Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-25
FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER.
The Members Of the Ancient Order OF United
Workmen Celebrate the Anniversary.

At $50 last evening A. o. U. W. hall
was well filed, when DR.. Furley raped
for silence. and in few well chosen words
stated the object of the gathering. He then
announced that Mesdames Caldwell and
Carlton would favor the audience with
some music The ladies sang in a very
charming manner a duet called "The
Home of Rest"
DR.. Furley then introduced Judge
Shields who spoke of the anniversary and
paid compliment to the music which had
just been rendered. Warming to his sub
ject he spoke of the teachings of the lorder,
dwelling at some length on the charity
which was displayed in all branches of the
A. o. U. W.. and the fact that the men,
bers were all bound together by cords OF
friendship. Following this the speaker
treated the grand work that the women
were performing in the order, and also the
fact that women could now accompany
their husbands when the latter started out
to attend that bugbear to the average
woman, ''the lodge" The judge asked
the question: "What is the A. 0. L. VIZ"
and in explaining this he said that it was
an organization with which the public
in general were unaequainted with
but on their becoming SO they
found that it was society
of brotherly love in whose halls
all parties met on an equality. At this
point the speaker told of the foundation of
the order; how twenty-one years ago in
the town of Meadville, Pa, Mr.. j. j. Up
church founded the order with member
ship of seven The aim Of the founder
was to bring rich and poor together. From
this point the speaker dwelt at length on
the life of Mr.. Upchurch, how he learned
the habits of all men, as he had risen from
a Iaborer to be the head of great concern,
and thus had seen men in all conditions OF
life. He knew that something was neces-
sary to bring men together, and following
this thought the Link of Friendship
was formed. The speaker then
followed the organization from
its foundation to the present
day and told how the membership had
grown from the immortal seven until at
The present time the membership in the
United States and Canada numbered 49,
600 and the order was still growing rapid
ly. Following this the subject of the in
surance feature of the ORDER was taken up
and treated in clear manner by the
SicdhcE, WIZ COuISc VI HIS lSlIh
brought forth statistics in substantiating
his statements. One fact brought forth in
this connection was that in the twenty-one
years of the orders existence So, 000, 600
had been paid to the widows and orphans
of members Then in closing he said that
every member should be proud of the
organization and should also be strong in
the faith of the order reaching
out the hand of friendship to every
one, and each strive to do more
good than his brother, The speaker be-
fore the close of his able address called at
tention to the care which was taken of
those who were left behind. The speech
was a very able effort and called forth
loud and continued applause.
Following Judge Shields address a reci-
tation was delivered by Mrs. DR.. Furley
wherein Miss Biddy McGinness related
her experience in a photograph gallery.
The applause and laughter which the rec
itation called forth was only abated on
Mrs Furley bowling her acknowledge
mentS.
At 10 O'Clock Shaw's orchestra put in an
appearance, and the floor being cleared the
light fantastic was tipped until a late
hour. The entertainment was pronounced
a success liz every respect.