Ladies Of Distinction

While peacefully engaged in effecting the disappearance of an ampie bilí of fare which our reporter, through the generous susceptibihty of the clerk ot the Cook house, had been permitted to assail, Wednesday morning, he suddenly found himself surrounded by acompany of distinguished appearing ladies. There were ladies to the right of him, ladies to the left of him; ladies in front of him; into the very jaws of ladies had rushed this reporter; but with a digestión nerved for any fate, and an eye to the main chance, he kept at the beefsteak and potatoes, incidentally remarking his excellent fortune in tinding himself in such a presence. The distinguished ladies smiled at this exhibition of fortitude, agreed that he ought to feel contented with his surroundings and received the solemn assurance of the scribe that such was the case and that he was never happier in his life thanat that moment. This was a lie, of course, for though it was pleasing to be surrounded by so many of the fair, he feit that in the days of his youth, it was greater ecstacy to be surrounded by one. Inquiry developed the fact that this refined and cultured company of ladies were state dignitaries in the rapidly increasing order of the L. O. T. M. and were the executive committee and finance auditors of the Michigan división. The former had met in Ann Arbor to finish up the business of the fiscal year cnj the latter to examine the books of the Great Record, Keeper, Miss Emma Bower, of this city. The executive committee was composed of the following ladies; Mrs. Lillian Hollister, Great Lady Commander, of Detroit; Miss Bina .'. '.Vest, Great Lieut. Commander and Miss Susie S. Graves, Great Finance Keeper, of Port Huron. The finance auditors were Miss Cora B. Reid, Miss Cora L. Cronk and Mrs. Clara E. Young, of Port Huron. Miss Bina N. West, Great Lieut. Commander, of Michigan, also has the distinction of being the Supreme Record Keeper of the order in the United States. To this lady our reporter is indebted for the information that the L. O. T. M. of the United States now number 40,000 and the Michigan división about 18,000; also that the increase in the state during the past year has been about 5,000. Our representative is entirely sure that he is not the least bit dazed, but in his clear, cool wits, when he asserts that during his veteran reportorial career, he has not met with a finer body of lady officials than the grand officers of the L. O. T. M. who were this week visitors to Ann Arbor.