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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1911)
4 i Distinguished Men Have Been Knighted BOB MANLEY'S PRETIY GIRL AT THE DEN. KEWS BHK SOI.TJ MJl.btONS OK COFtES OK THE GOAT, BUT IT' WOt'LDN'T HH KA1II TO TELL WHO HE IS. N .the sixteen years ot lis ' existence . the Ak-Sar-Ben organization . has . taken every opportunity to enter als distinguished visitors to the Klngdohi of Quivera in such a way that they would Temember for ever the king and his glory. It has not been only to the visitors from dbraska cities, or even to delegates no the many national conventions which are held in Omaha that the Ak-Sar-Ben Den has. been made a famous place. .Whenever oue of the nation's greatest men goe3 through Omaha in the warm time of the year he nearly always gets taken in charge by the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben. Perhaps the most memorable day in the history1 of the organization was also a great day In the first year sf the Transmississippi and Inter actional exposition in 1898. Jubilee week of the exposition came October 10 to 15, inclusive, and for two days during that time some of the most distinguished men who ever visited in Omaha cams here with President McKinley. In that entertainment the Knights of i Ak-Sar-Ben took a lead ing part. It could hardly' be said that the paxty, was their especial charge, but they' helped, and as the leading men in the Ak-Sar-Ben were the leading men in the exposition to a great extent the same persons acted as hosts as in later years have enter tained in the name of Quivera. Among the people who rode Oc tober 11 behind a column of Ak-Sar-Ben knights on horseback were the president of the United States, Wil liam McKinley, and members of his suite; the Chinese minister, Wu Ting Fang: the Corean roiniste ;2 seotatlves of Cuba, Brazil ie Republic, the members" 'president's cabinet, including Cor nelius N. Bliss, Secretary Wilson, Lyman J. Gage, George D. Melkle John, governors and senators and con gressmen from Nebraska, Colorado and other states, Major General Nel son H. Miles and Brigadier General Sumner, Chief of the Weather Bureau Moore, Commissioner ot Education W. T. Harris and Generals John C. Black and A. W. Greely, with col onels, majors and captains galore. As the history of the exposition tays, " The board or governors or tne Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, in their natty uniforms, mounted, formed the escort of honor, and as the distinguished guests passed along the streets tens of thousands of the citizens of Omaha and visitors greeted the president and the other noted officials with great enthusiasm. On the review- lng stand in front of the city hall were gathered many representative citizens of Omaha and the Trans niisslssippi territory, and as Presi dent McKinley appeared a great shout of welcome went up, and It Gallant A f : t t . n11 njJb I . . . .... j . i . i Knights I was with great difficulty that order was restored and a way 'cleared through the street for the passing pageant, which consisted of the elec trical parade of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, unexcelled in the spectacu lar and artistic beauty of its floats." But tho year 1898 had other great events for AU-Sar-Ben beside the presidential visit. Presidents are un important to the king of Quivera. Several of them have done him hom age and ho takes it as his right. Just a week before the president and the great party were here Governor Bush nell of Ohio was at the exposition to help irrthe celebration of "Ohio day" and Incidentally saw the electrical parade, which was almost as beauti ful In those days as it is now. After it had passed the reviewing stand he said enthusiastically, "Splendid! Beautiful in conception and artistic in every detail. It is one of the finest parades I ever had the pleasure of witnessing." At the ball of that year, 189S, no less a personage than Chauncey Mitchell Depew of New York was in attendance. He came when his repur tatlon as an orator and statesman was at its height. A newspaper of October 8 says: "As Chauncey Mitchell. Depew advanced through the double quartets of dancers he -was given an ovation that could not( but have pleased him. He was accom panied by President Callaway of the New York Central railroad. Dr. Depew and his fellows gallantly Gymkhana at (Continued from Page Five.) from them and then bullets poured down on us. They didn't come hard enough to hurt, but they had us wor ried feome. "At that the Hottentots Jumped in among us and started prodding ua into line behind the king and T. Hell- yer Seigh and their fellows. Some of us tried to escape, but it was no use. We thought we were going to be 'bully entrees" sure enough. The knights and visitors sat still and jelled 'goodbye' at us, which wasn't encouraging. "They got us out of the theater and then ran us through a long, dark passage. Pretty 60on they got us up to a door and we could look through and see that It led back Into the theater. I was one of the first. 