The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-27
The Odd Fellows Enjoy Themselves
Hugely In Che Afternoon and
Evening.
Address of Welcome by NJ. u. Cor
bett, and Grafton by Rev.
Spurl0ck.
A Grand Bail and Supper at Armory
Hall.
AT TIE OPERA HausE.

/ r.,
and it is needless to repeat it, Shortly
before o'clock the Opera House was
comfortably filed. There was slight
sprinlkling of ladies among the audience.
S. III. Ruby acted as N G. of the occa-
sion, and w. III. Scott as V. G.. Deacon
Halves was chaplain and J. L. Haas sec
retary. Among those also on the stage
were: Mayor Mott Rev NJ Spurlock
of Geneseo, orator of the day, City Clerk
Koehler. City Attorney Corbett, j. T.
Kenworthy. John Wolfenhaupt and AL
dermen Henry, Stengel. Cary, Larkin,
Reimers, and Sinnett. besides gentlemen
from the visiting lodges.
After John T. Kcnworthy had intro
dueed Mayor Mott to the audience,
Brother M. NJ Corbett was announced to
make an address of welcome He said
Odd Fellowship was auxiliary to Christi
anity. 1t labors to make its members
temperate, industrious, moral and respect
ed members of society. 1t labors to make
them the noblest works of God, namely,
honest men. Odd Fellowship recognized
/
the axiom that there is divinity in man
to shape his ends, and superior divinity
without to shape them, and it endeavors
| to elevate its members to the plane and
| likeness of God, in whose image they
were first made. Hence it is an indis-
pensable moral factor in society. The
virtues of friendship, kindness and char
| ity; exercised and exhibited by David and
| Jonathan, each to the other. are insignia.
| cant when compared with the exercise of
| similar ones by Odd Fellows at the death
| beds of their brothers, and in relieving
the wants of the bereaved and the desti-
| tute orphans. There is a trinity of these
virtues Friendship, Love and Truth, )"
which the order especially inculcates and
| which has given it an enduring reputation
and made it an enduring factorin society
We need more Good Samaritans IN our
day and we may look for them in the re-
gard for the teachings of Odd Fellowship.
Bleuer's band then played 80, How
Delightful, which was followed by the
Opening Ode" all the members rising
and joining in the song.
Rev. Dir. Spurlock was then introduced
and made quite lengthy address, of
which the following is an analysis:
Mr.. President, Ladies. Gentlemen, and
Brothers of the craft: 1t is with pleasure
that greet you here this afternoon and
participate with you in the honors of the
sixty fourth anniversary of American Odd
Fellowship. Odd Fellowship, as one of
| the formidable institutions of the land
| exists of divine right, and can Justly
boast of worthy ancestry, brilliant and
benevolent achievements and hoary an
tiquity one that reaches back to the gen
Grafton of Adam, the priesthood of Moses |
and Aaron, and which principally consti-
tuted the prov ess of ancient Rome 1t |
was the boast of Titus Ceaser that the |
Roman soldiers under his command were |
odd fellows for they knew each other in |
the dark by certain signs of their craft |
Travelling on through the line of time it |
made its advent into the Spanish domin- |
ions in the fifth century, Portugal in the |
sixth and into France in the twelfth |
century. The knights of France under |
the leadership of John DeNeville carried |
it into England and organized the first |
lodge in London which f1ourished under |
the reign of George ILL.,. until the eigh- |
teenth century, when part of them be-
gan to form themselves into a union, por-
lions of which remain to the present The |
lodges which have grown out of these |
several organizations are numerous |
Throughout the world, ard have gone un |
der the Sc Ieral names of Loyal Ancient |
Odd Fellows, Union Odd Fellows and |
Manchester Unity Odd Fellows From !
al lat 4Ea.,T n n IN 6
its existence in Baltimore, NJ D., in 1919 |
1t was organized by Thomas Widely and |
few others, at the house of Wm. Lump. |
ton at the sign of the seven stars on the |
Goth of April, just sixty-four years ago |
Application having been duly made for |
dispensation from the proper authorities, |
it was granted by the Duke of York's |
lodge Preston, Manchester unity" and
under this dispensation did the Washing |
ton lodge. which was the first permanent |
lodge organized in America per |
form its work. One year later |
the dispensation was surrendered /
back to the past grands and the lodge re- |
ceived warrant from the grand lodge in |
its stead. Since then the grand lodge of |
the United States has been the head of the |
order, and the business of Odd Fellow
ship has been conducted without the in |
reverence OF any country. In no country /
has its growth been more marvellous than |
this. There is scarcely state, territory |
or locality where It does not exist It |
has grown the past sixty -four years from
less than score to more than half mil
lion, and in every period has it kept
pace with the growth and progress of the
age. 1t has put off the form of life in
surance company, and assumed those
moral proportions which challenge the adj
miration of the world. Aside from mu-
tual protection. it affords moral and
social advantages, which are not to be de-
spised, and to these with other character
istics of the order we shall now address
ourselves.
Like all other institutions we have our
enemies and we have our friends. We do
not hope to usher in the millennium by |
the conversion of the world to the fellow
ship-of >our craft. 1t is not likely that |
the world will ever be converted to any |
one thing. Some have strong prejudices |
against the order because of its secrecy. |
That is they are opposed to the order be
cause they do not know what it is-that |
Is they are opposed to everything that they |
do not know anything about. They fail to
comprehend the signs, symbols and in
side workings of the order. Do they I'M
derstand the inside workings of the gov
eminent of Washington. Do they |