Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-05
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
NASHVILLE. TENN. April 4, 1878.

NASHVILLE, TENS.. April 4. 1873
The Grand Lodge of the Ancient
Order of United Workmen, of Ten
nesSee, met at No. 2lO Cherry streets
in Luck's Hall, this morning at
nine o'clock, with Grand Master
Workman John W. ChildresS, of
Murfreesboro, in the chair. The
other officers are: Jno. NJ. Brooks,
foreman, of Knoxville D. W.
Hughes, grand Overseer, of Jack
son; T. H. Everett, grand recorder,
of Nashville /; P. R. Albert, grand
guide, of Chattanooga; and. Q. A.
Thompson, grand Waterman, of
Nashville. The supreme represent
atives to the supreme lodge Of the
United States are Jno. W. Chill
dress, of MurfreesbOro, John Friz-
zell, of Edgefeld, and S. S. Garrett,
of Memphis. The Memphis lodges
are represented by Messrs. Good
year, Worsham, Garrett and your
correspondent, who came through
last night, and we're admitted to
the grand lodge soon after it was
called to order. The OollierYille
lodge is we'll represented by DIR.
Somers, a cultured gentleman, who
has travelled nearly all over the
Union, but never saw the capital Of
Tennessee until this morning, when
he strained his eyes to catch @
glimpse, through the rain and mist,
of Fisk University and the capitol
building on one side of the train as
it moved slowly into the depot, and
of Vanderbilt University and the
penitentiary on the other, back Of
which loom up the line Of naked
hills from which Hoods tired army
once looked down upon and threat
ened this wellprotected city. These
are the principalfeature fthe land
scape and horizon that are always
first seen by the traveller entering
Nashville blythe Northwestern rail-
road. But to recur to the A. 0. q.
W. The order has a marvellous
history. 1t was established at
Meadyille, Pa, by ]. ]. Upchurch,
October q, 1868, with thirteen
charter members, and now there
are 800 lodges in the United States,
with a membership of over 10000.
The States of New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Kentucky and Ten
neSsee, Minnesota, Michigan, Hi
nois and Iowa now have separate
jurisdictions in regard to benefits.
The first lodge in Tennessee was
ESTABLISHED by Supreme Master
Workman Shryock, Of Lexington,
KY, at Nashville, November &c,
1876. The first annual session
of the grand lodge was held
here a year ago with delegates from
fourteen lodges, representing a
membership of TAI. Now there are
forty lodges in the State, with
membership Of 224S, and petition
enough pending to swell the mum
Der to $500. BY another year thr
number Of lodges and Of member
will no doubt be doubled, becaus
the order meets a great public want
and becomes popular and Stroni
wherever introduced. The gran,
master workman, in his report sub
mitted this morning, says:
The material secured is of the besI
socially, morally and physically, an
with the continuance Of the same chr
aud prudence exercised by us in III
mast, / see no reason why our system {
insurance may not be the most stab
and permanent known in this countr,
and without competition for chespneI
and charitable works. There is ,,
plenty Of good material within our bo
ders that should be secured TO our orgal
i%zstion, and | trust our membership vi
continue the exertions displayed BY i
for the past ninety days, until ours sha
be the largest and best Of the kindre
societies Of the State. We are too grea
too broad and catholic to entertain lea
ousy or envy of any similar organize
ton. There is full room for ours, an
many more-and zoe should only Stri,
10 establish ours upon such a therougI
charitable and business basis, that shouI
Adversely be the result Of 30 many similt
societies, that we would be the resort al
stay OF all.
The number OF ae:th: in tn
State reported during the yei