St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-16


well as the many members of your order who
have made this the occasion Of visit, a
most cordial welcome.
When we look upon gathering OF this
kind, representatives Of an order founded
upon friendship, love and truth" whose
mission is announced in the injunction to
all its members 1--WE command you to visit
the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead,
educate the Orphan" we feel they are en-
gagged in a noble work; and when we learn
as we do from the reports, that you are ex-
pending over FIVE thousand dollars a day,
and nearly two million dollars a year, in
offices OF human benefaction, we know the
Independent Order OF Odd Fellows is power
for good Coming together as you do from
every state and territory, and representing
the order in all parts of the civilized world,
many of you are accustomed to seeing sights
which will not greet your eyes here. We
have no ancient castles and few historic
places to exhibit. The oldest relic of
which we can boast is the falls of
st. Anthony, whose reckless power has been
curbed and brought under mans dominion,
giving US the finest water power in the
world. But while, like your order, we can
not boast of antiquity, we are proud of our
growth and Of our city. You will not think
it egotism, however, when you remember
that the city of Minneapolis is not yet twenty
yaars old, and that about thirty years ago this
section was first thrown open for settlement
and barely score Of whites dwelt on this
side of the Mississippi above Fort Smelling.
But this is neither the time nor place for ex-
tended remarks on such a topic. In the
name Of our people l ask you to look Us over
and draw your own conclusions. And in
their name again thank you for coming
and bid you to rest assured that while here
you are guests and as such you win be en-
tertained.
THE RESPONSE.
Following is the full text of the response
by the grand SIRE
Hon. Eugene Wilson, Representing Gov.
Hubbard) Mayor Pillsbury, Grand Master
Taft:
At our last session held in the hosptable
city of Providence, in the great little state Of
Rhode Island, invitations were extended to
us by the representatives from various juris
dictions to hold this annual session in their
principal city. Prominent among these was
the invitation extended by the grand repre-
sentative of the Grand lodge and Grand en-
campment of Minnesota to come to Mime
apoiis for our gathering of 1884, and after a
friendly rivalry between the several places
mentioned, this city, the metropolis of the
great North Star state, was chosen over Gal
weston, the metropolis of that larger Lone
Star state, and in response to that invitation
we are here to meet you to-day. For the
cordial and hearty welcome which you have
extended to US 1 return to you, Gov
ernor Hubbard, the sincere and grateful
thanks Of the officers and members OF the
Sovereign Grand lodge, whom 1 have the
hxN,,. =,
from our knowledge as well as from reports
reaching US, the people of Minnesota, whom
your excellency represents upon this occa-
sion, have abundant cause to be proud OF
their grand and beautiful state. We have
had in journeying here some opportunity of
viewing its marvellous beauties, its beautiful
towns and its abundant resources and
boundless wealth under the escort Of COM
mittee (whose arduOus labors to make the
journey pleasant and agreeable, we fully
appreciate). We were met by them in the
great city Of Chicago and conveyed by spec
ial trains over one Of the most splendidly
equipped railroads in the world, on our pill
grimage hither. Arriving at the gate city OF
your state, the beautiful city Of Winons, we
were received and entertained most roy
ally by the generous people and noble
brethren residing there. Indeed, It
seemed to US that the whole city had
turned out en- masse to welcome to its
Hospitality and its homes this great legisla-
tive body of one OF the grandest orders in
the world. A magnificent banquet prepared
by the beautiful ladies of that city was par
taken of, served to US by fair hands, with
that unsparing hospitality which character
ICES the people of our own great west From
that city to this, all along our route, welcomes
resounded from every village and hamlet.
Arriving here, after nights rest. we were
taken in charge by the Odd Fellows of this
city and given a welcome and most delight
full excursion over and around one of your
most beautiful lakes-and 10 you have only
begun with your series OF welcome, and
judging from the beginning, we may exclaim
in wonder
WHAT SHALL THE END BET
We have come here, some of US thous-
ands OF miles, to meet and legislate for
the advancement and the building up of
the great Order of Oddfellowship. Rep
reseutative men of all classes of business
are here to aid In making laws for the edu-
cation and elevation of their fellow-men,
and to assist in diffusing the principles Of
Friendship, Love and Truth. We are ac-
companied by our wives and daughters,
whose smiles and encouragement in
this our great work lends sunshine
on our pleasant journey; and you, gentle
men and the people, including that portion
who are Odd Fellows, have given us ali
most hearty and cordial greeting and well
come. And we are glad TO be here, for we
realize that to-day we stand in the very gate
way of land beyond, both grand and wonder
full to behold. We are glad to be here in this
North Star state, with its 10000 lakes; the
far famed twin cities, Minneapolis and St
Paul, with their $50, 900 people; the pride of
this far northwest; its Lake Mlnnetonka
over whose placid waters we have been car
ried in 4 grand pleasure trip of our brethren
here-the lake and the park region OF this
state; and our imagination wildly reveals
the bonanza wheat fields OF the land of the
Dakotahs beyond-the renowned Yellowstone
valley and other grand sights, all of which
form a fitting introduction to Natures Won
derland," the far-famed National
park. While still out and beyond,
other grand objects arc beheld, clos
ing at the terminus OF this great Northern
Pacific railway with view OF the grandest
ocean in the world, the magnificent Pacific.
And so here we are welcomed to this part OF
the the great west-northwest, midway be-
tween the great oceans, in this land Of our
childhood's dreams, and we cannot help
exelaiming what glorious land is this great
northwest.
When good Bishop Berkeley, many years
ago, made that famous line,
WESTWARD the star Of empire takes It's way
ii strikes US that he scarcely realized how
literally that poetic prophecy would be full
filed within so short q period. He had then
only heard of the narrow strip of land along
the Atlantic coast OF America, behind which
laid thousands OF leagues Of primeval forests
where the red man was sole master OF the
soil, and where the great lakes and rivers