Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-31
ORDER Oh, THE IRON HALL.
80
An Interesting Meeting at tho
Grand Opera House.
AIMS OF The ORGANIZATION.
They Are Fully Set Forth BY SUI
preme Justice some rby, To-
gcthcr with the Results
Accomplished.
An Intersstinr Meeting.

| unuer Tue auspices OF the iron i1ull ~ bne
Grand opera house, which had the beneficial
effect of more satisfactorily bringing to the
attention Of the people the objects of this
association and the cstitnable gentlemen who
| represent It,
Mayor Broatch was introduced. He wei
coined the visitors in a neat speech, in which
he spoke Of the pleasure it afforded him to
meet the delegates, the favorable impression
they had made upon him, and the good effect
their visit woulh have upon the city when
they should return to their homes and tell of
the prosperity of Omaha.
The members OF the order were seated
on the stage, and literally applauded the
sentiment and points of the address.
Mr.. Edwin j. Walker, of Philadelphia,
was introduced by the chairman, James H.
| Eckersly, and delivered felic,tous reply.
| Hereturned thanks for the kindly greeting
in behalf of the $4,000 members Of the Iron
Hail throughout the country. They had seen
great advantages and felt that Omahans
| ought indeed to be proud of their .ity IL had
impressed them very favorably, and VIII On
they returned to their homes, IL they saw
| young men who desired to begin life, they
would tell them to pack up and come to
| Omaha.
The Musical Union orchestra played,
| in an excellent manner, very choice Sc
w. II. Goodall was then introduced, and
| recited "Over the Hills From the Poor
House," with dramatic sympathy and in
tensity, and was warmly appreciated.
| j. j. Whlpple ex-mayor of Brocton, Mass,
spoke of the struggles in Massachusetts of
| fraternal beneficiary associations as re-
| vealed to him while member of the Massa-
| chusetts legislature, and serving as secre-
tary of committee appointed by that body
| to investigate insurance companies on the
assessment plan. The antagonism of the
| old line insurance companies, whose field
| had been invaded, was satisfactorily eX-
planned. Continuing, the gentleman said:
1.-THE question has been asked in my hear
ing, why did the Iron Hall come to Omaha
to hold its supreme sittinga' and What is the
Iron Hallr First, let me tell You that the
fame of your prosperity and growth extends
| from east to west and from north to south,
| and that we in the east were curious to OBJ
| serve for ourselves the confirmation of all
the stories of marvellous growth having for a
theme the city of Omaha, the gateway be-
tween the east and the west. The last
| question ] will answer by saying that the
| Iron Hall is fraternal beneficiary assocla-
tion which represents to-day $4,000 people.
| The gentleman also stated that there were
| in the east great many institutions doing
| an insurance business on the assessment
| plan, and asked his bearers not to confound
with every company advertising itself as an
assessment insurance company the Iron
| Hall, as that body was fraternal in makeup.
| Hon. M. ID. Church, of Massachusetts, was
| then introduced, and spoke as follows: II
| must say that the remarks of the mayor of
this handsome city embody tho best senti-
| ment have listened to. In almost every
sentence he impaired information TO me that
| was highly gratifying, He said that we had
dropped from the clouds, as it were into
your city, and also Informed you that we had
paid our way. don't know but that the ap.
pearance of so many of us in white hats may
have aroused a suspicion in Omaha that we
| were White Caps, and for that reason / as
sure YOU that the intents and purposes of that
organization are foreign to the province OF the
ave came here tonight as pilgrims,
nearly all of us. Most Of us are long way
from home, and our homes are as dear to US
rs are your own snug homesteads. But that
hardship is lost sight Of when we consider
| that we are here representing the order of
! the Iron Hall in its own behalf to present to
you the proposition that this organization
holds out to the people of the United States.
| AS l cast my eye over this audience per-
| ceive that am not addressing an audience of
millionaires see men who are graphing
with the everyday battle life, and earning
| their bread as the bible said they should, by
the sweat of their brow, men with muscle
and with brain dealing with the practical
| questions of life.
ITO you say that our order protects you
| and your little ones. Assistance is not given
you only in the event of your being buried,
| and for the easement of those left behind
| you, but the protection of the Iron Hall, the
| benefits of which inure to you and which you
| may enjoy and share with your family as it
| grows up around you, is salvation for the
| living.
''Tne order of the Iron Hall, as has been
| asserted by Legislature after legislature, is a
| fraternal benefit association, the members of
which are associated together for mutual
benefit. Its principles will insure you the
| enjoyment of the principles of mutual pro-
lection while you are yet on earth, and in
| this respect our order differs from all other
| mutual associations existing.
| up to 1881 this question Of the payment
| of benefits of this character to the living had
| not been answered satisfactorily, and it was
| left to the founder of this beneicent organi-
zation. Mr.. Somerby, to determine that the
| aid such as we propose, could be given the
living well as the dead.
"The question had often been mooted, but
| it was reserv ed to the Iron Hall, and the
| tivty to solve the great problem. The
| method of securing this desirable end will
leave to the masterly exposition of Mr..
| SOmerby.
"We came to your beautiful city to hold
our fourth biennial session OF the supreme
sitting in order that you might see the rep
resentative body Of the order and judge
| from the utteraIces of our founder, and the
records which will substantiate him. of the
| confidence that should rightfuliy be con-
| ceded to the Iron Hall.
| II hope that the effect of our move will be
salutary, and that instead of one branch of
| our organization appearing in your midst,
| twenty lone will demonstrate the desrability
and permanence of Iron Hall in this section
| OF the country.
81 commend to you careful consideration
Of our aims, feeling assured that you will re-
gard them as practical / wish especially to
direct the attention of young men to the OPP
portunity we offer4n the way of profitable
Investment He, who IN the prime of his
his usefulness, neglects to lay his hands on
the good fortune that is his in the Iron Hail.
is careless man. FOR At should be his study
how best to preserve his productive force. 1
commend all to sse's9 the protection of the
Mr.. Goodall recIted the "Engineer's
Story" and "The Fly Story" with great ef-
| feet. ,tihii
/ Supreme JusticeiFyD. Somerby, of Penn
| sylvania, was then1iptr0duced and addressed
the audience. MiS SOmerby is an entertain
ing speaker, and Succeeded in keeping his
audience thoroughly amused and interested.
After dwelling at some length on the instltu-
tion of the order and the objections with
! which it had been met ne proceeded TO ex-
plain its workings dnd success.
1--WE PROMISE" he said, IN substance,
sin the order OF! the Iron Hall to
pay SIS wsek5S IN case of sick
ness, $500 in case of total disability, or
$1,000 at the end of seven years in the
brotherhood and In the sisterhood from $l5
l 80 s.t,