The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-02-15
THE ODD FELLOWS ENTERTAIN.
Tonti Lodge Visited by Twenty
Ave Members from La Sale.
The La Sale Team COnfers Degree-Ban-
quet at Piergue's-Speeches by Rev'J.
l.. Evans, of La Sale, ID. Me-
DOugan and Others.

Tonti Lodge No. 800, I. o. o. F.,
initiated John Kirstie into the order OF
Odd Fellows Monday evening, securing
the La Sale team, Brothers Young,
iSanderson, Jenkins, Gibson, Dee, Dig
gle, HOult. Burnell, erase, Pierce and
Scott, for the comforting of the degree.
They performed the work In splendid
style, and won the appreciation OF the
entire lodge.
After the work, in the degree was
finished, the members, accompanied
by their guests, adjourned to Piergue's
restaurant, where they partOOk OF a
fine banquet. They then returned to
their hall. in the opera house block,
where several stirring addresses were
made.
Rev. Evans, of La Sale, who was
first called upon, stated that the prin-
cples of the Order--friendship love
and truth-are principles that will re-
main while others may be fleeting and
passing away. .....
81 have never regretted any step !
have taken in Odd Fellowship" said
Rev. Evans, "and the more | ponder
over these principles, the greater they
appear to me. Odd Fellowship has a
tendency to raise men in the scale OF
intelligence and make them what men
should be toward their fellOw-men. If
we go among those who have not be-
come acquainted with these principles,
we find them selfish, unforgiving and
savage. Man has tendency to hate,
and for revenge. Natural man has no
mercy, and knows nothing of love and
charity and is stranger to friend
ship. | have been in the far west. l
once heard a minister tell the story of
the 'prodigal SON. before an audience
of ranchmen and cowboys. One cow
boy was particularly interested. The
minister noticed this. When the re-
cital was finished he turned to the
cowboy and asked what he would have
done. t. said the cowboy, would
have shot the boy instead of the fatted
calf These principles of Odd Eel
lowship have a tendency to elevate
men to better state, to make them
better husbands, better fathers and
better men for the world"
Mr. McDougall, of Ottawa, called
upon by the Noble Grand, said:
81 would not speak at this late hour
(midnight), but the pleasures and the
profits of the evening compel me to
return my individual thanks and the
united thanks of the lodges of the city
to the La Sale members for the Splen-
did manner in which they conferred
the degree on the candidate of the
evening. The influence of this order
must deepen and broaden until the
feeling of universal brotherhood will
be more prevalent throughout the
world. know there are many very
good people who have prejudice
against secret societies. The Odd Eel
lOwship is not secret in the sense OF a
secret society. A secret society Is one
OF which the existence, the member
ship and the ends are alike secret to
all but members. Odd FellOwiSm con-
sists in a society with secrets, and
only such secrets as enable it to trans
act it's business without being i'm.
posed upon by designing persons who
persons could only see the matter in
its true light, their prejudices would
melt away as the dew before the morn.
ing sun. What better motives can
there be than friendship. love and
truth? The underlying principles OF
Odd Fellowism are the fatherhOod OF
God and the brotherhood of man
Every degree is made to impress upon
the candidate these two great princi
pies of the order and the life of the
world" Mr.. McDOugall made fine
address, closing with splendid per
grafton.
Speeches were also made by Brothers
Miller, Young, Worries and HOult
all of La Sale who spoke in less i'm
passioned strains, but elected much
applause. -.. ;,
Those present from La Sale, besides
the team, were Brothers Richards
Fischer, Moeller, Burlington, Strauss
Derr, Schiller. Nelson, Evans, Wright
Johns. Worries and Hawkins. Bro
! Il. ID. Mcdonald, of Ottawa, likewise
member of La Sale Lodge No. l0l
was also present