Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-26
The Odd Fellows.
THEIR ORIGIN AND HISTORY.

THEIR ORIGIN AND HISTORY.
To-day is the sixty-firs. anniversary of TIE
establishment Of the Independent Order of eid
Fellows IN America. and not only In this city,
cut in ether leading places, win the occasion
be appropriately celebrated by those who are
members Of the grandeSt system Of secular
oTotherly oeneyolenee OF any age, and whose
origin of odd Fellowship is wrapped In some
Obscurfty. There are those who claim that the
Loyal Ancient Independent Order was founded
at Rome during the REIGN fifty-f1ve of the EN-
peror Nero. Bolton, marDle-maSon, however
came from London to Manchester In 1899 and
established an Odd Fellows Club in imitation
OF one with which he had been connected In
the great metropolis. The association was a
success, and In 1912 became the parent of the
Manchester Society OF Odd Fellows, which in
the organization was first convvial, then
merged into benevolent. To-day the order ma
be- described to the general reader as one
which aims at beneVolence, charity and
care for the widow and orphan or
those members In sickness or affifction.
The city OF Baltimore justly claims the honor
or being the birthplace CT American Ode Eel
lowism. just after the clese of the war of 1912.
when Baltimore had population OF about sixty
1 In6 o IN the year ISIS, Thomas Wldey and
countrymen, conceived the idea of starting the
organization. WIldey had been Initiated in 1894
INTO Londen Society, and had filled the chair
mad also been member OF a London lodge and
had passed the chairs before emigration to Anne
RIGA The two friends sadly regretted that emf
grafton, while It had bettered their condition.
had deprived them of the social advantages of
their loved brotherhood. Trey determined
to form a lodge, and tried in quiet
to discover, If possible. brothers. Unsuc-
cessful, February -, 1919. 1.-The Baltimore
Anae,tcan contained their advertisement: mo
Society OF Odd Fellows will be glad to meet
their brethren for consultation upon the SUBJ
lect of forming lodge. The meeting will be
ynnin 1r fnn D1 IL
1919" Two recruits responded to this sum-
mons-John Duncan and John Cheatham. The
latter had been initiated in England. The for
mer displayed a knowledge of the ancient pass
word, sign and grip, claimed to have been I'M
tfated in Baltimore seventeen years before, but
was vague in Information as to where. Cards
by no means satisfactory. Besides there were
only four at best, and the ancient usage was
o oa ce were Necessary to form lodge Ere
vertisement published, which had the
effect OF bringing to the surface one
Richard i1a Rus sr% who appeared at the
house q Kent he by seVe Tis sar unfon pus shG
then and there was solemnIy Organized ApriI
26, 1919, the Washington Lodge OF odd Fellows.
wnleh was The flrst organization Of the order in
America. Thomas Wildey was installed as
Noble Grand and John WEIGH as Vice Grand.
Within TWO or three weeks the members Were .
increased TO fifteen. About this time one Henry
VI. jackson arrived at Baltimore from Liverpool,
ana, learning OF the existence of a lodge in the
city, expressed great surprise, was Invited to
attend. and as compliment was invited to
occupy The chair OF Warden at the opening OF
the lodge. This position enabled MIN to aScer-
tain that The lodge was not worked on the re-
formed plan OF the Manchester Unity and, TO
the CONSERVATION OF all. he announced: So No
body in the lodge is correct" a recess occurred,
and all were requested to withdraw except
Nlluey and WEIGH. jackson then brought forth
MS documents and explained how the change
aple password was operated in conjunction
with the old one. PROBABLY he submitted all
tne improvements made by the Manchester
Unity, which had been framed in 1913.
man, and did everything in his power to sup
plant Mildey and obtain the credit OF having
established the order in America. He was
finally. however, suppressed and Wildey stands
forward as the founder of Odd-FelloWShip in
America. From this dminutive and unostenta-
t1ous beginning odd Fellowship has extended
and grown until to-day the Independent Order
has four Supreme Grand Lodges, viz: In the
United States, the German Empire. Australia
and New Zealand. 1t has forty eight subordt-
nate Grand Lodges in the United States and
four III the German Empire; thirty-n Grand
Encampments In the United States and one In
Australia. In the United states In 1878, there
were 1854 subordinate lodges: in the German
Empire, Al; In Australia. 6S; In New Zealand, 20;
making total of 6,S59. There are also $50 Re
bekah Degree Lodges, composed Of members Of
the fifth degree and their wives In 1915 t;lera
were 40,51S limitations and the sum OF 81 702.-
80. 81 has been spent for the relief OF members.
The total revenue for the year was 81 SIC 60 63.
81, a.,
aggregates are pertinent: limitations, 1064, OPS;
members RELIEVED S,6,SS2; widowed families re-
neyed, 1GS,3o5 members buried. "a 226. The
whole amount OF relief was St9. 49,, 9S9.45, and
lne total nuh2Der or membership Is 465 466.
THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION HERE TO-DAY
Tie sixty-f1rst anniversary of the organiza
ton OF the OGder in this country is being cele-
brated here to-day by Interesting exercises iu
the 9TH street hall; a parade of the Uniformed
Rallanon OF Patllarchs, With their guests the
Baltimore Drill Association, to whom banquet
VIII De gwen at the National hotel; closing with
grand leyee OF the order at the hall this even
ing. The membership assembled at Il o'clock
P. m. today in the encampme1t OF the 7th
also number OF visiting brothers, among whom
were p. q. II. and Rep. Mccain, G.. Rep. Raw
Hngs and A. 6. Sec. Sovereign G. Lodge Ross
OF Baltimore, and number OF members OF Con
g1ess, who are also members OF the Order. The
proceedings here were presided over by Grand
Patriarch John Long, and prayer was Of
tered by Rev. Dr. d. Wilson, OF the N. P. church
SeifTert, sang LET Every Heart Rejoice" {by
Mingle), and Hon. Casey Young, of Tennessee
then delivered an address. 1.-THE Flag OF Our
ranged as solo and chorus followed, MIS- Myers
sustaining the solo. Mrs. Edward Dunn (wite
OF Major Dunn, commanding the battalion
then presented them In neat and appropriate
Inscribed and handsomely mounted and it was
received on the part OF the battalion by G. s.
Warden j. E; Mason. 6. Rep. Ross delivered
short address. The asSemblage then
dispersed. and the battalion, headed BY W. F.
Weber's band proceeded to the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad depot and received the Baltimore
Association and passed over the following route
being reviewed at the National Hotel by the
the officers OF the X. w. Grand Encampment
and at the Executive Mansion by President
Hayes: New Jersey avenue TO Capitol grounds
TO pennsylvania avenue, to 18th street, to Penn
Sylyanfa avenue. enter the east gate passing
In review or President Hayes, thence out OF west
gate to Pennsylvania avenue, TO Lafayette
place, TO Vermont avenue, to Massachusetts,
avenue, passing Thomas statue, to 18th street
to street, to eth street, to Pennsylvania ave-
nue., 10 National Hotel, where grand banquet
will be given TO the Baltimore Drill Association
by the Uniformed Battalion OF the District
grand levee will take place In the evening at
the 9Th street hall III honor Of the visiting
brethren.
AnnSpnenrS.