Aid from Knights of Pythias & A.O.U.W.

Rathbone Lodge No. 9
Endowment Rank

Knights, who belonged to Rathbone lodge No. 9, Knights of Pythias, who gave up their lives in the mine explosion on May 1, 1900 at Scofield, Utah.

Rathbone lodge No. 9 Knights of Pythias, at Scofield was one of the most flourishing of the Pythian Lodges of the State. It had forty-four enthusiastic, big hearted fellows with funds for its ordinary needs.

A number of its members had just formed an incorporation, the Fraternal Building Association of Scofield and Winter Quarters, and had completed arrangements to erect a handsome two story building, half way between the railway station at Scofield and the company store at Winter Quarters, between which two points nearly all the cottages of the mine and railway employees are situated.

The building was arranged for entertainments on the ground floor, with ample stage room for the ordinary play. The upper floor was arranged for a lodge room with ante rooms, reception rooms and a banquet room. The building completed would have cost about three thousand dollars. Two thirds of this amount was subscribed when the awful accident occurred, which not only took away some of the biggest subscribers, but also many of the most active in all the affairs of the lodge. Fourteen of its members, loyal hearted and kind, were swept away in a breath leaving many widows and orphans. The grand lodge officers came at once with words of sympathy and hope; The lodge bylaws provides for $60 benefit to be paid in case of death which alone amounts to $780 and that amount is increased almost as much more by the needs of widows and orphans. The Grand Chancellor Fred W. Gardiner, addressed a letter to the other lodges in the domain and is assured that this money will be supplied at once by them.

Four of the dead brothers, John Webber, John Hunter, William C. Reese, and James J. Jenkins were members of the endowment rank of the order, with five hundred dollars in the case of Brother Jenkins, and one thousand dollars to each of the other three.

Nearly one-half of the members of this lodge carry the insurance provided by the order.

The other dead are Robert Ferrish, John Lloyd, Daniel Pitman, John Pitman, John R. Price, William Parmley, Frank Strang, Joseph S. Thomas, and Jas. Ferrins. There were three other Knights of Pythias killed who were not members of the local lodge.

The Pythians were at once among the most active in searching for the bodies and caring for the recovered dead, and ministering' to the needs of the stricken relatives.

Saturday from early morning they began conveying, the dead to the busy cemetery on the hill, and the beautiful Pythian service was repeated around the graves many times, both morning and afternoon.

The brothers throughout the domain are urged to render assistance both instant and ample.

Strong Appeal Issued To Knights By Grand Chancellor

Grand Chancellor Gardiner of the Knights of Pythias, has issued a strong appeal to the Pythian lodges of the domain of Utah, to contribute to a fund now being raised by the order for the relief of the widows and orphans of the Knights of Rathbone lodge No. 9, who were killed at Scofield. A number of Knights from Ogden, Salt Lake City, Bingham, Park City, and Provo will go down to Scofield on this morning's train to represent the order at today's funerals, and Grand Chancellor Gardiner said last night that it was his understanding that there would be a union service, in which all of the fraternal orders which had members among the dead, would join.

The four K. of P. lodges of the city will also send a handsome floral wreath to Scofield today.

Rocky Mountain lodge No. 2, K. of P., Salt Lake

Rocky Mountain lodge No. 2, K. of P., Salt Lake, which met last night, raised $150, thus heading the K. of P. contribution. This lodge also appointed a committee consisting of William Hearst, George Yedder, John Heil, T. M. Patton, Frances Mitchell, Thomas Hobday, and Sig Simon to solicit subscriptions from its members.

The grand chancellor said the information furnished the press that there were no lodges at Scofield and Castle Gate was incorrect, and that at Scofield there was a lodge of forty-five members, sixteen of whom are reported among the killed by the explosion.

Members of the Maccabees stated yesterday, that if there were any of their order among the killed, they did not know of it.

Salt Lake Valley lodge No. 12 of the A. O. U. W.

Salt Lake Valley lodge No. 12 of the A. O. U. W. at last night's meeting appointed A. J. Young, E. J. Petty, and George A. Tuckfield as the committee to represent their lodge at tonight's A. O. U. W. conference, and Temple lodge No. 15 which meets tonight, will appoint its conference committee the first thing so that the committees of the three lodges will be able to act together.

John R. Price	J. Evan Jones

Distributing The Flowers

Boys from Provo, who volunteered to assist at Scofield

A prominent member of the Woodmen said yesterday, that he knew of none of his order among the killed, and that if a member of the order went into coal mining he ran the risk of invalidating his insurance.

Biographical of Knights of Pythias

Frank Mereweather, Past C. C.

Frank Mereweather, Past Chancellor of Rathbone Lodge No. 9 Knights of Pythias was born in England May 1, 1864. He is at present the managing partner of Mereweather and Earll, and although he has been a miner for seven years, he has made his business, second to none in Scofield. He is also Vice Grand of No. 32 and has served as R. S to Noble Grand and Conductor. Having joined No. 32 at the institution of the lodge he has filled his different offices with credit to himself and to his lodge.

At the time of the explosion he was president of the Fraternal Building Association.

Brother Mereweather has filled nearly all of the responsible positions in the community and has given the best of satisfaction to the people of Scofield. Being a member of the Board of School Trustees, he has by the judicious handling of the school fund, placed the district out of debt, and has assisted in placing the public school of Scofield upon a higher plane, and raising the standard of education until Scofield now boasts of her public school.

