The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-01-29


the business which took us to Honesdale, to
wit: the nlingling with the brethren of the
l. O. Of o. L. in an ovation to Bro. Past
Grand Sire Nicholson, who was there to eX-
empfy the unwritten work of the order, and
TO pull the cobwebs from the eyes of those
who We're cropping around darllly IN absurd
opposition TO, or treating with unconcern, an
order which combines in itself all the prlncl- |
pies Of true religion with none of the impurl-
ties with which Sectarianism has cucumber
ed it. On our arrival we found Brother
| Nicholson busily at work with the brethren, !
Iinstructing, counselling with and so exemph-
flying matters to them, as to open even eX-
perienced eyes to the fact that there existed
in the work of the order beauties and
significance which even they had never
dreamed Of There was goodly crowd OIL
the brethren present, and but one idea pre-
vailed among them-that indeed and in truth
! Brother Nicholson richly deserved to bel
hailed as master workman. A public lee
/ ture was delivered at Liberty Hall, in the
evening at which an audience goodly, inl
numbers, greeted the distinguished Brother,
and listened to the very best illustration OF
the principles and objects of the Order that
! it has ever been our lot to hear. Heavens
last best gift to man. was fairly represented
in the audience, which established the fact
beyond a peradventure that all female beauty
does not reside outside of Honesdale. Thus
closed one of the brightest days for the order
in Honesdale that the brethren OF that
thriving dale ever saw, and one that we will
ever hold in pleasant recollection. During
our stay we visited Freedom and Howard
! Lodges, the latter German, though organized
as an English Lodge some thirty-two years
ago. and Encampmcnt No. 80, and were
pleased to find them all live institutions.
On Thursday morning we Joined goodly
number of the brethren In trip to Hawley,
where Bro. Nicholson had laid out more
work to be done, passing in our way the
Indian Orchard, and the White Mills, at the
latter of which, there are noted glass works.
4 Hawley is a large town which sprang orginl-
ally from the works erected there by the
Pennsylvania Coal Co. and is the point from
whence the Company ships its Coal to the
Seaboard 1t was named after the first Presl
dent of the Company. Grand things were
predicted for the town, and twas even thought
that large city would spring from the first
planting. but the removal of the Company s
works to Dunmore, Luzerne County, for a
time 50 struck the town with deadness that
; a revival was deemed impossible 1t has
been picking up latterly however and is
now quite a prosperous town. Here we
found. as one of the oldest inhabitants, our
friend and former fellow townsman Lewis
, Phillips, son of the late Moses Phillips, who
a few years ago served an apprenticeship
/, with Samuel Melick, at the Matchmaking
business. and is, we were pleased to observe,
one of the successful business men Of the
place. Here. as.in Honesdale; the program
: me indicated the improvement and benefit of
the Order, and we are satisfied that the
] brethren of Wangum Lodge are themselves
satisfied that Odd Fellowship meyer appeared
so beautiful to their eyes and so perfect to their
, understanding as when Brother Nicholson
g had got through with his exercises. Here
r this distinguished Brother, assisted by his
cstimablc lady, who accompanies him in bis
c travels and affords invaluable aid in his
,, work, conferred the beautiful degree OF
t Rebecca upon some twenty-odd ladies
I wives of the brethren of the lodge. We
e never before witnessed in all its perfection
; the sublinlity of this degree, and confess that
: we never before fully appreciated Its value
f In the evening the Methodist Episcopa
o Church, which had been kindly granted fol
: the use of the brethren, was filed to over
n flowing with an apprecatlve audience Of
t ladies and gentlemen. to listen to public
/ lecture by Brother Nicholson; and but one
c sentiment pervadcd the audience at Its close
II and that was that it was the best lecture on
: any subject ever delivered in Hawley. A
e the close of the lecture we took up our re
1t turn to Honesdale, and here we proved thC
e capacity of Wayne county horse-fesh, for i
Il took us Just one hour and ten minutes t
n pass over the ten miles intervening between
u the two places. Brother Kiple having pro
vided for us we slept soundly after oul
d return. -,
: On Friday morning we journeyed witt
|. Brother Nicholson to Pleasant Mount. {
u Il.
: portant station on the main stage route lead
is ing from Catskill on the Hudson to Ping
IS hampton aud the southern tier of New Yorl
:, counties, but now neat, thriving. country
o village merely. Here we assisted III the
If dedication of new and very neatly finished
d and appointed hall, and here, with man!
e regrets, we parted with our distinguished
ss brother, he to pursue his visit to the lodge
irl through northeastern Pennsylvania and W.
1t to turn our face homeward We could 20
|. leave this pleasant village without feelings o
2 regret that here lies buried, in the midst o
e It's prosperous people, Mr.. Samuel Meredith
J. one of the earlier secretaries OF the United
:e States Treasury, without a stone, and scarc'
a mound to mark his eternal resting place
: The honorable dead should receive more bril-
I'll liant tokens Of respect than this from tn
,sI prosperous liberty enjoying living.
aII Pleasant Mount We rode through the one
II noted town of Bethany; once Wayne
m county seat, but now quiet village hayin
as hanging around it by far too many evidence
n of dilapidation Here in the olden time wa
in measured out the measure of justice to tn
n delinquent, and here too was concocted tn
ar political hash upon which stalwart Demo
IN Gratis of 'ye olden time used to feast an
,e fatten The Bethany Junto, was powe
ne in the land in those days, and aspiration
o. perfected or dropped as its arbitrary behest
e. decreed But the Junto died with tn
70 death of its members, and but few remen
II Der even the names of those who compose
1d it. But Bethany had another power,
"a power of talent, and more than one brigl
m intellect which illumines the atmosphere
81 law. politics and literature in other place
he had its birthplace and first scintiated here
m David Wilmot and Henry NJ. Fuller, deaC
n. and Chief TuStica C,aor0a w Woodwar