Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-23
WASHINGTON BRoruERHooD.

A Merry Time Enjoyed by the MEM |
addresses Made and OmcerS ELECTED
-Hiatory of the Organization.
It was ct the time of the first mutterings
of the civil war, when all were Watching and
waiting for the mails or the newspaper bulle-
tins, that few kindred spirits used to meet
daily at the store of Elihu L. Ives on the cor
ner of Chapel and Union streets. 1t was
suggested to organize club under the name
of the "High Cockalorum Fraternity" and
the first gathering of the club was held at
Stony Greek in the month of June, 1861. The
name of the fraternity was changed to the
etWashingten Union Brotherhood" in 1868.
Annual meetings have been held each success
sive year on Washington's birthday.
The brotherhood met at David Cowell's yes
terday and with banquet, nirth and merri-
ment fttingly celebrated the occasion.
President Frank Il. Harris, of this city,
| oficiated. After one of David CowelPs best
banQuets had been done justice to President
Harris made short address on the history,
prosperity and future of the brotherhood.
/ Benjamin Noyes followed with witty
| remarks. He said that nothing but good has
i ever come from the brotherhood and evil
| never will.
| F.W j. Sizer of Brooklyn, formerly of
\ this city, upon being called upon said he
| never knew of an organization that got
1 along SO tremendously and was peaceably
/ New England by James Gates Percival, for
some time resident of New Haven and
| native of Connecticut.
| B. Noyes next gave some very interesting
"reminiscences regarding the life of Percival,
the poet. "Percival," he said, "was grad
uate of Yale. but his pride and ambition
| were broken soon after he left college. He
assisted Webster in compiling his work, and
became engaged in numerous literary enter
4 prises but always as an assistant. The lead
ers of the work in which he engaged never all
1 lowed him an opportunity to rise. He always
worked in the humble capacity of assistant
1 Ea was appointed State geologist by the
legislature, but after losing his maintenance
he was rarely seen about the country. For
twelve or fifteen years he lived the life of a
recluse. The first breach of going within a
house other than his own and sitting at a
private table was in my house. After that
| we succeeded in getting him out more. Cit
l liens built house for him on Park street,
l where he collected his books, numbering
fifteen Thousand volumes. Later he went to
Wisconsin, where he sickened and died. He
was probably the most learned man, all
things considered, that ever graduated from
1 Yale college,"
Addresses were made by Il. N Oviatt; b,
W. Edwards, Northampton, Mass, Council
mag, George w. Bromley, Joseph A. Brom-
ley.
l Pleasant remembrances were brought to the
minds of those present by Mr.. F. W.J.Sizer re-
citing an original poem read by him at the
summer meeting of the brotherhood in 1887.
The last stanza is as follows:
I'VE are gathered to-day, but one day must part,
i When the autumn of life shall encompass each
And the harvester, death, in these scenes shall ap-
May the grain be all garnered in yon brighter
Hemingway Smith, the only original mem
Der of the "High Cockalorum Fraternity
now living, was present. He carries his
seventy years lightly and told his brother
members Of the fraternity that he had never
missed meeting, although he had travelled
/ from Maine to California A resolution was
adoped recognizing the presence of Mr..
Smith, the last of the "High Cockalorums /"
The Washington Union Brotherhood's OBJ
| jects are truly social and fraternal, it's con-
stitution forbidding the introduction of any,
thing having political or sectarian bearing
in any of its meetings, whereby harmony and
brotherly feelings may be disturbed, SO that
men of all creeds or political bias may meet
l on the plane and square of q universal broth
erhood. The original six that constituted
the club were: John G.. Mersick, Stephen
Gilbert, Austin Z. Hill, Frank 81. Brown,
4
| was shortly after the meeting of 1861 that
Sylvanus Butler, James R. Brown, J. Warren
Newcomb, Frank II. Loyeioy, Amos Gilbert,
/ David B. Sanger, Fred L. Bostwick, RolIin
A. Mcneil, George D. Sanger,F f. w: ]. sizer,
George B. Lego, William Lego, DR.. Josiah 81.
Beecher, Milton S. Leonard and Stearne
Fairchild Joined the club.
AT the meeting of 1868 large number of
| well known substantial citizens had united
| with the brotherhood, among whom were
the following: Thomas J. Stafford, Giles g.
Thompson, Albert Ney, James Gallagher, R.
q. Goldsmith, John c. Miles, Nathan q.
futile, Daniel L. Carpenter. Henry N. Owl
att. N. w. Rood, Edward M. Canfeld, John
B. Hanover, Charles s. Hall, Edgar Riker,
Captain Fred. Peck, John w. Utter, Charles
/ S. Elliot, John B. Hotchkiss, Frank Mortar
| ty and many others.
The following officers were elected at yes
terday's meeting: President, Frank H. Har
| ris; vice presidents, F. w. J. Sizer of Brook
Ign, Lewis Osterweis of New Haven: secre-
/ tary and treasurer, Henry N. Oviatt; execu-
tive committee, r. H. Goldsmith, Norman
w. Rood, John G. Miles, John @. Mersick,
Hemingway Smith.