The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-23
AMERICAN ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Seventy-ffth Anniversary to be Ceie-
brated ON Thursday at Baltimore.

Next Thursday in Baltimore, Md, will be
celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary OF
the founding in this country OF the lnde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and prepar-
ations on a large scale are being made Tor
the celebration, and although a jubilee mas
been arranged for, care has been taken to
eliminate all features in connection with 1t
that SAVIOR OF the perfunctory, SO that IN
some respects the services will be impressive
apart from their inherent character.
All branches of the order will send repre-
sentatives, including the Encampment
branch, the Rebecca branch, the Patrlarchs
Militant, and representatives sof the grand
LODGES Of Australasia, Germany, Switzer-
land and Denmark will be present. The
American membership alone numbers 80O,-
600. so that some idea of the magnitude OF
the order may be had when we think to
this number must be added the vast foreign
membership. Great preparations have beer
made to have these commemorative services
the most impressive series OF r1tuailstlc Cd
servances ever held in America. The great
est share of the responsibility in making
these arrangements has fallen to the lot OF
Grand Secretary Theodore A. Ross, who is
a Jerseyman.
The services at the Wildey monument, in
Baltimore, will form the main feature OF the
celebration. The dignity and impressive
ness of the occasion will be added to by the
DT6SGQC6 Ol ulRuO llClalo Il uAO OA0SA' OA&A
land, it is expected, will have all of its mem
bers present, to the number Of 10000, and
New York, with its membership OF $4,000,
will send q large delegation. Pennsylvania
also. the banner State in point OF member
ship, will nave great numbers present, While
Philadelphia alone will send thousands. To
California has been given the honor OF fur
nishing the orator Of the day, who will be
Congressman Jas. G.. Mcguire, probably the
most prominent champion of the fraternity
in the United States. His State is credited
with a membership of $4,000 Odd Fellows.
His speech on this occasion will review the
growth of Odd Fellowship In connection
with the social evolution of the country and
its meaning as a factor in the problem OF ma
tionald development. What gives his address
an unusual significance is his prominence as
an advocate Of equality Of opportunity in
the competition for a living, and his conse-
uuent advocacy of the abolition of private
ownership of land. His address, however,
will not be a political one, as he does not, de
sire to make matters of the fraternal organi-
cation of a partisan nature.
Another interesting feature of the celebra-
ton will be a discussion of the progress of
the Order of Odd Fellows, and of the posi-
bilities of uniting the Odd Fellows of Eng
land with those of America. This would be
a very important step, adding as it would
$50. 900 members to the Order, but while this
would be a splendid thing for the Order, all
advances in the matter nave been made by
the English Odd Fellows, while the Ameri-
cans, although approaching the good which
would be accomplished thereby, have taken
no active part towards its contamination. No
decisive action will be taken at Baltimore as
the deciding of the question will be left to
the Chattanooga conclave which to be held
in September.
During the course of the celebration in
II 1885, n11a <r,-anffrn Oc will hn rnaoiUoI
from Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and
Australia, the grand lodges of these coun-
tries having arranged to be in session dur
ing the celebration of their American
brothers jubilee, and to send dispatches of
felicitation.
Arrangements have been made to issue a
commemorative volume of the anniversary.
1t will be an interesting work on the spirit
of the Odd Fellowship movement, for be-
sides a full record of the features which will
make the seventy-ffth year memorable. it
will review the growth of the order, and
record its evolution as q factor in our ma
tional development. 1t will be calculated to
fill the desire for an official literary mem
orial Of the great American fraternal or
ganization.
The Mayor and city officials of Baltimore
will extend the official welcome to the Odd
Fellows, and the ceremonial portions of the
exercises will be superintendent by Grand
Secretary Ross of Baltimore, Deputy Grand
Sire J.. w. Stebbins of Rochester, Grand
Treasurer I. A. Sheppard Of Philadelphia,
Assistant Grand Secretary G.. Coburn OF
Baltimore. Grand Chaplain J. w. venable
OF Hopkinsyi1le, KY. Grand Marshal Walter
q. DYE, Grand Guardian J.. s. Tyson Of
Savannah, Ga.
It IS expected that at least 100. 900 persons
will assemble to celebrate this auspicious
event in the history Of Odd Fellowship and
| the street pageant will be one of the grand
est sights Of Its kind every witnessed In this
country.
It is not likely that SO representative 8
gathering Of American Odd Fellows will be
witnessed again for decades as this. Nomaf
of any prominence in the order will be alb
sent or unrepresented. As stated. the ex
ercises have been specially prepared and in
clude not merely the general programme
but addresses Of . special nature by thu
Grand officers,