Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-12-07
~ unbCr AZ.

Again time rolls on. The little band of Bro
theirs in the Monumental City had disseminated
their principles far and wide. Massachusetts,
New York and Pennsylvania had now their con
vocations of Odd Fellows. There should be some
governmental head. The Grand Lodge of the
United States is organized, composed OF the rep
resentatives of all the States. All eyes are turn
ed upon one man, as he who should lead and gov
ern its great and still growing destiny and
Thomas Wildey Is unanimously chosen and in
stalled Most Worthy Grand Sire of the Right
Worthy Grand Lodge of the United States. For
eight consecutive years was he triumphantly
elected to this position. In sunshine and in storm.
in this early period of our American history he
was our guiding star At one time We find him
in the Far West, and that too before the day OF
lightning talk or railroad speed, establishing
Lodges and planting firmly our banners In the
wilderness. lie journeys North and South East
and West and the motto of Odd Fellowship cv-
crywhere follows in his train. lie crosses over
again to Old England as the especial Embassa-
dor Of the Grand Lodge OF the United States, on
his mission OF love, and cements stronger than
| ever the ties of friendship between the Old and
the New World. Eight long years he devot't
entirely to the Order, and is the presiding an"
executive officer of the Grand Lodge OF the Uni
ted States. On the third day of September, 1883,
that august body assembled, and Grand Sire VIII
dey, amidst the tears and regrets OF the assem-
bed wisdom of Odd Fellowship, delivers his
this occasion will not allow me to give you that
interesting document in full, but Will read u
short extract lie said
Brcthrcn-The period has now arrived when
the long and arduous relations existing between
us are about to be dissolved. and the duties OF
the high office you have called me to discharge
for the last eight years are to be SURRENDERED 10
that authority from which it emanated.
alt is indeed, my brethren, with mingled icel-
ngs Of pleasure and pride, retire tom othce
the pleasure which the retrospect affords, ANA
rridG at the unparalleled prosperity which our
beloved Order exhibits.
Profoundly sensible Of the distinguished hon
or YOU have conferred upon me, and penetrated
with lively sense of gratitude, should be cal
lous to the best feelings of our nature did per-
NIT this occasion TO pass without thus publicly
giving veNt to the emotions OF my heart. IL Is
needless for me to recount to you who are so wei
acquainted with the facts, the brilliant history or
our Order during the last eight years in the uni-
! ted States. 1t has earned its own monuments,
and attained its long denied rank in the scale of
hnman charitable institutions. And ! trust no
/ thing shall occur TO oppose its onward march 10
still greater pre-eminence aud dstlnctlon-
! Friendship, Love and Truth are its anlmating
principles, and should be descrvingly cherished
by us as the great pillars of social intercourse
and human happiness
"And now | beg leave to surrender my Office
| to my successor returning the homage oil u
grateful heart to the Supreme Being for the guar
! dian care with which he has nursed our beloved
! Ordcr-fOr banshing discord and dlsunon from
among us, and putting the seal of disapprobation
upon those who would pull down an institution
created for purposes revered by the good and re-
spected by the virtuous."
| Such are his farewell official words twenty y-eght
years ago, though his efforts for the advancement
of Odd Fellowship only ceased with his life.
The life of such man should be honored, and
we are only doing his memory simple justice ny
these ceremon les here to-day.
Change again tho scene. The first Lodge foun-
ded by Thomas Wildey has been in existence for.
ty years A proclamation Is Issued by the Granu
Lodge of the United States, commanding the
brethren everywhere to assemble, and with APP
propriate ceremonies celebrate the anniv versary
of the American birth of our institution. -four
hundred thousand Odd Fellows engage at difer-
ent places in this celebration know not how
can better describe the sensations oil that day.
than by using the eloquent language oil Cali
fornia brother now in the Grand Lodge above
lie said Of that occasion
"There is voice of gadness throughout our
land to day. 1t murmurs in the dark old pines
at the sources of the Penobscot 1t trembes up
on the bosom Of the Great Lakes ii echoes In
the gorges of the Rocky mountains II mlngies
with the roar Of the surf beating forever OH the
shores Of the Pacific and far down the valley
of the Father OF Waters it swells and falls likh
a re Deum sounding through the long arches OF
some vast old cathedral"
At one of these great convocations OF Odd
Fellows in the Eastern States, twenty thousand
brethoru were assembled 10 celebrate the DAY
and the event on one side of that vast assem-
blage might bc seen thousands in rich and elegant
regalia Of our Lodges upon the other display
OF the gold and purple OF the Encampmeut
martial music enivens the scene the becoming
report Of forty discharges OF artillery announces
to the outside world that this Is our iortleth
l..1l lar
beeeze the stand erected in the open air contains
the officers and members of the Grand Lodge oil
the United States in their rich and almost regal
cosume-thc whole presenting scene that only
, once in lifetime we are pefmlttea 10 "i1hess'
|, An old man, whose head is frosted win he SHOWS
, Of eighty Winters, advances 10 the front every
, head is uncovered twenty thousand human
voices unite in loud huZZahs OF welcome Can
. Won doubt who Is thus greeted? 1t Is the assem-
6led brotherhood haing with shouts OF exulta-
tion the presence Of its great father aud founder,
, Thomas Wildey
, FCbanro once more the scene. We stand again
In the Monumental City Before us is that
elegant place erected by the brotherhood OF that
Stale for the uses and purposes of Odd Fellow
a shin, with its towers and battlements, its mag
nilicent halls and corridors, one OF the most
superb edifces upon our shores. II is shroudod
in mourning we enter its portals and advance
/ to the Egyptain Hall, covered with the curious
HHn I1lc Pai"t"s9 VI N5J PN"i' +AJ S"S. oJ' =
ures from designs made more than four thousand
years ago they seem to look down upon the
scenes around them with look OF sadness and
sorrow. In the center, surrounded with the EN-
blems of Odd Fellowship, are the last mortal re-
mains of Thomas Wildey. The brethren are as
sembled from far and near TO perform the last sad
duty of the living to the dead.
Providence has cast our lot so far away that
we coud not Join in the solemn ceremonies at
that place-but we meet here upon our own
shores with hearts as full, and with feelings as
solemn as though the precious remains of our
deceased Father and Founder were consigned To
our care.
Father Wildey was true to the end. There
have been among us some brethern who, am
sorry to say, that after having received all Tue
honors of the Lodge have forgotten their duties
and are seldom seen there. 1t was not so win
him. Twenty-eight years ago he resigned the
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