1 could Bee the fellows ln the theater were looking towards this door and they seemed to be expecting some- thing. "One of the Hottentots gave me a Horsemen Who Rode tilt B. UANCtmi-' of Ak-Sar-Ben b . ... "V Xt&L -...-A -i cut irjit-p PunrnniiiPH sHnwivn pinT nv Tim rnown i FLA8H-1JOHT PHOTOOnAPH SHOWING PART OK TUB CHOWD DURING 'paid their respects to tho king and queen, the former saying many com plimentary things to her royal majesty." In the history of the Ak-Sar-Ben Initiations there will probably never be an event of greater moment than the Initiation on the night of Sep tember 2, 1910. At that time Theo dore Roosevelt, former president of the United States and as well known a public man as tho west had ever seen, was making his grent swing around the circle as a private citizen. It was a triumphal Journey for the colonel and Ak-Sar-Ben never took in a more worthy or redoubtable sub ject. "Halley's Comet" was the show that delighted T. R. and it was with the ceremonies of that year already tried out on many less Important novitiates that he was taken In. After a strenuous day in Omaha, when his entertainment had included a banquet, luncheon and speech at the Field club at noon, a speech at the Auditorium in the afternoon and another banquet and a short speech at the Omaha club in the evening. He went whisking out to the Den in the big scarlet touring car in which Gould Dietz had been driving . him around all day, and was taken to the initiates' entrance on the side. When he entered with members of the vari ous entertaining committees he was taken in charge by . seven" ferocious devils. These busy little demons, deaf to his pleas for mercy, hustled him Which Samson shove through the door. I landed on my feet in a big revolving tube, like one of these washing machines they use in laundries with the head knocked out. Before I could straighen up the thing commenced to revolve, The gang looking at me started to roar. 1 lost my feet and the thins started to speed up. It turned me over and over untii i didn't know niy nead trom my feet, when it Biowcd down I would Btart out and then somebody would start it going agai. The more I struggled the more the crowd roared. I finally made it, though, and then I sat down and had my flllvof laughter at the others. There was a sign beside the thing that said it was the 'Milwaukee Mixer." I guess every fellow that got into It was pretty thoroughly mixed before he got out. "When a man got through too easily he was grabbed and driven into another dark passage, so when all had been through the mixer they had for Life and Love Each KNOTT AND HliJ LSCOr.T. THE OMAHA SUNDAY HKE: OCTOBER 1, 1HU. Intent on Progress of the Gymkhana Into the secret fastnesses of the build ing and to a private box, where he could see the performance of the comet and be seen by tho- thousands present. That was the punishment, the ordeal which he had to pass to become a knight. . Horrible! The colonel had hoped to escape making another speech after his hard day, but after President Pickens had introduced Albert W. Jefferis and that orator had voiced his brilliant eulogy of tho guest Mr. Roosevelt rose to the demands of his audience. He veered away from politics, kept out of Ananias discussions and avoided generally his favorite fight ing topics. As a paper of that date described It, "It was Just a little friendly chat." It served, however, to round out satisfactorily a memor able day and a very memorable Initi ation. The performance of Halley's comet that night was a marvel of brilliance. Never did the broilers prance more seductively and the colonel was ca joled Into waving his hand at them as they flitted about the stage. The first time Theodore Roosevelt was a visitor at the Ak-Sar-Ben Den and was entertained by the Ak-Sar-Ben knights he was not really initi ated into the mysteries of the king's inner shrine. It was in April, 1903, when he was In the chair as chief executive. He had just returned from his famous, rest trip through the Yellowstone and was fresh and vigorous, hurrying to get back to Entertained Guests of the King some material for more stunts. These fellows they dragged up to the tops of three parallel flights of stairs, They set them down in trios and then shoved them off. They bumped their ways down as best, they could, the stairs rolling under them and giving way when