The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-23

tn regaiia OF the or lsr l. worn.
The drinkers" the "crOakers" and the
"hsya-a-good- timeites" predicted speedy /
downfall and al abrupt termination OF ex-
istsnce to the order il TIE conviv lal ei'-
meuts were abolished. Years have rolled
BY; ow stands tie record?
Let the following editorial from the New
York Heart and Hand answer the query;
THE FIFrY-sIxTH BIRTHDAY.
"How quickly time flies" There are those
living who saw the star OF American Odd Eel
Iowship arise abeve the horizon. and yet, in a
Few days, afty-six years will have flown since
first, with feeble ray it struggled into existence
Not long ago we stood in the lodge room of old
Washington, No. 1. at Baltimore, Nd. Around
and about were the places where Wildey and
Welch had loved 10 be. Their signatures were
on the charters on the wa Is. Their feet had
trod the floors we walked upon. Their forms
had occupied the officers chairs, and memory,
with imagination's pencil, we stood there,
brought the noble old pioneers before us and, in
eur minds eye, we saw them, the rugged, hard
handed noble-hearted men of 1918.
Gone, gone, all gone from earth! but not for
gotieni Empires and emperors, prime lpalitle->
and pOtentates, may rise and 1alli glitter anu
stance may flourish Tor time aud then decay;
the world may ring with plaudlts Tor con-
querOr or hero, TO be forgotten SIS another
while the Order of AmeTican Odd Fellows has
its name among The things that are, the names
OF Wildey, WEIGH, Duncan, Rushwortn ana
Cheathern fthe first gardeners the
vineyard of our fraternity will be honored,
rsVered and remembered
| We believe he Immortal part of man, after
reli-spent life, is permitted, from the a5odes o.
once lived, and see and rejoice in the good his
| life efforts have accomplished, and as those
faithful five. gaze on the grand results
4 An order with an influence beyond compre
hen Aon, embracing within its folds the great
and good of church, community, and state; the
statesman, in his wealth of intellect; the far
mcr, IL his honest position o. toll; the mllllon-
ARE and the mechanic; the leading men OF po-
| ltical, religious, and Sectari n creed meeting
without jar or discOrd, typical of the great mil
| lenium which is to come,
They see, this day, 6,OO0 lodges, l,oOO ehcdhp-
ments, 500 Rebekah lodges: 45O,Oej tried and true
IN n in our subordinates; 5000 patriarchs, anu
/ revenue of four and one half millions OF dol
| lars annually, and generous out-pay ment TO
/ i've hundred thousand dollars every IL months.
They would see in our lodges 1900 brothers re-
| Iievtd 5,6OO widowed families com Orted and
practically aided. aud over % brother laid
| beneath the turf decsntly and in order. No
| paupers coli ns n closed their Iemaius- no pub
| lie charity was taxed for their sickness or bur
| ia. Wre'her rich or poor, high or low in III
world 8 estimation, with kindly, fraterna hands
| have they been conveyed to the cemeteries o.
our land, and the evergreen dropped upon then
Our rec srds give no estimate-they cannot
sympathetic visits and words of cheer and con
sOlau II. Could these he estimated oy dollar,
the world would fail to nav even 1.-THE of their
value. They are beyond computation. H.
only thing that can compensate for good deeds
done is the gladstone emotion. of Consciousness
doer fhat fir which is iighted by the gratitude
aud appreciation of the recipient, in comparison
with which gold jewels, and peculiarly interests
dwindle int dross and insignifeance.
leagues planted fOurshes nightly on the soil
of our republic. Far and wide it has thrown it,
vigorous roots until 1t has tunneled America.
and sent up healthy Offspring TO protect aud
gladden. city, town, village and hamlet through
OutOur continent.
cuttings from The parent trunk and trans 1i.
Switzerland, where they have taken root and
grown TO magnificent proportions.
\ LOgans hand has grated the bud of fra
ternity in South America, and already the
young tree shelters many beneath It's graceful
The mariner as ne sails by the islands of the
sea, observes the smoke o our altar fires he
see the patriarcnial tents of our order; and al
twilight hear heanthems OF brotherhood sung
as members meet in fraternal council.
The so md of the gaveI Is going round the
q d speed its heavenly mission. Onward be
its progress until isfortune has no want to
lieVe and sorrow no tears TO dry; Up, brethren
Emulate the deeds of the heroes of humanity
that have gone before you Act as though L,,t the
ship depended upon your own unsullied life
Let your aim, your object, your determination
be that all your efforts shall be good, and for
good, now, henceforth and forever"
THUS we have sketchily traced up this Or
ganization whose supreme body honors our
city with it's presence to-day. In a few years
it has become q tower OF strength, and that
strength is used to war against vice in ali
It's forms. Twenty millions of dollars have
been paid from the treasury for benevolent
purposes, and Notwithstanding this mighty
draft that suffering humanity has drawn
upon its fraternsl bank, it is not impover
ished, but twenty millions more are reposing
in its Golfers.
1t is practical and prompt in its work. 1t
doubles its Obligations by aiding early
Whether it was a call Tor bread from ireland,
or from the cholera and yellow fever stricken
cities of the South, or the fire devastated
West. it has ever been early to the rescue,
and noble il its contributions.
Is it at all wonderful that thousands
march into its lodges, and that it wins
the GOOD opinions of Tight-thinking people.
| What is the secret? Simply this: IL fulfills
| It's promises; it does as it agrees to; il not
only breaches, but it practices. 1t is not
| myth-but a fact!
Another point. and one which endears it
| to its members, and compels the ad niration
| of the locker on, is this: Rich and poor
| men of different creeds, politics and opin-
| ions, meet its lodge on the great common
| level OF brotherhood, and merit and honesty
| of purpose are the only standards by which
shey are judged. "Ologies'' and 'isms" are
left, by mutual agreement, "outside" of the
lodge rooms, and all unite to honestly labor
for the upbuilding and uplifting of human
| ity.
The representative men of this great fra
ternal association assemble in annual coun-
Gil to-day to legislste for its welfare and ad-
vaneement. Grand preparations have been
made for their reception and entertainment
during the visit.
The official: list we published yesterday,
We have made ample arrangements for
full and complete reports OF such matters as
can be given in the public press; visitors,
representatives, and the public generally
may rely upon finding in the Sentinel all
matter OF interest in connection with the
session of this distinguished body.
| ScALps AND BURNs-HaIPs journal OF