News: Lodge P. J. Safarik, order C. S. P. S., 1900-1919

BASTL, SHIMEK, BURICH, WOLTISHEK, KORAB, DVORSKY, ZEITHHAMMER, PRIZLER, KUBICHEK, NERAD, KADLEC, KANAK, VESELY, SOUCEK, KONVALINKA, VLASTA, CALTA

Posted By: Stephen D. Williams (email)
Date: 7/23/2005 at 21:23:18

Daily Iowa State Press
Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa
Monday, 26 March 1900
page 5 of 8, column 4

CHARGES ANSWERED.
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C. S. P. S. Answers the Attack
Made Upon the Order.
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EDITOR OF THE STATE PRESS: The recent attack upon certain Bohemian organizations, among them the C. S. P. S. of which a branch exists here in Iowa City, must not go unrebuked and unanswered. Until a more extended notice of this cowardly assault can be taken, we, a committee of the lodge P. J. Safarik, of the order C. S. P. S., desire to make the following statement:
The attack which appeared in the Sheldon sheet, and in part reprinted in the Republican, is aimed at a number of Bohemian societies in general, but above all the order C. S. P. S. seems to have been selected by the dastardly assailants as a target. the charge is made that our order teaches and encourages suicide, and that it systematically teaches atheism, crime and immorality. This is an absolute falsehood, for the refutation of which we point to our local lodge.
The lodge P. J. Safarik has been in existence now for 18 years, and during this period of activity the public and private lives of most of its members have been well known to their fellow-citizens.
We call attention to the fact that during all these years of the existence of the lodge, not one member has committed suicide and we deny absolutely that there is anything in the tendencies or practices of the order which lead to such an end, and we denounce the charge as cowardly and contemptible. Equally emphatically do we denounce the charge that the order systematically teaches atheism. Our order is a benevolent aid society and of the usual type. Its membership is made up of men of all opinions, for no requirement bearing upon religious or political view is made; and indeed the consideration of such questions IS prohibited by the by-laws of the grand lodge of this state.
We have maintained, or assisted in maintaining a local school for many years. This school has been conducted to the Third ward school building during the summer vacation, and presumably the writers of the contemptible article would include that in the class to which they refer. In this school are taught the elements of the Bohemian language, reading, writing and grammar and one of the text books used is a translation of the history of the United States. During his last year in Iowa City Rev. Bastl, pastor of Bethlem chapel, was a teacher in this school and was engaged for the following year.
For four years Prof. Shimek was a reader in the same school. Children of all creeds have attended and none were given offense. If there has been any improper of offensive teaching in this school, when and where was it? We court an investigation of our school. The last funeral of a member which the lodge attended, that of Mr. Burich, was held from the Bohemian Catholic church (though the lodge as a body was not permitted to enter.) We have in our membership a representation of various religious views, and no member is given offense.
Do the facts here presented sustain the charge which the coterie of slanderers in Cedar Rapids makes through the Sheldon sheet?
We ask that the motives of those who make charges against us be investigated.
Dr. Woltishak [Woitishek?], under whose name the attack appeared, was an active member of several of the societies which he attacks, until they ceased to appoint him their examining physician--and here in Iowa City there are those who have circulated similar stories, who are not free from selfish motives.
We point to the lives and conduct of our members as the best refutation of the infamous charges. for honesty and uprightness, for freedom from crime, and for all that marks the man and the citizen, our members may take place beside any other organization, and we protest against the brutal attacks of cranks and the cowardly insinuations of those whose motives are at least questionable.
P. A. KARAB,
J. W. DVORSKY,
FR. ZEITHAMMER,
PETER PRIZLER,
W. J. KUBICHEK.

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Daily Iowa State Press
Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa
Thursday, 20 February 1902
page 4 of 4, column 4

Twenty Rich Years,
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Flourishing C. S. P. S. Lodge
Celebrates Close of Double
Decade.

