The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1888-09-22

brotherhood has been a little slow
in invading the south, and vet 1t
will be seen that No. 8 of our 1856
lodges is credited to Texas, show
ing that in the infancy of the
order the field of its vision inclu-
ded all the sunny southland, and
that the brotherhood has been
watchful of opportunities anu
standing ready, as railroads in
creased their mileage, to establish
lodges, and to extend to locomo-
tive fremen of the south the bless
ings conferred by. the organlza-
ton. | must not be charged,
Mr.. Chairman, with desire to
cnlogize the brotherhood of loco
motive firemen unduly, when /
say it is watchful of opportunities
to extend the area of ITS jnrlsdic-
tion. 1t has not been unmindful
of the massing of mighty forces
throughout the south, to develop
the vast resources of this section
of our country. During the last
two decades the splendid showing
of the advancement OF the south
ia wealth is SIMPLY phenomenal.
1t has been the theme of states
men, and statistlcians have veri-
fled their statements. Whatever
may be said of other sections,
railroad building IN the south Ia
in its infancy, and with the ex-
tension of its railroad systems
there will be corresponding
growth of our brotherhoo I. 1t
will be here to grow up with the
country, aud to contribute in the
south, as it has elsewhere, since
ITS organization, in furnishing
railroad corporations with men
competent and reliable, to aid
them in carrying forward their
grand enterprises.
Mr.. Chairman, the history of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Fremen, without embe,lishment,
needs only a competent pen to
make it read ike a romance, 1t Is
a history in which, in numerous
instances, fact takes on the color
ing of fiction, IL has often been
recited in the presence of the
representa-, es of the order, aud
of representative men in all the
higher Wake of life, and has
elected applause and admiration
for the display of those sturdy
qualities os manhood, essential to
succcss, It's now something over
fourteen years ago that eleven
men, locomotive Giemen, decided
TO organize The Brotherhood Of
Locomotive FIremen. The actual
date was December lst, 1873,
These men met III the tcwn of
Port Jervis, New York, and the
organization VI Deer Park lodge
No. (, resulted. 1t was the first
lodge and grand lodge of the
order. They were working men
Thoughtful and practical, they be-
leved something could be done to
promote the welfare of men of
their rerilous Jalling--they were
wise IN their day and generation
-and yet they buIlded better
than they knew. December LIST,
1873, lodge No, 1, September 10,
1883, lodge No. 3s5. December
lst, 1873, membership H. Sep
te'nbcr 10th, 1883. membership
5000. | hold that the eleven
men who planted the brotherhood
tree December lst, 1878, did not
anticipate such a glorious fruitage,
But the growth of the order In
lodges aud membership, however
gratifying the facts may be, by
no means constitutes the SUN
total Of achievements upon which
the brotherhood rests ITS claims
for the approval of the public.
The history of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Fremen is a history
of advancement, not only in lodge
and membership, but an advance
ment in moral, educational and
force. As a brother
hood we champion the virtues of
sobriety and industry, neither
drunkurd nor a lazy man can Sc
cure membership in our order, and
no sooner does a member give
evidence by Ills conduct of his
crcokedness, term which has a
wide significance, then he is re-
CURED to resign or is promptly
expelled. Vagabondage in none
of its repuIsive phases is tolerated
in our brotherhood, From the
first it has been our high aim to
lnculcate uprightness in charac-
Ter and conduct and TO maintain
moral, social, educational and in
iellectual progress.
Iii saying this for the great