Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-11-21

We copy the following from late
New York paper. Itcontans much III
formation respecting the Order IN this
country. u
Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On Tuesday the 10Th inst, there was
a display ofihe |. o. q. +. IN the city
of Brooklyn, as we have heretofore an-
ncunced. The occasion was the conse-
Grafton of four adjoining burial lots m
Greenwood Cemetery for Brooklyn
Lodge, No. GO. The day was inausp'-
cous, and as "a consequence, the Lod dges
did not turn out in such numbers as might |
have been expected there were never
tholess some eight hundred members OF
the order present, although many OF the
Lodges Of this city were not IN the ranks,
and others were only represented by
portion Of their officers. But nolwilh-
standing all disadvantag eous circumslan-
ces, the procession was very credllaDle
to the Order there was much costly re-
gala worn and some OF the banners were
exceedingly magnificent Alter passing
through some OF the streets os the CITY o'
Brooklyn, the procession proceeded 10
the Cemetery, where the ceremonial oi
conse ecra;ion was performed in simple
and unost eniatious manner-the rites ol
the Order having been dispensed with lnI
conse quence of the falling rain. An ora
ton was delivered by p. q. Bernard, of
Brooklyn Lodge No. 26 !; Il brief address
was made by It's n. g., and several APP
propriate odes were sung in exquisite
style by the Orphean Family, and the
process ion was then reformed, and it re-
turned to Brooklyn in the order in which
it had proceeded to the last resting place
which it has provided for its members
and their families.
Within the last few years this Order
has assumed an Importance which 1t had
not previously attained. As it has been
amiIiarized to the world, the preJudices
which it had excited have been removed,
and it has been found worthy the coun-
,enance and the patronage OF our most
able and estimable fellow citizens.--
Charity is its prominent object True,
, it is secret society, but that which APP
pears TO some 20 be its main Objectionable
feature may to others appear to be its
chief merit. 10 IS secret in It's opera
tions. 1t secret it seeks the abode Of
suffering humanity, and in secret it re-
lieves the necessitous In the year end
ing July, 1874, the Lodges of this State
secretly disbursed $50, 1874 85 in the pros
ecutioH of their charitable design; besides
which the sick couch has ever found an
I Odd Fellow to minister to the wants and
to alleviate the suilerngs Of the afflicted.
The State Of New York contains about
one fourth of the members of the Order
who are subject to the Grand Lodge of
the United States. The report made to
the Grand Lodge of the United States
at its Annual Communication held in
Baltimore in September of the year l343,
shows that this State had then 8 subor-
dnate Lodges, and that they produced "a
revenue of SG4,7OS %. The number of
contributing members was about 10000,
and it is worthy Of remark that all the
good which they achieved was accom-
| plished by very small means. The sun
OF Id cents is the contribution OF each
member to many Lodges; they, never
!. heless, IN tire year we have named, re-
!ieved 2537 Of their brotherhood, ll3
widowed families, and decenty buried
81 members. The sum expended for the
relief Of the members was 500, $50 l5 ;
the amount paid for the relief of widowed
families was s ,3l3 60, the amount paid
for the education Of orphans was So ,O37
aud 70. burying the dead S2,9lG,32 ma.
king total Of So ,Ol5 33. In the year
ending July, 1914, (lor the Annuai Re
ports are made in the month Of July ia
each Year, The number of contributing
members had Increased to ~ 1876 in this
State, aud their revenue had swollen to
! S36, 100 26. The number Of members
/ relieved that year was 1919, the widowed
families relieved were in number 1873,
| the members buried were I08, aud the
total expenditure for these objects and
others, including the education Of or
| pbaDs, was the amount stated above -
$35,27I SO. All this is accomplished by
voluntary contribution. But, besides,
there are innumcrablo advantages OF
which the uninitiated can form no cor
rect opinion. 1t must, however, be oh.
served that the encampmenls are equally
Jealous in the diffusion of their charity
aud that the sums which they eXpend form
no part Of the amounts which we have
here set lort6.
\ From the operations Of the Odd Eel
lows Of this State, we may turn TO those
of the Order in the States and Territories
subject to the Grand Lodge oltho United
States, and it will be seen that their pro-
gression is unparalleled in the history OF
benevolent societies. In 1880 there
were but 3,O3G members acknowledging
the authority Of that Grand Head of the
Order in America, producing u revenue
of Sl5,727 48. In 1910 the number had
increased to l,lGG, and their revenue
amounted to SO, ,2D8 10 The number
of lodges at that time was l5J, the iui,ia-
lions IN that gear were 3,343, and the
amount expended Tor It's charities was
50, ,O4t 40. La 1911 there were 1919
Lodges, and an addition Of 6,322 mem
bers there were ,8j4 contributing
members, and revenue Of s 1888 II,
from which 1881 members were relieved,
30 widowed families were aided, aud
80 members were buried, at II cost of
.Sl8,J 10. In 1912 the Lodges in
creased TO the number OF 26J, the iniia-
tions were 1886, the contributing mem
bers were -, co, aud the revenue Of the
/ Lodges was SIG3,7I9 II. In the same
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