The Portland daily press., 1893-08-26
NOBLE WORK OF AN ORDER
What Odd Fellowship Has Done in
This City.
A MILLION SPENT In PORTLAND
In so YEARS.

Incidents of the Semi-Centennial Celebra-
ton Yesterday-Many Old Veterans
Renew the Memories of Youth.
The Odd Fellows celebration yester-
day.was a notable affair Portland is one
of the greatest Odd Fellow cities in the
United States. Nearly every other man
is a member of the order, and our lodge S
are among the best and most fourishing
in the country In Portland also the or
der had it's first foothold in Maine. It
was just fifty years ago that the old
Maine Lodge was instituted, the first in
Maine. Nearly all the men who brought
the order into the state at that time
have passed away, but one of them, Mr..
Samuel Rolfe, of this city. was present
yesterday to review from his seat
among the veterans the splendid column
of over six hundred Odd Fellows as it
paraded through the streets; and to oc-
cupy seat of honor at the great BAN
quet at Peaks Island, when eight hun
bred members of the order dined in
great company were from the lodges of
Portland or those of Cape Elizabeth and
Deering.
The veterans of the order were given
seats of honor at the banquet table,
among them being, Samuel Rolfe, J.R.
Read of Woodfords, Alfred Woodman, G.
H. Kilby, Alfred Haskell, Leonard
Crockett Ezra Russell, Samuel Water
house, q. K. Hrmon,.
Mr.. A. D. Smith was chairman of the
occasion. He called on Rev. Matt. S.
Hughes to ask the grace before the
dinner. After the dinner Mr.. Smith adj
dressed the assembled brethren, saying:
Mr. A. D. Smiths Address.
Brother Odd Fellows:
We meet today to celebrate the Fiftieth
Anniversary of the introduction of Odd
Fellowship into this city and state.
Fifty years ago today Maine Lodge No.
street, over the Canal bank. This build
ing was on the lot now occupied by q. M.
and III. T. Plummer as a machine shop.
David Robinson, Jr., was the pioneer
Odd Fellow of this state. Fifty years ago
he was successful merchant of this city,
and as there were no runners IN those
times his business called him to Boston
quite often Odd Fellowship had just
been revived in Massachusetts and the
brethren were very enthusiastic over 1T.
One of the firm where Brother Robin
son traded was at the time a very zeal
GUS member, and after ascertalnlng there
were no Odd Fellows in our city or state,
he told Brother Robinson he was just
the man to take hold and institute
lodge in this city. Brother Robinson
was much pleased with his description of
the beauties and benefits of the order
and let him propose his name in Sloan
lodge No.2, and was initiated into that
lodge March 10th, 1S43 Brother Robin
son supposed that all he had to do, when
he returned to Portland was to speak to
few of his friends and they would be
as enthusiastic about this new order as
he was himself, but he was very much
mistaken. He found that his friends
were not ready to take hold of anything
without learning something more about
it, and it seems that people in this city
then were as conservative as they are TO-
day, and it was not until August 18th of
that year, 1S43, that Brother Robinson
could get the required number. J. N.
Winslow, Alvin P. Pratt, Edward
Wheeler, Jr., and Samuel E. Townsend
were initiated in Massachusetts lodge
No. for the purpose of being qualified
Upon obtaining their withdrawal cards
they joined in a petition for lodge in
Portland The prospects then were not
very bright, for they must have hall
and furnish it before they could have the
lodge instituted. Brother Robinson in
then builder in this city, to seeN If he
would not fit up the hall and take
chances for his pay on the success of the
new order. After much persuasion, Mr..
Barnes consented to do it, and also to
be proposed at the first meeting of the
lodge.
In answer to their petition dispense
ton was issued by the M. W. Grand Sire
of the Grand Lodge of the United States
on the 9th of August, 1843. The deputa-
ton for opening the lodge was entrusted
to Daniel Hersey, D. D. Grand Sire, who
called meeting of the petitioners at the
hall, on the 25th of August, at 10 o'clock
A M. At the time appointed there were
present D. D. Grand Sire Hersey, Albert
Guild, P. G., Secretary of the Grand
Lodge of Massachusetts, Brothers J. r.
Mullen, B. Brown, II. G. Savoy, L. M.
Smith and Haskell, all of Boston. The
petitioners all being present, Maine lodge
Mol, was duly instituted and SO de-
clared. The lodge then proceeded to the
suit: Daniel Robinson, Jr., n. g.; in.
Winslow, VIC; Edward Wheeler, Jr.,
Secretary; Alvin 2. Pratt, Treasurer.
The following subordinate officers were
appointed: H.C. Barnes, warden; John
D. Kinsman, conductor; j III. Williams,
R.S.N. G.; j. T. Mitchell, L. S. n. G.;
Samuel Rolfe, R.S.V.G.; A. P. Fuller,
L.S.V.G..r WE. Edwards, RS. S.; j.
W. Mansfield, LIS. s.; s. E. Townsend,
I.G.; WE. Kimball, O.G.
Of the five men who organized Maine
lodge Mol, fifty years ago, only one, of
not affiliated with the order for a long
time. Of the thirty-fve initiated that
afternoon five are living now, Samual
Rolfe, who is sitting at my. right, Daniel
T .Gerts, who is now residing at Irving
Park, five miles out of Chicago, with his
son, very feeble and not able to come on
to meet us today. The other members
are living but not in the order.
Brother David Robinson, Jr., con-
tinued until his decease, most worthy