Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-05-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

sixty first anniversary Of the organi.
zation of the Independent Order Of
0dd Fellows was celebrated yester-
day in this city by the r. W. G. En-
campment and uniformed battalion Of
the District of Columbia, aud the
Baltimore drill association. The ex-
e%rcises at Odd Fellows hall were
opened by John Long, Grand Patri-
arch, who made a few remarks, and,
after reading the proclamation of the
grand sire, introduced Hon. Casey
Young, of Tennessee, as the orator Of
the day. Mr.. Young made an elo-
quent address, replete with instruc-
ton. He did himself credit and
proved himself worthy the honor Of
being the orator for an occasion where
so much is required. His grafton was
appropriate in. every respect, and was
received with sincere appreciation. In
the course of his grafton Mr.. Young
said that the celebration of the event
which had brought them together
was of far mere interest and
pleasure to him than the ordi-
nary requirements Of political life.
He was breathing a purer atmosphere
and surveying, from a higher plain,
human life. He was glad to turn from
partisan strife, from the heated halls
Of wraugle and strife, and attend to a
theme that excites no angry passions,
yields no hatred, and finds sympathy
in every gentle breast. A theme that
was defined and embodied in words
representing the grandest virtues
which have adorned the human race
truth, love, and above all, charity,
with its gliding light falling like sun
shine upon the superstructure of the
other virtues, He spoke of the order
as a noble brotherhood, who had
woven this golden chain of sympathet-
ic hearts as these three links are
woven together, as one people, who
have canonized in the creed of their
faith, and gone forth to 6estow BEN
efactions on countless numbers
Of human beings. Their viz
tues have lighted the match of hui
manity, shining like stars in a sky Of
beauty through a vapory cloud shad-
owing and Obscuring human life. He
would not seek the origin of the order
in the dark ages; he would content
himself with a period when the facts
in the history Of Odd Fellowship were
more authentic. 1t is of English an
cestry, and though it has long existed,
is comparatively new in the New
World. In 1919, in the city Of Balti
more, there lived two unpretending
strangers, one born in England and
one in Scotland. The war of 1872 Had
but just closed, and the fierce wrang,
lings were still alive. These two men,
surrounded by hostile neighbois,
gloomy in their loneliness, unhappy in
their isolation, looked back to their IA
therland and yearned for the fraternal
happiness in the bosom of the secret
order. But between them rolled the
pillows of the mighty ocean. They
sought means and agencies to build
up the order in their new home. In
surmountable difficulties seemed to
face them on all sides, but after a
long and notwithstanding delay they
at last discovered three more Of their
mind. These five, surrounded by a
multitude of strangers, inspired by a
love for the order, in 1919, on the 18th
of April, organized in Baltimore the
first lodge Of the order of Odd Fellows
in the new world. These men are re-
garded as the founders OF the order in
the western hemisphere. They were
the patron saints under whom
it marched on to victory. The
names of these grand men, Thomas
Wildey, John Welsh, Richard Rush.
worth, John Chcatham and John
Duncan, will live in the history of
Odd Fellowship as long as the order
shall exist.
They will always stand most con-
spicuous and grand, The next lodge
organized was in Washington, and
some of the most reputable citizens
participated in the exercises. The
order has grown since half a century
ago from four-score to more than a
million. Wherever calamity has fall
en-, they have been the first and the
readiest to 20 to the assistance of the
sufferers. They were the kindest and
the gentlest to minister to every sor-
row. He referred to the brave and
gallant army Of the order which was
organized to meet the human SUI
ferers at the Chicago fire, bearing
with them gifts amounting to
$4,000 to be spent in mitigat-
ing the suffering, and many Of the
marble palaces now proudly erected
in hal city are monuments of the
charity of the order. Subsequently,
when that greater calamity, the yell
low fever scourge, overshadowed the
nation, into that region Of pestilence
and death there plunged a gallant
army-into the intrenchments of the
dire scourge. At MONDAY and at
night they we're constantly in atten-
dance, battling against death. He
thought this a good opportunity tc
offer his gratitude and thanks for the
great service that had been rendered
to his suffering people. During the
greatest of all calamities, which
well : nigh swept away the
fabric OF our government, the vir
} tues Of the Odd Fellows shone out
On the blood-stained field, in tn
dreary hospital, beside the couch ant
beside the grave the Odd Fellow wa
the same, exerting himself to lighter
, the sorrow Of the afflicted. When rea
e son had dispelled the clouds of pas
9 sion no reconstruction was necessar,
y