The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-09-18
ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Meeting Of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge at Columbus, o.
Thousands Of Visitors In the City on
the Occasion of the Grand
Encampment.

Ohio's Capital Lavishly Decorated In Honor
of the Evsnt-Reports OF the Grand on
GERS show Large Increase in Member
ship.
CoLUMBUs, o., Sept. 1.-THE hall Of the
House Of Representatives presents q bril-
liant scene with its decorations Of all COL
ors Of the rainbow, prepared for Americas
great event in Odd Fellowship. Pendant
from the large chandelier at the center Of
the ceiling are huge bars OF red, white and
blue, which stretch to the four corners Of
the hall, fastening to the railingso Of the gal
leries. On every wall are huge flags, stars
and emblems Of the order, all in the nation.
al colors- The galleries which span the
north and south sides Of the hall are scenes
Of splendor. Against the walls and form
ing the background Of these parts Of the
auditorium are decorations Of most artistic
design, while pendant from the gallery rail
ings are dropping folds Of red, white and
blue bunting bedecked with flags Of every
State in the Union.
No less than {, 900 members Of the order
have arrived and the trains are coming in
on every road loaded down with Odd Eel
lows, and BY tonight 5000 visitors will be
here. The city Is one vast sea Of decora-
tions and the scene in beauty resembles the
g. A. r. Encampment Of n year ago.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge Of L o. o. y.
met here yesterday in the Capitol with the
following grand officers present: John c.
Underwood, Grand Sire, Columbus, o.;
Charles II. Busbee, Deputy Grand Sire,
Raleigh, N. g.; Theodore A. Ross, Grand
Secretary, Columbus, o. Isaac A. Shepard,
Grand Treasurer, Philadelphia, Pa; Allen
Jencks, Assistant Grand Secretary, Colum-
bus, O; Rev. ]. W. Venable, Grand Chap
lain, Hophnsville, KY. John II. Albin,
Grand Marshal, Concord, N. H.; John L.
Perkins, Chelsea, Mass; W. Il. Frazier,
Grand Messenger, Washington, d. c.
In the morning the grand body was re-
ceived at the Board Of Trade rooms, where
the welcome addresses were delivered by
Governor Foraker and Mayor Bruck, TO
which responses were made by Grand Mas
ter j. L. Mckinney, Of the Ohio Grand
Lodge. and by Grand Sire Underwood. The
Sovereign Grand Lodge then went into ses-
sion and the Grand Sire made his report.
This shows that the annual increase Of
membership is larger by several thousand
than that reported for a similar period dur
ing the last fifteen years. The report from
the Adjutant Generals files up TO Septem-
Der shows that there are AZ patriarchs
militant departments; 546 component can
tons; 8 band cantons; that 3,l65 cheyaliers
have been made; that there are IL. .&13 can
ton members, and that the value Of military
outfits and other assets Of cantons Is tT02,-
52S.
The report Of Grand Secretary Ross for
the United States shows the aggregate
totals Of the expenses Of subordinate bodies
separate from benefits and charities, for the
year 1883, and the amount Of invested funds
December 81, 1883, as follows: Grand
Lodges-total current expenses, tl,75,6e9;
invested funds, Si4.6 cod, ,2S5. Grand Encamp
ments-total current expenses, tll9,055; in.
vested funds, 81, ,072, ,0s9. Number Of Grand
Lodges 81, Grand Encampments IS, subor.
dinate lodges s,534, an increase Of 203 oven
1857; subordinate encampments 2,O91, in.
crease 43; Rebekah degree lodges 1,763, I'm
crease a65; lojSe limitations 8,Il2, increase
2,7S1; oncampment limitations 1l,5l5, in
crease $50; lodge members $50, ,552, increase
"a $50; encampment members lO6,g72, in
crease SGD; Rebekah degree lodge mem
bers 96, ,i36, increase l6,61
During the year the lodges paid out fOI
relief Of members s2,25s, ,O9O.58; increase
over 1857, 1888, ,562; relief extended by en-
campments SD, 6,444; increase S9,s0s; by
Rebekah lodges $2l,sl5; increase S4,14l.
Total paid out for relief, S2,50l, so, an in
crease Of sl47,5l4
Every State has delegates and there ART
many from foreign countries. Late last
night scores Of bands serenaded distin-
guished mombers Of the order at the vari-
Gus hotels