The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-02

OF Schiller Lodge have averaged Little
over 81 900 per annum, and the relief
$3.50. The receipts Of Banner Lodge aver
age $3.50 per annum. and the relief $500
Since 1913, when odd Fellowship was
first introduced into the city, the revenue
OF the order in Memphis has not been
much, IL any, under $3.50, 900 The an.
nual revenue of the order here is about
$4,000. A large part Of This is earned bv
the Odd Fellows building. and though
some may claim that il is Il little o'd-iash-
Toned in style yet the structure an its site
is worth today every cent of $40, 900. and
the property would bring that money in
the open market.
The first lodge organized in this CITY
was Memphis Lodge, No. q, January 30,
1913, and il was also the first lodge in the
Western District of Tennessee Much
prejudice and iactious opposition was
manifested toward the order for time,
but il went on doing good in quiet, nm.
ostentatious way, and, under kind provi-
dence, lis sun Of prosperity shone brighter
and brighter right along until other lodges
sprang forth. Chickasaw Lodge, No. s,
was organized in May, 1915, little more
than two years after the Memphis Lodge
VOC NlfNhNhs ny 4 dHl Nluuil NtOIkt
Blanchard, OF Louisville, Ky The
fathers OF the order were O. T.. Wilcox,
Harlan Leaf, james NJ. Howard, A. b.
Shaw and John Y. Bayliss These gen.
tlemen thought the order would live and
prosper, and II has. Now there are twenty.
five lodges OF Odd Fellows in West Ten.
nessce, and though the total revenue of the
twenty.one outside OF Memphis is less
flun - nln L..
one-thlrd OF the amount goes 10 relieve
those in need.
Chickasaw Lodge, No. s, was paying TO
widows alone previous 10 1884 from 3, 200
TO -, 800 per annum, aud Ia some eases
widows had drawn ~ much 8, 300, hav-
ing been on the roll OF pensioners over
thirty years. The widows OF the lodge
were located rs far away "a Massachusetts,
Oregon and Texas, and were scattered over
the intermediate country.
IL was about 1915 that the site for
the Odd Fellows Hall was purchased
ior some $1,000. A lot was par
tally bargained for at the time at the
southeast corner Of Main and Madison
streets, where the Clark marble building
now stands, but the present site was finally
taken and built upon. The structure was
iAN Ap va ilNNlN anu a-1tNfN III STOCK, OF
1000 shares, was distributed among the
members and put upon the market for
sale.
The enterprise got into financial tanglo
after time and the shares were hawkcd
about the streets and sold fora song. Then
the whole concern made a narrow escape
from changing owners under foreclosure,
but +. III. Clark aud George Robertson
came 10 the front at a critical time aud ai-
iordcd relief 10y purchasing stock enough
TO pay Oh all claims. For many ycars past
the building las been productive and has
yielded fine revenue.
For u number Of years n part Of the
building was used All theatcr, and il was
long the best We had in the city. Such
actresses rs the lamcnicd. but gifted and
popular Avonia Jones, played a line Of
delightful characters very successfully
within its walls, and a splendid dog OF
noted sngacity was presented to this lady
while she acted one OF her parts here.
The big pct followed her home 10 the East
and was with her when shc died with
consumption few years later.