Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-28

NOOIe dF8nQ-daSt De Oruer been true 8
it's mission, and have it's labors bee
crowned with success?
Vice Grand-Its work has been achieve
with manifest imperfection. but with uni
form f~aithfulness. It has increased il
membership until the little band has BIZ
come a vast army. Millions nave been e1
pended in it's illustrations, and it's accu
INFLATED millions yet remain for the carry
ing on of the well-begun work. Man hal
been drawn closes to his brother man; sol
row untold has been alleviated in the past
and it is gathering strength for it's work il
the years to come. 1t has increased in ex
~cellence as it has grown in age. Gloriousl.
has it prospered, and it's labors have beef
crowned with most abundant success.
Noble Grand-Then, m. brethren, it il
meet that we should at all times, and es
peciaily on this day, SO suspicious in tn
annals OF our Or Ter, come before the Grea,
God, in whom we trust, with heartfelt
Thanksgiving for the prosperity He hal
v~nuchsafed, and for the good He has en-
abled US to do, and, with hearty acknowl
edgment of His hand in all our success, oul
progress, and improvement, to rejoice be
fore him, and ascribe to Him all the hono1
and glory. Let us sing His praises; let III
thank Him for the past; let u implore tn
continuance OF His protecting care.
A hymn was then sing, the members o
the Order rising to their feet.
THE GRAFTON.
Grand Master McMurphey. then intro
duced the orator of the day, the Hon
George F. Borie, of Butte, who spoke sub
stantially as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Sisters an1
Brethren;
We nave assembled to-day, in the provi
dence of God, to celebrate the anniversary
of the institution OF our beloved order il
fitting place could have been selected fol
our anniversary exercises than this new
city in the Rocky Mountains, for as Ode
Fellowship in it's growth, has astonisheC
the world. SO has this mountain city excitec
the wonder and admiration of America il
it's origin and prosperity. Only three years
ago the ground upon which this city i,
built, was a barren waste, to-day it is
hive of industry, giving employment te
over 5000 human beings. This is almost
without a parallel IN the origin and growth
Of American cities. No wondert then that
the order of Odd Fellows in Western Mon
tana, selected Anaconda as the place in
which to celebrate the anniversary OF thu
institution OF their order.
oDDFELLowsHIP.
Sixtf-seven years ago the first lodge O.
Odd Fellows on this continent, was o organized
at Baltimore in the State OF Maryland, by
fivehumble mechanics, who had formerly
been connected with q kindred %organiza-
| ton in England. The names of these pion
GERS were Thomas Wildey. John Welsh
John Duncan, John Chatham and Richarc
Rushworth. These men had in early life be
come imbued with the principles of benevo
lence and charity, and had contracted the
habit of meeting weekly, in the LAM Of theil
birth, with others whose paramount ain
was to bear each others burdens. No won
der then that when they had migrated tc
the new world in search OF employment
that they should have experienced 4 feeling
OF loneliness which could only be overcome
by again engaging in the same good works
GROWTH OF THE ORDER.
From the little lodge of only five mem
bers, the order of Odd Fellows has con
t nued to expand and increase in member
ship, until to-day it has enrolled upon ita
register no less than $4,000 members
belonging to 1000 lodges. These lodges are
to be found not only in every city, town and
| hamlet in our own country, but Throughout
| Canada, in the isles of the Pacific, in Aus
t~ralasia, Peru, Chill, Ecuador, the West
| India Islands, Switzerland, Holland, the
| German Empire. and in other parts OF the
world. Prior to 1880 NJ record was kept
of the expenditures of the order for benevo
lent purposes. Since that time there has
been paid out for the relief Of distressed
members, burial # the dead, and educa.
! of the order, the munificent sum of $42,
900 900. What other secular organiza
ton can boast of such a record? Tht
annals OF the world do not present a paral
lei. This immense fund was not composed
of p%rincely contributions, gifts or legacies
but was contributed in small p%ittances
| weekly, running from ten to tw nty-ive
cents per member weekly. Who cal
estimate the amount of gooc
for humanity accomplished by thu
judicious dispensation OF that i'm
mense fund among the needy and de
serving. These works have been seen anc
appreciated by men, still there is a desire
on the part Of the public to know
WHAT is oDDFELLowsH1P.
This question has, doubtless, presented
itself to many who know nothing about it
except. perchance, from common report, OF
the vague suggestions OF a morbid pre9u
dice, hence it is often condemned rs an ldl'
organization, intended as its name woule
seem to impart, rather for levity, than To-
fidelity to the noble objects a.
which it processes SO earnestly
and exclusively to aim. Confiding il
it's true merits, it courts a scrutiny
into it's principles and practices, with tn
assurance that an enlightened public opinion
will render an impartial judgment on tn
standard OF excellence which pervades tn
one. and the practical benefits that flow
from the other.
It's name often c~onfuses and perplexe
intelligent and liberal minded people
Why, it ia asked, assume a designation &C
singular, if the object be excellent and sucl
al all good people would commend? I'll
candid inquiry should be, what is the oh
iect, what the fruit OF the tree claimed t.
be prolific of good? If the question shout,
be asked why ~Freemasonery is SO called
practical masonry, such as superstructure
of stone, forming at this day no part OF 1t
work, the reply would be, that, althoug
such is the fact, it does not follow that tn
name is idle or Inappropriate, since ther
may be a fitness inIitslapplication otan er
tirelv independent character The name o
Freemasonry may, and actually doe. i'm
mort. associations significant OF an insepe1
able character from the origin {
the Order. Having had it's Begin
ing centuries ago with the artisan
of the masonic craft, for the
mutual protection and recognition, n tn
AZ advancement of their noble art. Thu hi
tory of its early struggles to maintain 1t
universality, and q thousand other ma
lowed memories connected with the all
Empires in it's progress, have Justly II
spired a veneration for it's name: II
name is affectionately cherished by it's W
taries, because it has lived and moved, an
had a prolonged and useful being throug
, the vast past, still exists in the teemin
and novel present, and gives promise tha
it will thrive and prosper through all tn
distant and unexplored ages of time. s.
with Oddfellowship, it also had it's orig
with the IONS OF toll, and of the same craf
, namely the marble masons OF London 6
the beginning Of last century, though OF
3 more recent origin than F~reemasonry. :.
wise providence led men, whose dal
. bread depended up the toll OF the
hands, to associate together and form
common fund, and thus secure in heai'
l the means of support when FRUSTRATED b
a disease or accident. In its experiment
outset, ike Masonry, it encountered a CO
n respondent ordeal, it had no prestige
j. smooth it's uneven and obstructed pat