The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-27
ODD FELLOWS DAY.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE LINKS
CELEBRATE THEIR ANNIVERSY.
Thousands Turn Out to Do Honor to the
Great Occasion.
The Youngest Odd Fellow in the World
Made in the Peerless Princess.
ODD FELLOWS DAY.

Yesterday was Odd Fellows day. 1t was
the seventy-third anniversary of the Or
ganization of the society in the western
hemisphere; it was the anniversary of the
day that the principals of the noble order
were planted in the fruitful soil of the
American republic where it has so thrived
that it covers the land today from ocean to
ocean and from the icy fields of the
north TO the sun kissed hills
and valleys of the south. Seventy-three
years ago it was twig; today it is mas
sive tree with several thousand branches
and continually spreading.
Early in the morning delegations began
arriving on every train. They came from
the north, south, east and west. Upon
looking in every direction professions of
the sons and daughters of Odd Fellowship
could be seen marching from every direc-
ton to the Garfield hall dressed in gay
regalias of the two branches of the order,
the uniformed and the ununiformed, as
we'll as the Daughters of Rebekah. They
came in professions of twenties, fifties
and one hundreds and they all looked
bright, cheerful and happy. Every town
in the southwest was represented and in
numbers much beyond the expecta-
tons of the Wichita lodges who were
the hosts of the occasion. The great COM
mon center or meeting place was the Gar
field hail The upstairs of the building
was reception room, and the downstairs
room was the dining hall
The first thing on the program was din
ner. Immense tables were set in the first
floor Of the Garfield building, with a seat
ing capacity for nearly 500 Mrs. John
Martin presided. and she was kept so busy
during the dinner hours that she was al
most COM letely worn out. Two thousand
people ate in the hall, and yet many of the
visitors had TO 60 to restaurants and hotels
for dinner. 1t is estimated that there were
at least 200 Odd Fellows and Daughters
OF Rebekah in the city. and perhaps 1900
more visitors who did not belong to either
order.
The crowd was so great that it was i'm
possible to form lines and march accord
ing to program, but Shaw's orchestra
served to attract them to the opera house
at o'clock the hour set for the program
there.
When proceedings commenced at the
opera house the entire building was filed
from the parquet to the gallery. 1t was
TO look from the stage toward
the audience the nice spring trimmings of
the ladies hats forming pleasing
harmony with the bright regalia of the
gentlemen members of the order The
was opened with a nice selection
from Shaw's full orchestra after which
the president of the meeting introduced
Rev. n. E. Harmon who offered very
sublime invocation.
Then followed the reading of the proc
lamation by Mr.. O'Bryan which is as fol-
lows:
OFFICE OF THE GRAND MASTER.
Lodges OF the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
and TO all whom /. may Concern:
In accordance with custom, and in pur-
suance of the resolution of the Sovereign
Grand lodge, and by the direction OF
Charles NJ. Busbee, grand sire, |, NJ. B.
Ward grand master, by virtue of author
ity vested in me, do hereby enjoin upon all
lodges, under the jurisdiction
Of the Grand lodge of Kansas, TO take APP
propriate action for the due commemora-
tion of the Goth day of April, 1892. the
Seventy-Third anniversary of our order.
by suitable exercises in observance of the
day and by public thanksgiving TO
Almighty God for all His manifold
mercies to us.
Done at Topeka, Kan. this fifth day of
March, Ammo Domini eighteen hundred
and ninety-two, and of the order the
seventy third year
NJ B. WARD. Grand Master.
Attest: j. a. BRIGHT, G. Sec'y.
The reading of the proclamation was
by nice selection from Prof.
Beals' Mandolin club, which was heartily
enchored.
Hon. John B. Carly, at the conclusion
of the music was introduced by Mr..
O'Bryan and as he stepped forward he
was greeted with great applause. As
chief executive of the city he bid the visit
ors a hearty welcome and in very pleasing
words gave them the keys of the city,
speaking, and bid them
enjoy themselves to their hearts content
while sojourning in the Peerless Princess.
The next feature of the meeting was the
solo by Miss Mary Hall of this
city, who is quite genius in the art of
1t was very novel thug TO
the multitude to see a handsome young
lady before them whistling a pleasing
tune which could be distinctly heard in
the remotest corner of the spacious build
ing, and when the last note died away a
cheer went up, which was
kept up till Miss Hall had to respond,
which she gracefully did.
Judge Jewett was next introduced and
be made the following address, which was
well received:
JUDGE JEwETT's ADDRESS.
! have been delegated by the many Odd
Fellows of the city of Wichita, 10y its
many lodges of Odd Fellowship, by its
Daughters of RebekGh to extend to you
their most cordial greeting, To stand at
the outer door and invite you into their
lodge rooms. To meet you on the thresh
holds of their homes and welcome you as
you enter therein, to offer to you
their hospitality. To tell you that what
ever of this worlds goods, that whatever
Of its cheer and comfort has been given to
them is for your use and happiness on this
occasion.
To tell you as it is written in your iuvi-
tations that they are lawfully seized in
heir own right. in ample quantities, of
very many OF these things, that comfort,
and perhaps cheer, and that it gives them
great pleasure to put you into the imme-
iiate possession or them with the full right
10 ENJOY lucSC u.Ac ia are NASAE -AUStS
The flowers that bloom IN the spring are
OF all here. Our Italian skies, / suppose
Oh account of our recent trouble with
Italy, are little later than usual this sea
son. so that while we eau not make for
you a garland OF the roses of the valley.
we can and do crown each OF you with a
.oronal of our best wishes for your happi-
hess.
The Wichita Odd Fellow is of course. TO
some extent. part ana parcel
Of Wichita, and to some eX-
tent Wichita is extensive. and in
his welcome be has authorized NE 10 say
that il contains as many degrees of latl-
tude as does the metropolis OF the plains.
told n. co fan rer mud raYeal n rnn