they tried to catch hold and check tho descent. "But the end was not yet. Three candidates were taken ip on the stage for a weight-lifting contest, Sakonutz had some weights for them to lift, as be said they claimed to be athletes. They didn't seem to be able to accomplish much in the lifting line, though the Hottentots threw the weights around as a boy throws his blocks. Sakonutz pronounced them Imposters and they wero or- dered held until fi punishment for them could be devised. "Three more were brought up be- fore T. Hellyer Seigh and tho king explained that they had been casting slurs at tho management because Week Iff . .. ft . v. VAJ AN INITIATION AT THK DEN. the eust and begin again his heavy labors. He spoke at the Den and 12.000 people, including the Knights, heard his address. He said in clos ing: "My fellows citizens, men and women of Omaha, let me close In expressing the abounding confidence 1 have that you of this city, that you of this state, will in the end work out your fnte nrlght, because I hold you to bo in a popular sense typical of all that Is best In tho American character." When William Howard Taft was mado a full-fledgod, thoroughbred, blown-ln-the-boltle Knight of Ak-Sar-Bon, ho said he had the time of his life, and he was probably about right. The last time the president was here was two years ago, Sep tember 20. He started on the trip on his birthday, September 15, Just as be did this year, but took a shorter route in getting to Nebraska. "I am delighted to be Introduced to jour company," Bald the ' president, os ho stood upon the platform during tho oprcy, '.'especially on this side of the footlights and to look at the goal from this side of the Vailing." "Paprika Schnitzel," the dainty of fering thai graced the boards at the Den that year, was Interspersed with pleasantries for the special benefit of the president. The chorus sang with great glee; "I'm simply daft on Hilly Taft, I think lie Ih n bird, The fcwclhmt K'nt tot preoldent who ever yet occurred; they had been in the Den since 8:30 and hadn't been given a drink. His lordship proposed they be forced into B drlnklnK contest. They were lined "P, eath a,8 Blve,D a DUge nllnt JuleP ln a crock or Jar thut would noW 8bout allon .... . counted three they were to start drinking. The man who finished first should win a valuable prize. As they raised the Juleps to their lips they completed an electric circuit that knocked the drinks from their hands and left them scared, trem bling and foolish-looking. "We hardly were through laughing at their sad experience when two more candidates were drawn onto tbo stage and stood up on opposite sides oh a. big board, hack to back. The lung announced that tho piece de re- slstance was about to be pulled off. Prof. Hoganlnskl, the famous knife thrower and sword swallower, was to demonstrate his ability by showing how near be coilld come to hitting the candidates with his knives and still miss them. "They teemed to have some trouble in finding Hoganlnskl, but he finally was located. It seemed as If he had got to drinking with some of the boys down town and it had mado him late to the Den. T. Hellyer Seigh was for abandoning the knife-throwing, but Takonutz said that never would do. Ho allowed that Hoganlnskl when in his cups was a better knlfo thrower than any of his imitators when sober. 'Ho never has killed a man yet," says the king, 'and never put'out but two or three eyes I think only two." ."The professor smoked a cigarette or two and picked up his knives. He dropped two or three as hp walked awuy a few paces and T. Hellyer Seigh became alarmed. Ho begged the king to call It off, sayi.ig It would be terrlblo If anyone should get hurt and Ak-Sar-Ben didn't want to fate any damage suits, to say nothing of criminal prosecutions. "Hoganlntkl eald he was all right, though, and the king would stand for nothing but to go right through with the performance. Tho irofetisor';J first threw v.as a wild one. He missed the board completely and the Knife v.tut tdluiug aliens the btae. T. by Ak - ' utij aayyy f" v.' Hut l for spk with pulls and rleek fur me the atuff It off. And punching pills around the lilIU I cannot mand tlie gaw f '' When they sprung that reference to his favorite recreation the presi dent was delighted. When ho first came Into the Den Duye O'Brien, dressed as a Scotchman, handed over to the president a speaking UkencHS of his own person done In O'Brien's best taffy. That pleased him still more. Then Uriclo Joe Cannon, natural as life, strode up and handed over a copy of tho Wpekly Burilon. The main stunt of the evening, however, was a golf game played by the quartet. While they were sing ing the little verses quoted