Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-09-28
THE RUTLAND HERALD
Editorial Correspondence e.
GRAND LODGE OF UNITED STATES, 1. o.
OF o. r.


OF o. r.
CHICAGO, Sept. 90, 1871.
Our "reminiscences of John F. Morse,
Deputy Grand Sire, for the German;o
States, closed abruptly, while speaking
Of his life services in connection with his
being Yermontor by birth. f was one
of the pioneers of the Golden State, parti-
cipating prominently in all that tended to
promote the public good, and the pros
peri'y of the State of his adoption. In
1S49, Sacramento became perfect lezsr
house of disease, suffering and death.
Men sickened and died without assistance,
were buried in the filth of an unattended
sickness. and frequently without the ben.
eft Of even being sewed up in a blanket,
for interment, for rough pine coffius could
not be obtained by the most costing, as
they did from $50 to 500. Such was the
state of things in Sacramento, at the land
ing of DR.. Morse. He entered at once
into personal mission of benevolence, as
III Sdu Il NllV"y W lthpub III w hiN "" -
comfort, or fees for service, which were
then enormous. DR. Morse was found night
and day relieving distress, and admins.
tering TO want, never forgetting, that the
hand of an Odd Fellow should be open to
brother 10 distress. A temporary organi-
cation Of Odd Fellows under his direc-
tion, born of the necessity of the day, ex-
pended in cash, over $4,000, and exhibit
ed hearts purer than gold, and no hand
more open and no heart truer than that
son of our Green Mountains, John f.
Morse.
Mr.. Morse holds high position among
the people Of California. He was the fifth
president Of the Society of California
Pioneers"-a highly respectable and in
huentisl society of the persons who arriv-
ed in the State before the year 1851. He
was the fret editor of the Daily Union at
Sacramento, the leading daily paper of
tho State, and in 1855, he became the
editor of the California Farmer, paper
OF much character, still in existence. In
1854 he was elected Grand Master of
California, and on his retirement, was
presented with costly service of plate.
He is a ready writer and a fluent
speaker. He is the author of illustrated
Historical Sketches of California" in
Guiding a very valuable history of the
city and valley of Sacramento, published
in 1854. He has been professor of the
Theory and Practice Of Medicine" in
the University of the Pacific. We cannot
do better than give an evidence of the
power and eloquenee of Mr.. Morse. We
give but a single evidence. A thousand
separate instances of his disinterested
works of charity as an Oddfellow might
be given If we had space in this skeleton
sketch, for his whole life has been made
up of like acts, but we will relate one.
Some years since, during arsession of the
Grand Lodge of Californis, in San Fran
cisco, and during the hours of a feast at
the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which closed the
celebration, P. G. Master Morse was called
on for a speech, to which he responded
with unwonted alacrity. His fluent and
eloquent oratory, ready wit and appro-
PIRATE sentences, had riveted the attention
of tho brotherhood present, and those
that knew him best saw that some unusu-
al thoughts had possession of bis mind,
and they were not disappointed-they
were found in the closing sentences OF his
speech. Those who were present will
never forget them.
Brothers," said he, II cannot forget in
tie hiliarity of the present moment,
scene that left but an hour ago to has
ten hither. Professionally l was called
on to-day to visit a sick woman, a widow
who has seen better days, with six help
Oddfellow, and she has no special claim
on the humanity of this company, but
she is one of Gods creatures she is pros
trate with disease which must shortly
end in death. She has no friends, and
found her poor lille ones hungrg. OF
clothes, bedding, furniture they have
none. supplied her wants temporarily,
and FASTENED hither She must haze help !"
Brother Morse will never know what
power his eloquent words bad to move {
that assembly, but the effect was START s
ling. Every heart bounded with sympa-
thy and every hand sought its purse. Be- ;
fore the sentence was uttered, one brother 3
an honest miner-l5sptd upon his
chair and shouted, "Dou't cay any more,
brother, here is five dollars for me' and !,
the ceiu jiuyled on plate, and the whole ,
com lany made similar response, and in
half IN hour Bro. Morse had placed in {
the hands of this feel lie, slowly dying ,
widow, over three hundred dollars in I
gold and silver, collected at that festive !
board. s
Such is a sketch of the life and charac- a
ter of John +. Morse. We have been t
constrained to present this biographical :
sketch, not for the purpose of lauding Mr.. =
Morse'z lpbors, and bis interest in the ;
cause of Oddfellowship. but taking i
great pride in every son of Vermont, b
who has gone forth from her borders, and
az this gentlemen is comparatively IN. :
known, it is due to him as we'll as to the I
State, that we may know her sons who a
honor Themselves and thereby reflect hon 0
or upon their native State. 1t may also
he remarked in this connection that in
the Grand Lodge of the United States,
of delegates from every State Z
aud Territory, numbering one hundred i
md twenty-seven members, twenty three =
Of them are natives of Vermont, includ- +
ing the two frem the Grand Lodge of !
Vermont.
PEACE CoNGREss.-The Peace Con.
gress now assembled at Lausanne is a Il
body with a refreshing amount of faith e
n human nature. The last great war 81
wss oil that was needed, it seems, to her II
AID the millennium. According to one of g q
he members. France had taken her pam q
neling kindly and had shaken hands with n