, following the coronation ball on Friday evening. Thla will be for the knights exclusively, and is Introduced as a further feature of the car nival season, being Intended to bring it to a more appropriate close than heretofore. ' ' A -J ' f GRAND BCRIBE B C. HODDEIl. ROYAL BOOKKliEPER O. V. the way to a roan's heart is through his stomach. Many enterprising salesmen make a practice of first treating a pros pective customer to a well selected repast before coming to the business In hand. "Feed the brute," writes a noted author ess. In a dissertation on man. "Feed him again," she adds. This is the philosophy practiced by the king's noblemen at the den. "Man cannot live by hot air and Initiation alone," they reason. IGvo him lunch, give him more lunch, they ear and practice. In the words of Dr. Ramacclottl, "they bring back the lunch; that is, they bring it back Into the royal festal chamber where the stewards serve the royal brews and tender such dainty viands as appeal to the guests. After the flow of oratory comes the flow of lemonade, coffee and other cheering fluids; after the lllualonary lunch served by Monsieur Lucas, follows the real lunch that fills the aching voids incident to a. long Journey over the peri lous trails biased by Royal Executioner Renze, and after the speakers have told what is In them they are ushered into the commissary regions and given an oppor tunity to put something in them. And they usually do It. '. Thus It will be seen that method and system prevail In every department of the Kingaom of Ak-Sar-Ben. Nothing la done In a haphazard way. All the senses of man are appealed to in an effectual man ner and he Bent to his home with new ideas of life, new Inspirations, new hopes and always a booster for Ak-Sar-Ben. He is made a Knight of Ak-Sar-Ben, which name in itself has come to carry a world of meaning. It is multum in parvo, a word to be conjured with and an honor to the possessor. Ora-anlsatlon Is Perfect. "Let all things be done decently and in order" is found somewhere in Holy Writ. Those in command at the Den believe that order is heaven's first law, that in unity there la . strength and the dam Is no Stronger than Its weakest point One of the secrets of the success of the work at the Den is the perfect organization main tained in every department of the work there. Petty Jealousies are unknown; everyone is working for a common cause and everyone puts his shoulder to the wheel. The various departments of work are assigned to those best adapted, and many have continued In the service year after year. Actors, door men, stage men, committees of various natures, and from the most menial position to the highest, all work with a harmony that Is pleasing and effective. The most pretentious and important fea ture of the work at the Den la that of the float building. This, of course, is one of the great ends toward which all the initiatory, hustling and committee work leads, for the parade Is the crowning fea ture of the Ak-Sar-Ben year and ia the loadstone that attracts thousands of out-of-town visitors to the Gate City, where they admire the beauties of the handiwork wrought at the Den, and, Incidentally, spend a few Of their dollars of the realm with the money changers within tho city's gates. For the lact ten years the Coliseum has been the royal wcrkshop and from present Indications will continue to be the place from the portals of which annually emerge the twenty gorgeous floats, wrought by dexterous hands. Like a fairy tale told at one's mother's knee, the pageant re veals Itself on a curtain day every fall and 13 then returned from whence It came for the dissembling prosess. Not unlike the necromancers of old do Manager Renze and hla ataff of artisans work for months and out of wood, paper, Unfel, paint, plas ter of parts and other constituents design the wonderful moving pictures that thrill Merriment Reigns 1 r f y." '' - .-.vv.if fi' HARRIS MAJOR DOMO IIENRY HARDT. and Entertaining Initiation of the multitudes and delight thi thousands. From the first year the custom of con structing twenty floats has not changed from a numerical standpoint, but from the artlstlo viewpoint they have tpoken for themselves from fall to fall. In that each successive season has been better than the one before. To do this iu no Idle task, but la characteristic of everything bearing the trade mark of Ak-Sar-Ben. Daildlna; of the Floats. General Superintendent Otis A. Renze, who is In complete charge at the Den, has had charge of the work for ten years, learning his business l'i St. Loula. After the usual approval of the designs by the board of governors, he Is given praotically carte blanche, and with a master hand works out the marvels of color