The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-26
THE SIXTY-SIXTH BIRTHDAY
Of the Independent Order of 0dd-Fel-
lows 10 BE Celebrated To-Day.
Origin and Progress of the Fraternity De-
voted to Friendship, Love and Truth
Other Fraternity Notes.

This day sixty-six years ago, what is known
as American Odd-fellowship was introduced into
the United States There had been lodges prior
to April 70, 1870 organized by members of the
English order-Manchester Unity of Oddfellows
who had strayed to this country, but they
were sporadic in character existing for brief
season and disappearing. Thomas Wildey an En-
glish blacksmith who had connected himself with
the English order before emigrating to
this country i being in the city of
Baltimore working at his trade, met John
WEIGH, house painter who was also member
OF the English ORDER and the two resolved to
organize lodge An advertisement was put in
the papers requesting all members of the order
to meet them at the s'Seven Stars tavern.
This advertisement developed two other memb
ers, but it required five to form lodge and the
papers were again resorted to, which brought
the fifth man. The lodge was organized April
70, 1919, at the 'Seven Stars tavern, Baltimore.
most numerous benevolent institutions in the
world, whose benefactions have become a part
Of the history of this country.
The first decade of the order the history of
which has been written by James l.. Ridgely,
the late grand secretary of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge, is full of interest to the student of Odd
fellowship. 1t recounts the difficulties which be-
set the order in its infancy, and the prejudices
that existed against it, preventing it's growth.
The men who composed the first lodge were all
members of the English order and they brought
with them to this country the habits and Gus
toms of that order The highest object seemed
enjoyment, and to assist in this di-
rection the milder beverages were
employed The meetings were held over
taverns. and by a law could not be removed so
long as five members would vote to remain, the
owner of the tavern always being included as
one of the five. The feeling aroused but a few
years prior by the with England during
which the capitol at Washington was burned and
that city sacked, and the city of Baltimore
attacked but the invaders repulsed at North
Point, had not cooled to that extent to induce
the people of Baltimore to take up with an
English order, composed entirely of Englishmen.
Four years after, but one additional lodge had
been organized, and $50 members comprised the
membership of both. This was in 1923.
During the next ten years there was more
progress. Thomas Wildey, the moving spirit of
the order, had succeeded in organizing lodges
in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts
and these, with Maryland made four States
with grand lodges These came together and
organized the Grand Lodge of Maryland and the
United States, afterwards the Grand Lodge of
the United States, now tho Sovereign Grand
Lodge.
The order began to attract to it men of intelli-
gence, and seemed in fair way to grow rapidly,
when the anti Masonic war of 1928 swept over
the Eastern States This was directed more es-
pecially against the Masonic order, but it did
more damage to Odd fellowship by reason of its
weakness. 1t almost blotted the order out of
existence in Massachusetts, and preiudiced the
people of New York and Pennsylvania to a
greater or less degree. But it slowly recovered,
and in 1883 the reports showed one hundred
| N of nd 00y,,ay nhorc
Among the men who had connected themselves
with the order were some who afterward become
conspicuous, such as Ridgely Kennedy, Vansant,
Chaplin, Matthiot AID many others. These men
realized that If the order ever attained any prom
inence in this country it must be renovated.
Old practices must be abolished and the order
placed on higher moral plane. This they set
about doing Ne cornwall features of the meet
ings were abolished, and all refreshments and
beverages, except water, banished from the
lodge rooms; and this rule still prevails.
In 1S43 there were 352 lodges and 80, 900 mem
berS. Wildey had visited the West and South,
and with that determined zeal characteristic of
the man had succeeded in establishing the order
in twenty States and in Canada. 1t was during
this decade that the circumstances arose which
caused the secession from the English order.
The secret work of the order had been the
same in England as in this country, but the Man
chester Unity abolished this work, and adopted
entire new work without giving any notice, and
then attempted to compel the order in the
United States to accept it and admit their mem
bers who came to this country. The Grand
Lodge OF the United STATES did everything it
could to reconcile the differences, even to send
ing JAS. J.. Ridgely and Rev. l. D. Williamson
as commissioners to England to plead with them
to adopt common language for the order in all
countries. The mission failed of its purpose,
and IN lS42 the separation took place, and all in
tercourse between the orders of the two coun-
tries ceased and they are still separated, each
having its own secret language.
In 1845 the ritual was revised and additional
signs adopted. The committee appointed to pre-
pare the ritual was composed of Rev. e. FL.
Chaplin, of Massachusetts, James l.. Ridgely of
Maryland, John A. Kennedy. of New York,
w. w: Moore. of the District of Columbia, and
Rev. James McCabe, of Virginia The report of
this committee was adopted, and the ritual given
to the lodges, and in 1858 the order had increased
to 600 lodges in all the States and Territories,
and 100, 900 members. All intercourse with the
Manchester Unity ceased, and the revision of
the ritual and the adoption of new secret
language, entirely of American origin, warrant
ed the title of American Odd-fellowship being
applied to the ORDER and under that title it has
grown to mighty army of over SOC, 000 The
order was now entirely Americanized and under
the influence of this fact it rapidly assumed it's
present form. and rose to the dignity of it's pres
ent purposes.
In 1851 the Degree of Rebekah was adopted,
after long debate and in the face of bitter op-
position. Schuyler Colfax, who was then but
twenty eight years old, championed the cause of
the degree, and afterwards wrote the ritual
Lodges OF that degree were not permitted until
1867, and then restrictions were imposed which
nullified all efforts to build up this branch. In
1878 these restrictions were abolished, and the
lodges given over entirely to the government of
women. In 1882 the ritual was revised and new
forms of conducting the ceremonies of initiation
introduced, which has created new interest,
and this branch is now in fiourishing condition
in almost every State, with over 1000 lodges and
more than 60 900 members.
Oddfellowship claims no antiquity but rather
rejoices In being the creation of the age in which
ne live 1t numbers in its ranks some of the
most brilliant minds in the land. and it's supreme
legislative body will compare favorably with
any other assembly in the country It's revenues
amount to So, OO0,0 600 per annum, while its bene-
factions are distributed throughout this CONT
nent.
The result of the sixty-s years benevolent