The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-03

pnoxznzsez. B. 8 sspt. g. lsss


pnov.prxeE. r. I. Sept. q. 1889
Dr1R cnaR1os have seen and
heard . mush since The date e my last
letter. from Nea York, that ] mi IT q
las to know how 70 eondease nd ar
ranas he result Of my obserrations into
an epistle Of reasonable length.
This has been emphaticalIy Odd Eel
lows, Week. Everything seems to have
an Odd look. The characters q. q. Q.
FL the three links. and many other
emblems of the Order, meet you
at every turn in this very beautiful city
of one hundred and six thousand inhab-
itants. THE CLARION has many read
ers among the Order at home, and for
their special benefit l viii note the prin-
cipal incidents and business of the fifty
ninth annual session Of the Sovereign
Grand Lodge, which commenced last
Monday, and closed its iabors to-day.
The local committee of arrangements
had provided for steamboat excursion
on Saturday last, clam dinner with all
its accompaniment, a sail on the ocean,
visit to and carriage ride at Newport,
all of which my colleagues, Messrs,
Hanes and Lowd, participated in, and
enjoyed TO the fullest extent. But |
did not reach Providence until Monday
morning, just in time to take part in
the procession preliminary to the OPEN
ing of the Grand Lodge. The process
sion moved from the Narragansett hotel,
splendid band and three encampments
in advance of the Grand Lodge, and on
arriving at City Hall, an enterprising
artist photographed the body from the
steps of that building. The picture is 8
very good one, but Seutter would have
procured better. The Grand Lodge
then proceeded to the hall selected fol
its sessions, and on arrival there eordia
: addresses of welcome were made b.
Governor Bourn, Mayor Hayward anC
Grand Master Coombs, of Rhode Island
which were fttingly responded to BY
, Grand Sire Leech. BY ten o'clock, tht
Grand Lodge was ready for business
The assignment of seats showed that ont
!, hundred and fifty-one persons were en-
titled to be present as Grand Represen
tatives, who, with the Grand and Past
Grand Officers, made up total of near
ly two hundred, including quite mum
Der who are distinguished citizens in
their several States.
The reports of Grand Sire Leech,
Grand Secretary Ross and Grand Treas
urer Vansant were then submitted, and
shows the order to have increased numer-
ically to the number of 18,050 during
last year, and the financial condition is
better than for many years-the avail
able cash assets in treasury being S74,
1926. In the Southern States there is
a net loss of 1892 Alabama
and South Carolina being the only States
| a AdNACHoCs b'NfNidl Va
the Eastern and Western States have
more members than all the Southern
Jurisdiction combination instance In
diana has 1854, Illinois 1884, Ohio
81, 439, Pennsylvania, 86,S13. The en-
tire membership under the jurisdiction
of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, is 5l0,-
Ala. The loss in the Southern States is
accounted for by the inducements offered
by the several beneficial societies, which
pay certain sums in the event of death
To counteract these, the Odd Fellows
in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, New
York, and other States where the Order
is most prosperous, have established
endowment societies, numbering thous-
ands, and paying large benefits. The
Sovereign Grand Lodge, by vote taken
to-day, has again refused 20 engraft
such feature upon the Order, but
Commends the same to the several juris-
dictions as separate and independent
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