The lodge P. J. Safarik, C. S. P. S., celebrated its 20th anniversary last night at the splendid building it has erected in the park north of the Third ward school.
Several hundred guests were present coming and going throughout the evening and the vent was a decided success from first to last.
The lodge is famous for its delicious suppers and that served last night was no exception as the epicurean partakers thereof lost no opportunity to testifying. The ladies certainly spread upon the snowy linen a feast fit for a king. After full justice had been done the royal repast, there came a season of song, eloquence and merriment.
Euclid Sanders delivered an eloquent and forceful address in English and Prof. Shimek gave a stirring and enthusiasm [sic] awakening speech in the Slavonic tongue.
Band and vocal music also contributed interest and pleasure to the postprandial program.
A feature of the latter was the singing of "My Country, Tis of Thee." by Prof. Shimek's class of children--who rendered the patriotic hymn in both English and Bohemian--alternating the soul inspiring verses. The translation was Prof. Shimek's own, and by those in a position to know, the translation is pronounced perfect. The metrical perfection of the hymn all appreciated.
The C. S. P. S. lodge has yet to make a failure in its efforts to entertain, and hundreds of Iowa Cityans will long praise Chairman P. A. Korab and the other members of the committee in charge for the enjoyment afforded by last night's celebration. May the lodge have many another happy anniversary.

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Iowa City Daily Press
Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa
Friday, 2 December 1904
page 1 of 8, column 2

400 PARTAKE OF
FINE GAME SUPPER
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LADIES OF THE C. S. P. S. SERVE
THE HUNGRY.
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Hall is Scene of Pleasant Gathering
--$150 Realized--Will Help Liquid-
ate Debt on Building.
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Four hundred hungry Iowa Cityans, young and old, big and little, and of all nationalities, thronged the spacious dining hall at the C. S. P. S. building last evening, and partook to their heart's content of the splendid game supper served by the good ladies of Iowa City's well known Bohemian organization.
There was an abundance of good things for all but when supper as over, little was left of the abundance. Game, of course, including quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, squirrels, and other wild flesh, formed the chief portion of the bill of fare, all cooked and served to perfection. Something over $150 was realized as the result of the supper. This money will be used in aiding to extinguish the debt hanging over the society's pretty home.
The structure standing at the corner of Johnson and Church streets, opposite the third ward park, was erected several years ago by the society as an attempt to solve the problem of caring for the Bohemian young people of the city, and to give them a pleasant and comfortable gathering place, where they might be free from the temptations which otherwise would surround them. When the erection of the building began the society had only one thousand dollars on hand. The structure cost $8,000, and through the generosity of friends here and elsewhere, was completed with a debt of but $3,700. This has, by the energetic efforts of the members, been reduced to only $1,500. This too, in spite of the fact that some $500 worth of improvements have been added to the building since its completion. The interior finishing of the house was done by the members themselves, working after supper until late at night, for many days.
The organization, whose finial letters have become so familiar to our people, has rather long name, which in the native tongue of its people, is Cesko-Slovansky Podprujici Spolek, which, translated into the vernacular of English-speaking people, means, "Bohemian-Slavonian Benevolent Society."
The local organization is known as Lodge P. J. Safarik, No. 75, and numbers 85 members. In addition to the parent society, a young peoples' literary club, the "Beseda," has been organized. This is carried out on the principles of the old-time lyceum--in the Bohemian tongue on American lines. The club is proving of great value to the Bohemian young people of the city, and must be counted among the influences for good in the community.

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The Iowa City Daily Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa
Wednesday, 24 December 1919
page 8 of 10, column 1

BOHEMIAN CLUBS IN
ANNUAL ELECTIONS
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Two Iowa City Bohemian organizations elected officers Sunday evening in meetings at the C. S. P. S. hall in the north part of the city. The Bohemian Slavonion Benevolent Society (C. S. P. S.) chose the following officers for the new year:
Anton Nerad--President.
Peter Prizler--Vice president.
F. J. Zeithammer, Sr.--Secretary.
J. M. Kadlec--Financial secretary.
William L. Kanak--Treasurer.
Edward Korab--Conductor.
Frank Dvorak--Guard.
The Z. C. B. J. society (Western Bohemian Fraternal Association) likewise elected new officials to carry on the work of the order during the year 1920. They were:
Frank J. Zeithammer--President.
Anton Vesely--Vice president.
Anton Soucek--Secretary.
Mrs. Anna Konvalinka--Treasurer.
J. M. Kadlec--Financial secretary.
Mrs. Vlasta Soucek--Conductress.
John Calta--Guard.