above a little pickaninny, eq'filpped as a cad dlo, entered with an enormous bag of golf sticks Then tamo on t ho like ness of the president himself, and and proceeded to tee up his ball. Tho president in the box laughed and laughed still harder when a mo ment later a gang of photographers rushed up and got' In the mock, president's way so he could not make his stroke. T Ak-Sar-Bcn Initiations have fre-. quently been 'attended by delegates to great conventions who have been, gathered in Omaha "live .wires" from all over the country have been there, but probably no better adver tised bunch ever attended the. king dom than the delegates to the , na tional convention of the Associated Ad clubs, which met here in July, 1910. Hellyer Seigh gasped. 'Take your time; aim more carefully,' said the king. "Hoganlnskl said he needed a few more puffs on a. cigarette to steady his nerves. He tpok them and got ready to throw again. Pretty soon he let go. We could hear the knlfo bury Itself in the wood. Hoganlnskl smiled proudly. The candidate turned his head to see if there really was a knife there. There was all right. The candidate waa trembling consid erably. Tho professor took another little smoke and after some trouble in gathering up his knives be still was pretty nervous, made another throw. It was a good one and so were the rest. It required only a few minutes to put the knives around the candidate on the other side. Cheers for their nerve ln not fainting and laughter at their fears filled tho air. As a matter of fact,. Hoganlnskl never threw the knives. He made the motions, but he switched tho blades into bis roomy sleeves. Other knives, hinged to the board and con cealed in slots, flopped down as the professor affected to throw. "The three imitation weight-lift-era remained to bo punished. They were dragged to a bench and forced Professor Hoganinskis Feat I V "'' ..... . I JOHN HOCJAN THROWING THK KNIVES. Sar - Ben ILERR DIRECTEUR OF DAS GRAND OFERA. i --- j-- OSCAR MISHKN. "Halleys Pug-Nosed Comet." now famous in the annals of the Den for Its wonderful vogue) of performances with never a cold or unresponsive) audience, and never an empty house, was the offering which the Ad men enjoyed. They fairly swarmed- in their efforts to be properly initiated and the "kink" himself had great trouble in keeping them properly in. line. The speakers that night included S. C. Dobbs of Atlanta, president of. the association; Lufe Young of Des Moines, Louis Wylie of the New YorTt Times, Governor A. O. Eberhardt ot Minnesota, who made a big impres sion, and Mayor Pet Clayton of St. Joseph. These men, who made a,, profession of laudation, gave Omaha the best of the goods they had in stock, and no compliment that might possibly have been paid Ak-Sar-Ben and the mysteries of the initiation was omitted from their remarks. They constituted one group of initi ates who have done as much as any other influence to spread the famo of the organization and the Den all over the land. Ttaero have been many other fa mous nights and distinguished guests at the old Don. There have been also nights when only a few initiates wero present, but when everything went oft with such hilarity and Joy fulness that they have been memor able In themselves. Certainly bo distinguished guest could ever feel himself properly en tertained in Omaha without being put through bis paces before tba , good king, whose rule is so wise and magnanimous, whoso henchmen are bo ingenious in devising tortures for the unwary initiates and whose laughter and goodfellowshlp are so hospitable, so generous and so fa mous. to kneel. A party wno turned out to be his Satanic Majesty appeared behind them " 'They are impostors,' he shouted. 'They're out after the dough. Glvs it to them.' "With that the bench suddenly went down from in front of them and they were pitched forward towards a trough of dough that suddenly had cojhie' up from somewhere. They saved their faces by shoving their. . "We took the pledge then and were knights. The initiation was over and we had fifteen minutes of rattling good speeches, limited to three minutes each. When tbey were over wo made for the banquet room. It was as big as the theater and everything was Informal. There were piles of sandwiches, ham and cheese and hot wieners, hard boiled eggs, preUola and pickles. Everybody helped himself. There was milk, but termilk, coffee and beer to drink. We stood around and ate and talked and laughed and had a general good time. "When I went home I was filled with enthusiasm for Ak-Sar-Ben and Omaha and Nebraska. I never missed a meeting night after that. It was great to be eaton by the cannibals and it was a darned good town." 11P ' 1'- c . ' I j t ;""