and light known as the electrical parade. After each fall's parade he takes a needed rest and then rolls up hla sleeves for another campaign. On the actual float work he haa a staff of ten when the work has progressed a month or so. Then the floats are fashioned until they meet with his approval. - After the initiation aeason haa closed the auditorium of the Den Is cleared of the chairs, scenery and other parapher nalia used in the initiation until all the floats are visible from a central point on the floor. About two weeks before the day set for the electrical parade rehearsals are begun and from then on Mr. Renze la like a bride on the eve of her wedding, anxious that even to the hem of her garment every thing will be In readiness for the auspi cious hour. And be It said to the credit of Manager Renze, he and his staff have always been on time and at the wings, waiting for their cue to go on aa It were, Ak-Sar-Ben Owns the Den. The Coliseum la now tho home of Ak-Sar-Ben both In fact and fancy. Last winter the Board of Governors bought the building and lots and since that time nearly $5,000 has been expended, making the struc ture safe and capable of holding a crowd to its utmost capacity. New floors have been put In, the brick foundation over hauled, supplementary supports placed here and there, the wiring thoroughly in spected and many other Improvements made. For the first time since the organization Ak-Sar-Ben Street Parades FTER ak the spectacular feature of Ak-Sar-Ben are what the great public is most interested in. It was ro arrange and provide a parade that the body waa first organized, and, while the original Idea has expanded in every direction, the oentral thought has not been lost sight of. Quite tho contrary, each succeeding pageant has been of a nature to convince the beholder that aa Ak-Sar-Ben waxes In puissance, so does he take delight in giving more am ple and convincing illustration of his might and wealth. Each year sees If pos sible a more brilliantly beautiful spectacle than the ne preceding. The fame of the Omaha electrically-Illuminated parades haa spread throughout the land, and the event la looked forward to by thousands who are not Nebraskans, while every loyal citizen of the state wants to see it. The theme for the electric pageant this season is "The Story of the State," and it is told la twenty floats, as follows: Float No. 1 Title -float, "The Story of the State." Float No. 2 "Before the Dawn of His tory." I Float No. S-"The Tropical Age." Float No. 4 "The Age of Ice." Float No. 6 "The Earliest Inhabitants." Float No. fr-"The Vision of Cibola," lNCX - VX of Ak-Sar-Ben the grand ball will not be held at the Den, this being due to the erection of the Auditorium, a more suitable, though not as commodlus place. It Is of more than passing notice to re member that the Idea of utilizing electric ity In floats originated at the Den and with Manager Renze. The first electrical parade was given In Omaha seven years ago and the success was such as to war rant Its continuance. During the past few years the Idea has been copied by a num ber of eastern cities and on numerous oc casions delegations from other places have called at the Den and Inquired as to the manner of operating the electrical parade. Mr. Renze takes It as a tribute to his labors of yeara that on a recent occasion the man from whom he- learned his pro fession visited him at the Den and ac knowledged he saw many things that were helpful to him in connection with his work with the Priests of Pallas. This year there will be 7,000 Incandescent lights on the twenty floata, all these lights being Installed at the Den. In ita entirety the Ak-Sar-Ben Den occu pies a niche peculiar to Itself. There are but few Institutions In the country like It and It can truthfully he said that for ac commodations in the matter of float build ing it Is unexcelled anywhere. But above and beyond the float feature, which is, after all, but a means to an end, Is the grand work of upbuilding Omaha and Nebraska, much of which receives its Inspiration at the Den. The foremost men of the state have acknowledged this fact and none can gainsay it. Even men of national reputation have left the Den enthused with the enthusiasm manifested there on occasions. The Den is the home of Ak-Sar-Ben and Ak-Sar-Ben stands for all that is ennobling to the city and state and its future development. , South Omaha a Participant South Omaha people have alwaya taken a great deal of interest In the annual Ak-Sar-Ben carnival. This year perhaps more Interest has been manifest than ever be foro and the number of Magio Cltyltes who made their bow before the grand Float No, 7 "The Louisiana Purchase." Float No. 8 "Westward the Star of Em pire." Float No. 9 "The Lewis and Clark Ex pedition." Float No. 10 "The Silent Plains." Float No. 11 "The Hardy Pioneers." Float No. 13 "The Great State Seal." Flout No. 13 "Omaha, the Gate City." Float No. 14 "Af?riculturo." Float No. lf "Horticulture and Flori culture." Float No. 16 "Commerce." Float No. 17 "Communication." Float No. 18 "Science and Art." Float No. 19 "Ak-Sar-Ben's Tenth An niversary." Float No. 20 "King of Kings." Thomes of the Illuminated pageant In past years have been: 1896 "The Feast of Mondamln." "Visitors from Olympus." 