The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-30
SURRENDERED THE GHOST
THE AMERICAN ORDER OF FIRE
MEN HAS DISSOLVED.

1t Made an Excellent Start, but Suddenly
Collapsed-what an Ohcer of the Ma
tional Council Said About It-Eews
from Other Secret Orders.
Sissl Booml Ahl Up went the sky
rocket, down came the stick, and it was
over. Brief but brilliant and like the
| fight of the rocket was the existence of
the Order of America Firemen.
There are half million exempt and ac-
| tive firemen in North American, for this
grand order was not to be limited to these
United States of America. Its founders
wanted to embrace every fire laddie from
the North Pole to the Isthmus.
The fremen took kindly to the move
| and they rang the changes sweetly on the
chestnut. lin union there is strength"
Councils sprang up like mushrooms in
| this and adjoining States. Even in the
| far West, councils were instituted The
| order was born in September, 1886, and in
twelve months it had grown so rapidly
that National Council was established.
In year it had membership of 15,000
and all looked serene. That was as far
as it went.
Three councils were instituted in this
county, two in this city (Jersey City and
Farmer Councils), and one in Hoboken.
The two last named have surrendered the
ghost, and Jersey City Council is now
simply the Jersey City Firemen's Associa-
ton.
They have Withdrawn from the order,
as they searched in vain for the Secretary
of the State Council, and the National
and State officers were among the mis-
sing.
To ascertain the cause of the apparent
death of the order I called on ex-Fire
Commissioner Thomas Leather.
He was delegate to the State Council
and represented the State Council in the
National Council.
''The order is dead" he said. "The
National Council was to have held it's an
nual meeting this month. There has
been no meeting. The State Council was
At the last session of the National Coun-
Gil it was evident that dissolution was
near.
"There was absolutely nothing except
the name to attract firemen and after
they joined there was no inducement for
them to remain. The door was open to
every one under the loose method of do
ing business. Firemen who had seen
service found that the men who did all
the talking were not local firemen. They
claimed to have served somewhere in the
West or East as fremen, and the vet
v1nced that these strangers had smelled
smoke.
Il was elected one of the directors of the
National Council. There were two mem
bers who were inclined to goo on incurring
bills in anticipation of putting new life
into the organization. / knew that the
subordinate councils were fast dying out,
and there was little money coming in. |
opposed the purchase of anything until
the money was in the treasury to meet
the bills.
II was not present at meeting where
these two directors, the secretary and
treasurer received authority to order a
huge batch of stationery. The next meet
ing attended they wanted to assess me
Sl6 to help pay the stationer's bill. re-
fused on principle, and | do not know
whether the bill was ever settled or not.
'The stationery understand was left at
the office of the Holloway Fire Ex-
tinguisher Company and the agent was
anxious to find some of the directors and
have it removed.
''The order had several good men in the
National Conncil, but they said there was
nothing to hold it together and retired.
Mr.. Braxmer, who was the first treasurer
paid large amount out of his own purse
to build up the order and several others
worked hard but in vain. The order is
dead"
Odd Fellows.
Jersey City Canton No. 2 visited Newark
last Tuesday night.
Farnsworth Lodge will receive Grand
Master j. Frank Jennings tomorrow
night at their rooms at the Avenue House.
Jersey City Canton will confer the de-
gree of Chivalry at their next meeting
Palisade Encampment and Mozart
Lodge will participate in the reception to
the Grand Lodge officers tomorrow night.
The debt of the Odd Fellows Home at
Trenton was cancelled on Saturday and
the Odd Fellows are happy.
Judge Wheeler, Past Grand Master, |
will lecture on Odd Fellowship at Kess- |
lers Hall tonight The lecture is under |
the auspices of Alpine Lodge.
Jefferson Lodge has not been increasing |
as rapidly as it should. To induce people |
to join the initiation fee has been re-
duced from ten to five dollars.
American Order of Foresters.
The Foresters are in poor luck choosing
days for their picnic and games They
are determined to have that celebration |
and will try again October H.
A new court is to be installed by Court |
Ashley. The infant mas been christened |
~. r L.