The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-10-13
Hawkins Lodge No. II, 10. OF.

io1iCS SiiOAtiJ- " WASA eASA1A wei ~
every way.
Hawkins Lodge No. ii, I. .. OF.
This Lodge, lying dormant and appar-
emily dead for many years, feorganized
few months ago. Its history is an In
teresting one, from which the citizens
of Rogersville might draw a valuable
lesson. Organized near thirty years ago,
the Lodge in its fresh young vigor look
ed out for some enterprise upon which
to exert its energies and to manifest It's
principles. The establishment of first
class Female. College at Rogersville was
the enterprise upon which the Lodge
finally settled. The members went into
it as one man and with great enthusiasm.
Land was purchased, beautiful site Sc
lected and college buildings, costing
many thousand dollars, erected. Teach
ers were employed, well known man
was placed in charge of the boarding
house, and the people were invited to
send their daughters here to be educat-
ed. They responded to the invitation
with an alacrity which surprised every
body. In the catalogue some twelve or
thirteen States were represented by two
hundred and thirteen girls. The Lodge
was proud, and justly proud of its vigor-
Gus and useful institution. As long as
we were united the school was a success.
But unfortunately there was little dew
il in the community. A busy, untiring,
Il l., In had
fixed his Evil Eye upon that school and
marked it for his prey. His name was
SectaTlanGsn. For year or two the
principles of Odd Fellowship were
strong and firm enough to resist and
spurn the Evil Spirit; but finally the lit
tie devil wormed himself into the Lodge.
Then destruction came. The Lodge was
broken up and the school destroyed.
We do not allude to this as a reproach
to the Odd Fellows They made he
roic struggle against the inroads of the
mischievOus spirit which had attacked
them and the cherished institution they
had built with so much care and ex-
pense. The Lodge deserves great cred
it for what it did achieve. The spirit
which caused the destruction of the
school was born of the devil. It was an
intruder in the Lodge, and if it had new
er entered, that fine property would still
be in possession of the Lodge and worth
many thousands of dollars. AS it is, it
stands as noble monument to the en-
terprise, liberality and public spirit of
the Order. It's destruction for a number
of years, also stands as a burning re-
prOach to those who in the wantonness
of foolishness-not to say wickedness-
ruthlessly pulled down what others hal
built with such toll and treasure.
But we allude to this matter at the
present time for another and a higher
purpose. That purpose is to warn Onr
fellow-citizens against the spirit which
in the past has wrought us so much
harm. Christian men and women ought
to ''dwell together in unity" In the
eye of the Great and Eternal Jehovah
how small, how foolish, how sinful are
these mischievous disputes and wrangles
between members of different Christian
organizations This little community
here at Rogersville, united, can accom-
plish whatever is undertaken. They
can build up two schools here which
will surpass in excellenc and prosperity
anything in East Tennessee-schOols
which will be known all over the South
ern country, and which will draw their
patronage from dozen different States.
If our people are divided the schools
must suffer 1t is high time the two
branches of the Presbyterian church
were united. We know nothing of the
questions which originally divided them,
but we do know the time has now come
for them, at least so far as Rogersville is
concerned, to shake hands, make
friends, and for the future travel the
same road to Eternity-and to heaven
we hope.
And now to come to the point. The
two schools have been recently organ
lied and started out on new career
the Female College under the direct
control of President Wilson and the
Male Academy in charge of Rev. w C.
1IdiuIIlS CIistlI IHGy NC SUCCESSFULLY
This question is for the people to an
swer. N01O is our chance. If we take
hold in the right spirit aoo,o and do our
whole duty our future prosperity is as
sured.
From the present outlook our schools
are to be successful and very prosper
Gus. Let us all work together and help
them on. Let every person in the com
munity do something, however little, to
encourage those who have them in
charge. These teachers have a hard
task laid upon them. We should do
what we can to make their burdens
light and their hearts cheerful. Let
such expressions as your church, ''our
church" "New School, "Old School,"
etc, be dropped forever. Let the church
you belong to be the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Let the same spirit which
actuated Him influence you in all your
dealings with your fellows, and you will
be happier men and Women-you will
be thousand fold more prosperous in
this life, and when you die you will be
sure to go to heaven.
CIinch.