St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-03
LOCAL AND TOWN NEWS.
ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Celebration of the 69th Anniversary i'm
So Ioh

ton of Odd Fellowship into this coun-
try was very successfully observed in
st. Johnsbury Thursday afternoon and
evening. After noon the day was one
of the pleasantest of the season. Fully
100 visiting brothers were present,
Caledonia lodge being assisted in the
celebration by Lamoille lodge of East
HaIdwick, Union lodge of Lyndon
vile, Alpine lodge of West Burke and
Temple lodge of Wells River. There
was public entertainment in the af
ternoon with an address by Rev. F. E.
Dawson, poems 10y Rev. A. j. Hough,
and vocal and instrumental music. At
six suppers were served at the Avenue
and st. Johnsbury houses, followed
with reception by the grand officers
in the former house and in the evening
order at Odd Fellows hall. Among
prominent Odd Fellows present were
Grand Master HI. w. Hall of Burling
ton, Deputy Grand Master o. H. Hem
derson of st. JOhnsbury, Grand Secre-
tary H. E. Parker of Bradford, Grand
Warden G. F. Eddy of Bellows Falls,
Grand High Priest L. R. Robinson of
Derby Line, Grand Rep. d. p. Celley
and Past Grand Master N. p. Bowman
of st. JOhnsbury and Past Grand III. E.
Randall of Island Pond and Parker of
Woodsville.
The public meeting in Music hall
was we'll attended, being presided over
by Deputy Grand Master Henderson.
After prayer by Rev. F. E. Dawson
and the singing of the opening ode by
the audience, Mr.. Henderson read the
proclamation and briefly stated the
purposes of the celebration. What the
4th of July is to every American citi-
zen, he said, the Goth of April is to
every Odd Fellow in that it marks the
introduction of the order into this
country.
Rev. A. j. Hough of Bradford, the
poet laureate of the grand lodge of
Vermont then read the poem of "The
three links" and, later Oh, he read
"The Good Samaritan" The charac-
ters in the former were David, Saul
and Jonathan. and the latter was the
we'll known Bible story of the Good
Samaritan. Mr.. Hough was interrupt
ed many times during the reading with
applause and his illusions to Oddfel-
lOwship were very ahappy.
The male quartette, Messrs. w. C..
Tyler, P. F. Hazen, Humphrey and
Page sang a song of welcome and then
came the address of the day by Rev.
F. E. Dawson, and very bright and
pithy address it was. The objections
to Odd Fellowship on account of it's
secret features were at first considered,
the speaker offering an earnest tribute
to the value of silence, and declaring
the great need of the day to be I,00O,
600 padlocks put on as many jaws and
the keys lost. Nature has her secrets
and Mr.. Dawson, with considerable
ingenuity, showed how reluctantly she
parted with them, each new discovery
being characterized as an additional
degree. The great value of the chart
table work of the order was noted, and
many instances given to show its prac-
teal workings among all classes of
men. The address was enlivened with
a number of humorous stories, apt il
Illustrations of the subject under discus
sion, and the speaker was frequently
interrupted with laughter and APP
plause.
Mrs. P. F. Hazen then sang "Miz
pah," by Geibel, with such effect that
she was recalled and responded with
another selection; the quartette sang
"From East to West" and Miss Ina
Howe rendered a piano solo. The
exercises of the public meeting were
every way successful and greatly en-
joyed.
At 6 o'clock supper was served to
visiting guests and local residents at
the two hotels, I13 plates being spread
at the st. Johnsbury house and 100 at
supper at the Avenue house were roy
ally served, special menu being pre-
pared which included, among other
delicacies, fresh Strawberries. Mrs.
B. G.. Howe had general charge of af-
fairs at this house. The suppers were
followed by reception in the Avenue
house parlors.
At o'clock $50 assembled at Odd
Fellows hall, under the call of District
Deputy A. L. Bragg for the purpose of
exemplifyng the work. AS uniformity
in the work of the order is much to the
benefit of all, this mode is being adopt
ed largely in the state as n school of
instruction. The meeting was called
to order by District Deputy Bragg.
Noble Grand Henry Holder took the
chair and the lodge was opened in
form. The chairs were then surren-
dered to the officers of Connecticut
River lodge of Barnet, F. A. Blodgett,
N. G., who performed the initiatory
work. This was followed by the work
in the first degree, G. H. Gray, N. c.,
at the close of which light refresh
ments were served. On re-assembling
officers of Lamoille lodge occupied the
chairs, w. S. Bailey, w. G., and work.
ed the second degree. The third and
last degree was worked by Alpine
lodge of West Burke, E. McGinnis, N.