The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-26

Abroughout the Union observe to-day as an
occasion of general thanksgiving, in pursu-
auce of the following proclamatiOn-
sate OF the IndePend order of Odd Fellows at
Is late September session, 1866 in grateful recogn-
non s5us 81 of ODD Fellowship from the ruin which DESC
iated 90 many of the beyoent and charitable lnst
futions of common country, as the indispensable
effects Of civil war; and OF the unmisaka6le pros
Which has Just passed, did, by unanimous vote. direct
the M W. Grand Sire TO issue his Proclamation APP
less other blessings vouchsaied to our beloved
Now, therefore, /, James p Sanders, M. W. Grand
Sire do hereby iraternally direct that the twenty
Of our order Throughout the general jurisdiction
day ofThank,giyi&ag & ana @ layer ana Inat tney 40
organization with their families. the appropriate
SS@ecTbe to render thanks to the everything God tor
His manifest favor and projection to that Institution
the pr, servaon of It's unbroken unity through trials
and perils ofunparalleled severity.
Done at the city of Baltimore this first day of Nov
ember, A. d. 1862 and OF our Order the
JAMES H. r. W. 34T Grand RdE3t Sire.
The charitable organization which thus
returns to the Almighty thanks for the favor
and blessings which He has vOuchsafed uHto
them, was organized in the year 1920, in the
city of Baltimore, by the late Past Grand Sire
Thomas Wildey, who had been connected with
the Manchester Unity of England, previous to
his removal to this country. The Order in
England originated about the year 1872, and
under auspices that were none too favorable.
George " wished a near relative to be ad-
mitted into full connection with the Grand
Orient of Freemasons, without being compelled
to pass through the preliminary limitations
and stages of membership, which would have
consumed several years of his time. The pro-
position was submitted by the Duke of Sussex,
at that time the NJ. W. Grand Master of the
Order, and emphatically rejected. Thereupon
George ", who was a member, withdrew from
the Order, declaring that he would establish
one of his own which in time should rival in
numbers and influence the one which had
shown him such little Difference. This pro-
mise has been strikingly fulfilled; but, fortu-
nately for the interests Of its members and the
world at large, the new Order to which his
action gave rise has never taken either his
private or public character as a model. The
Manchester Unity, at the present time, com
prises within its jurisdiction over 5000 Lodges
and $50, 600 members.
As already stated, the first Lodge in this
country was organized by the late Thomas
Wildey, at Baltimore, in the year $50; and
a short time subsequent to that 1T obtained
fOothOld in this State by the establishment III
Philadelphia of Pennsylvania Lodge, No. l,
which was organized at the hotel of John
Upton. In 1923, the Grand Lodge Of Penn
sylvania was established, with Aaron Nichols
as the first Grand Master. From that day to
the present, the Order has been gradually and
rapidly spreading throughout the length and
breadth of the country, its wonderful progress
being mainly due to the untirlng eXertions OF
the original founder.
According to the reports made to the Annual
Communication or Session of the Grand Lodge
Of the United States, held in Baltimore, in
September, 1866, the Grand Lodge of the State
of Pennsylvania numbered a membership OF
BLISS, while the Grand Encampment of the
State had 5944 members. But so rapid has
been the progress of the Order within oul
limits during the past year, that its member
snip is now said to exceed lOO, 900. In anC
around this city there are about one hundred
lodges and twenty-five encampments will
about 25,OOO members, and the amount o
good which they are doing, in a quiet anC
unostentatious way, is not easily calculated.
The special object of the Day of Thanksgv
ing, as set forth in the proclamation of tn
M. W. Grand Sire, as given above, is a recog
milton OF the gracious manner in which tn
Order was preserved from disruption durin
the progress of the late civil war. The Orde
of Odd Fellows was, indeed, the only Organize
tion of the kind in the country into whic
dissensiOn was not brought by the grei
struggle between the two sections of th
country. During the whole course of the COZ
fict, delegates to the Grand Lodge of til
United States were regularly elected by til
Grand Lodges of all the Southern States, an
such of them attended the regular sessions
the former as could succeed in penetratin
the lines. At the first session of the Gran
Lodge at Baltimore, after the close of the wa
representatives from every Grand Lodge
the country were present, the organization
Odd Fellowship being thus preserved intact.
The Thanksgiving Services this MOrI
Ing
were of the most impressive and interestil
character. There was a large turnout of Il
brethren of the Order, who were all approp
ately dressed in dark clothes, with viii
gloves and the badge of membership.
Lodges Nos. l, 2, 3, a, %, 20, 33, "a, II
1877, l45, $50, 256, 262, and 383 assembled
half-past O'Clock, in Room No. l, at t
Sixth Street Hall, and proceeded in bod
under the Marshalship of Brother John
Moxey, to Trinity Methodist Episcopal ChurC
on Eighth street, above Race, to listen to
discourse of the Rev. Dr. Nadal, which
give on our sixth page in full.
Lodges Nos. B, 6, l3, Is, 43, 46, 81, 95, il
197, lSs, 100, 283, and 294 met at the sal
place, in Room No. 2, and under the M
shalship of Brother Andrew Sproul, D
ceeded to st. Matthew's Lutheran Chur
on New street, below Fourth. TO %
ticipate in the services conducted by I
Rev. Edwin w. Hutter DID,, whose addr
on this occasion we likewise give below.
Lodges Nos. Is, 10, 81, %, 104, lO6, l
ll5, 26l, 2O6, 224, 237 296, and 495, met
Rooms Nos. 3, a, and 5, Of the same bu
ing. and under the marshalship of Brot
L. s. Rowand, proceeded to Nazareth Met
dist Episcopal Church, on Thirteenth sire
beIow Vine, to participate in services G
Quoted NY the Rev. 7. a. Fernley. The
course delivered is reported below.
5~ INos Al 6b 90 o. 119 I06 !