1897 "A History of Quivera." 1698 "Visitors from Olympus," ls9"Quaint and Merry." 1800 "The Isles of the Sea." 1 HOT "When Knighthood Was In Flower." 1902 "Festival of Fairyland." 1S "Longfellow's Poems." In addition to these wonderful pageants, Samson haa directed each year a atreet parade, either by dark or by daylight, that haa been a curtain raiser for the big ahow. He has one planned for the present aeason, but, aa in the past, he la guarding Ita na ture aa a state secret, ao that no one will be disappointed when It la pulled off. - TEX VIHTQIil C9 CIBOLA. Supreme GRAND PROTUONOTART WILLIAM K E&TNEDT. New Recruits mufti exceeds that of any of the previous years. Aa for members on the Board of Governors, South Omaha has four well. known citizens who have served with dis tinction. Dlsttnffalahed Cltlaens Interested, The first was A. H. Noyes, general man- . ager of the Hammond Packing company. Mr. Noyea alwaya took a great deal of Interest in the Ak-Sar-Ben work and did up to the time of removal from thla city to Chicago. i R. C. Howe, general manager of the Ar mour company, served a term on the Board of Governors, and he entered heartily Into the work andtalked it at the Live Stock exchange every day during the lunoheou hour. By his efforts many South Omaha people were induoed to hand in their In itiation fee and Join the great hand of Omaha and Nebraska boosters, Colonel James G. Martin Is another red hot member of the order who la always at the front. Colonel Martin has served hla time on the Board of Governors and did good work in organizing Initiatory parties to go through the work and take the usual blood-crudllng oath that binds all of the -members to stand up for Nebraska, Omaha and South Omaha, The Red Letter Governor. The red letter member of the Board of Governors so far, however. Is W, J. C Kenyon, general manager of the Union , Stock Yards company. Mr, Kenyon, along in the summer, asked the board to deslg- natn u nlcht tn tiA lArmail no dMith fimBh. ---I. - - MOT w u . . ! night. The board set aside August 1 as the night when South Omaha people would be put through the ordeal. When Mr. Ken. yon asked for a special night, he agreed that he would vroduoe on the occasion 10O or more candidates. It waa after making this agreement that Mr. Kenyon started on the warpath after his hundred members. He had little difficulty In securing forty new members from tho Live Stock ex change.. Then he turned hla attention to the territory east of the tracks. There Just simply was no use of trying to get away from Mr. Kenyon and the boosters he had along with him. The result was .. that when the night of August 1 rolled . around three special oars on the motor line were provided to oonvy the 103 new mem bers to the den. Mr. Kenyon occupied the position of grand mufti that night, and he 'certainly gave the South Omaha members hla undivided attention. The Interest awakened by Mr. Kenyon in South Omaha night resulting in the bringing in of a soore or more South Omaha people who had been holding back. South Omaha thla year haa a representation in Ak-Sar-Ben of at least 2(X members. Ora-anlse Riding- Club. Going back to the earlier yeara of the king'a reign, the stock yards boys organ ised a riding club in 1897, and under com. mand of Colonel A L. Lott drilled twice a week for about two months before the fall parades. The members of the riding club patterned their apparel from the Stock Yards Riding club in Chicago. Each rider wore a black frock coat. Fedora hat, wh'.te pantaloons, white vat and long enamel riding boots. The horses were equippe d with Vhite bridles and white" ,trimnHdi saddle cloths. On the first showing of the club the interest taken was so great that the next ;sar, exposition year, the club in- creased ita membership and made an excel lent showing, riding in all of the Ak-Saf-Ben parades. The year following the cluh rode during the parades and then disbanded!) South Omaha business men are ao lnter-( ested now that many declare that thla V city will come to the front with more V 'than double thla year's magnificent mam. bershlp. 2CO. TT"Ka K-BAT.-EBN'a TENTH ANNIVERSARY. ' - I." ( : . i r