Evan Jones

Evan Jones, son of Lewis Jones of Winter Quarters is a member of Rathbone Lodge No. 9. When the call for volunteers was made, Evan was one of the first to respond from this place. He enlisted in "Torrey's Rough Riders," but was sent home sick. His two younger brothers were killed in the explosion.

It was of such brave men as Evan that the Army of the United Stated was composed, and not alone on the battle field did his heroism take place but in the annals of history no braver or more manly deed was performed than was performed by this brave boy. At the time of the explosion being in the mine and realizing the danger, he gathered the body of his best friend, David Padfield, who had already succumbed to the deadly gas, upon his shoulder and his younger brother Willie Jones under his arm and started for the mouth of the mine where they might be resuscitated. In the hurry and excitement of his flight, his lamp became extinguished and catching his foot in one of the rails, and stumbling forward lost his grasp upon the bodies he was carrying. His ankle was wrenched and not being able again to resume his load staggered forward alone, now suffering from his injured limb, and feeling the effects of the deadly damp upon himself. By frantic efforts he overcame the damp, reaching the mouth of the mine, alive where he was assisted by loving hands to his home.

His friend that he had so bravely tried to rescue and his two brothers were removed from the mine later, dead.

John R. Price

John R. Price a young member of Rathbone Lodge No. 9, was a driver in the mine at Winter Quarters.  He was a son of Marshal John L. Price and was much respected in the community on account of his genial disposition, always having a smile and a word of joy for everyone.

List of Beneficiaries
Benefits paid through the country by Knights of Pythias, 1899

Garrett H. Scott, Marvell, Arkansas
Robert S. Dunn, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Livingston Spofford, Amesburg, Massachusetts
Daniel P. Porter, Jackson, Mississippi
Percy E. Cleveland, Nashville, Tennessee
Etienne Ghirardi, Houma, Louisiana
George D. Shelton, Vicksburg, Mississippi
John V. Burman, Meridian; Mississippi
Samuel Zeigler, Salt Lake City, Utah
Samuel O. Cupples, Chelsea, Massachusetts
Julius Lowenthal, Mobile, Alabama
Jacob Renner, Bessemer, Louisiana
William C. Falkes, Live Oak, Louisiana
Napoleon L. Guice, Meridian, Mississippi
Thomas L. Leeper, Breckenridge, Missouri
James Benson, Brooklyn, New York
John G. Schleber, Rochester, New York
Nathan Simon, New York, New York
John Steel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Robert F. Donaldson, Statesboro, Georgia
Jonathan F. Taylor, Carbondale, Illinois
Henry C. Haskell, Albany, New York
Henry V. Meacham, Sidon, Mississippi
Henry C. Schwahu, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
George H. Patty, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Bertram W. Culver, Onarga, Illinois
John W. C. Parker, Linnville, Tennessee
Frederick R. Shedd, Poughkeepsie, New York
Marshall K. Key, Helena, Arkansas
Frank M. Merrill, Trucker, California
Samuel T. Shepard, Central Mills, Alabama
Charles A. Davidson, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Joseph B. Shepherd, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Henry E. Hart, Carthage, Tennessee
William F. Gallon, Peekskill, New York
Howel H. Homes, Greenville, Mississippi
Wayne C. Morgan, Russellville, Arkansas
Jacob Kahn, Pensacola, Florida
Henry W. Burr, Boston, Massachusetts
James F. Brown, Aberdeen, Mississippi
Peter Stecker, New York, New York
Charles A. Bailey, Nashville, Tennessee
Hugh Miller, Des Moines, Iowa
James F. Gordon, Indianapolis, Indiana
James Lee, Newton, Mississippi
George Goerlich, St Louis, Missouri
Christ Steinhouser, Pittsburg, Kansas
Philip Fitz, Brookville, Indiana
William B. Dame, Macon, Georgia
Charles M. Parish, Louisville, Kentucky
Julius Thurm, Washington, D. C
William Davis, Butte, Montana
Robert B. Epperson, Clarksville, Texas
Edward Lord, Jersey City New Jersey
Henry Clark, Weymouth, Massachusetts
Rueben B. Loryea, Manning, South Carolina
John A. Schaffer, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Oliver Eastland, Forest, Mississippi
Ward Smith, Mansfield, Ohio
James W. Hall, Toledo, Ohio
Frederic C. Oppe, Galveston, Texas
Ellery Radell, Somerville, Massachusetts
William F. Henry, Humboldt, Tennessee
Charles A. Elder, Trenton, Tennessee
Reuben M. Arnold, Meadville, Pennsylvania
John G. McNair, Scotch Plains, N. J.
Jefferson B. Graham, Galveston, Texas.
Alfred W. Fairburn, Milton, Florida
Amos G. Kenyon, Seneca Falls, New York
Henry Jacob, New Orleans, Louisiana
Samuel Johnson, Elmira, New York
Joseph B. Browning, Montgomery, Alabama

Index

Source: History of the Scofield Mine Disaster, by J. W. Dilley, The Skelton Pub. Co., Provo, Utah, 1900.

Editors Note: The I.. O. O. F. were very active in raising money for the benefit of the widows and children along with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This information is included for historical value, it does not mean the people of this project support these institutions.