Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-05-03

appearance on Saturday evening lasl,lh
Goth of April, as many persons from the
surrounding country assembled to wit
ness the proposed celebration.
At 1-2 o'clock, the procession was
formed in front of Odd Fellows Hall,
Caledonia Lodge, numbering 40 meln-
bers, taking the lead next came men,
bers of the Encampment, then visiting
brethren. The following Lodges were
represented :-Harpers Ferry, Boons-
boro, Charlestown and Smithtield. The
whole was preceded by Criswelrs Cor
net Band. Marshall John =. Hill, di-
rected the procession down German
Street to the Lutheran Church, which
was we'll filled by our citizens. The
Choir of the Church sang several sweet
and appropriate pieces, after which pray
er was offered by Rev. J. Hawkins, pas
tor of the Church.
Marshal J. p. Hill then introduced to
the audience Rev. Geo. III. Beckley,
Lutheran minister of BoonSboro, Md.
He began by saying that man was de-
signed by his Maker for complete hap
piness. TO secure this, since the fall,
seems to be the purpose of the creature.
Many seek it in different ways and by
various means. While we do not seek
perfect happiness, i'll banding together
we do propose by this means to secure
protection against want, and elevate our
fellow-men, in the social circle. The
speaker spoke ot'the order in its distinc.
tive and benevolent agencies. lie as
sured the ladies that the secrets OF the
order were designed to protectthe mem
bers from intrusion of outsiders. Alto
gether the address was clear, torcible,
and accurate. 1t was a credit to the
orator and showed that the speaker was
a decided Odd-Fellow. We regret that
we have not the full speech for publica-
ton, as we are assured that it would
prove interesting to our readers.
After Rev Mr.. Beckley concluded his
speech, the Rev. Mr. Nice of the NJ. +.
Church, of this place, made a few inter
esting remarks, u skeleton of which is
as follows -
Noble Grand, Brethren of the Order,
Ladies and Gentlcmen:-We are assem-
bled to celebrate the successful estab-
lishment of Odd Fellowship in Ameri-
ca. You sir and brethren know, that
this is the ffty-third anniversary of the
Order in this country. In 1919, April
26th, the first Lodge was organized in
the city of Baltimore, with Thomas
Wildey, blacksmith 10y trade, an Eng
lishman by birth, and an American by
adoption, as its head, under the name
of Washington Lodge, No, l.
Those FIVE men, who instituted that
Lodge, met in secret, to comfort and to
give material aid one to the other. They
were prosecuted by friends and foes. In
their families and among their acquain-
tances, they were obliged to conceal
their connection with the Order for fear
of persecution. Their language was
misinterpreted, and their purposes mis-
understood. At times, sir. it seemed to
them that hope had plumed her golden
pinions and flown away, while despair
with her craven wings, had settled down
upon their Order. But, sir, conscious
of right, pure in motive, they struggled
on, until their numbers were multiplied,
and their purposes appreciated.
The objection against our order is,
that we are SECRET SOCIETY. There
is nothing wrong in secret society pro-
vided it is not used for unrighteous pur-
poses. Secret societies are not the ere
alton of this age. They have an air of
antiquity. The student of history is
aware that the religious ceremonies and
Abbreviated cymbols of the ancients, were
intended to convey to the multitude an
imperfect representation of their mystic
ries, while to the initiated they contain
ed a deeper significance. The ceptre
and the gown were constituted Il secret
society to which the common people
were not admitted. Wherever the hem
of the priestly robe has swept the mar
BILE of the imperial palace, there has ex-
listed in some form a secret society.
In Egypt, Assyria, Rome, Greece,
Germany and Britain, the priesthood
were the founders of secret societies.
That secret societies have been abused
we admit. The societies are not re
sponsible for this, but the bad men, who
have clothed themselves in her panoply
to veil their evil purposes. Many men
manufacture bad ,oh,sky from good corn,
but no farmer stops raising corn for that
reason. With this knowledge upon his
mind, he sleeps as soundly as did our
city council after the passage OF the
"HoG-oUT LAW"
1 fear / am sometimes tempted to be-
tray my enthusiasm. as did the French
soldier, Of whom Theirs speaks. He was
walking out upon one occasion when he
came upon a soldier on duty, who was
sitting down enjoying his rations OF
bread and cheese. Good morning,
said Theirs. "Good morning. You are
the sergeant of the guards :" 'No," re-
piled Theirs. Lieutenant p No.
"Colonel! NO" General ?" "Bet-
ter than that" Lieutenant General ?
'Better than that "Who can you
BET" Il am the President of the French