The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-09-18
THE opD FELLows.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge in session nj
chattanOOsa-RePorts Of oniesrs-aem'
berShip Nearly 4 Million.

SliATTANOO9As 4ENAsp DoPts Aas 1AS
Sovereign Grand Lodge OF Odd Fellows
met this morning at Lookout Inn, and
were welcomed to the state by Governor
Peter Turney, In q speech full Of hospi.
tally. He wus followed by Mayor oehs,
who welcomed the visitors TO Chatt-
anooga, and Hamilton county. 1he re-
sponse was made by Grand siro @. L
Campbell, who expressed the profound
sense Of gratitude felt by the Odd
Fellows at this distinguished welcome
given them 10 Tennessee aud Chatt'
anoO4L
The attendance has fallen greatly
below tho expectations Of those who
have had tho arrangements for their
entertainment In hand. About 900 yis-
itors have 90 far registered, and II Is be-
lieved now that not moro than 1000
will DO here. Tho failure Of the rail.
roads to give satisfactory rate 10 said
by tho people TO bo the cause OF tho
light attendance.
Nothing Of importance was done To-
day. The meeting this morning ad.
jouEnod until 2 o'clock this afternoon,
when visit was made by tho visiting
Odd Follows TO ChlckamRuga National
Park. Tomorrow tho grand parade
will take place.
The chances are that the next meet
ing Of the sovereign grand lodge will DO
held IN Washington, D. Q. The matter
is being discussed, and II is generally
conceded that Washington will be the
lucky city. No reports were made by
the grand officers to-day.
GRAND oVroERs' RFPoRTA
Reports were submitted to-day TO the
Sovereign Grand Lodge, i. o. O. F., by
Grand Sire @. T, Campbell, Grand
Treasurer Isaac Sheppard and other
officers
In his annual address Grand Sire
Campbell says: When you metin Atlanta
twenty years ago the jurisdictions form
ing the territory recognised politically
as tho southern states contained less
than 1900 Odd Fellows; to-day the
brotherhood IN tho same section ap-
proximates $1,000, not increase during
tho yoar under tho Sovereign Grand
Lodge OF 32,9S7, making at tho end Of
1903 q membership Of 1901 or iu-
Guiding the sisters OF the Rebekah de-
gree, SSS,743. Adding some 5000
members in foreign jurisdictions,
shows q total Of about 9l3, 900 at tho end
Of 1893.
Tho expenditure OF S., $4,000 for pur-
poses OF relief is sufficient evidence OF
the activity OF Odd Fellowship. Tho
condition OF the order in foreign lands
has not materially changed during the
year. Among the Teutonic nations Of
Europe very good progress has been
made. Among the Latin nations,
whether in Europe or America, the re-
turns arc not very satisfactory. In
Sweden tho state Of tho order has war
ranted me In acting on the authority
you gave mo last session, and / have
issued to tho lodgesin that country q
charter for grand lodge. The publ.
cation OF tho ritual in tho Swedish Ian
guage having beon authorized by You,
q translation was prepared by Amicitia
Lodge No. s, Of Sweden. During the
year number Of residents Of Naples,
Italy, Joined in request for charter
for lodge in their city. am prepared
TO recommend that their request be
granted.
TIE PATRrARcns.
Eleven new cantons OF the 0rdor OF
Patriarchs Militant have been mustered
into service since last September. The
code adopted by tho Sovereign Grand
Lodge last year for the government Of
tho patriarchs is capable Of improve
ment. There aro only two plans for
the proper management OF an organiEa-
tion of this kind. One is centralized
government with strict military disci-
pline; the other is 4 complete local goS-
ernment, subject only 10 general law.
The first plan was tried for several
years, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge
concluded that IL was moro expensive
than efficient.
The enthusiasm which was character
lied the sisterhood OF Rebekah during
the past few years continue unabated.
At tho ond OF 1903 thero were 202, ii2 in
this department, OF whom l0S,Gl2 wore
sisters. At the same rate OF increase,
we may assume there arc to-day no less
than $4,000 noble women united with
us In benevolent work.
Tho report OF Grand Treasurer Isaac
Sheppard for the fiscal year ending Au-
gust 20, 1904, showB: Recoipts-Cash
balance as per last report, 34,07G y;
sundry receipts during year. S74 ass 81;
total cash reserve, Sl0s,5S4 IL.
Expenditures-s75, ,9SS IS; balance In
hands OF treasurer. $50, PSI 25. The
available assets this date arc as follows:
Cash balance In treasury, S3S, ,25l %;
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company a pcr
cent bonds, $4,000; p, W. & b. X. r. 1
pcr cent bonds, $4,000; total, $685.
2jl %. Tho total available assets as
per my report August 10. 1893, were
S70.o76 70, showing loss In assets Of
Si6,s25 ~.
Tho report OF Grand Secretary Ross
shows a net gain OF 81, ,S97 mombera In
subordinate lodges, 8.5+S in oncamp-
ments and 2l,57S in Rebotah lodges
during tho year 1903. Tho financial
statement shows that Sl0l 900 has beon
appropriated aud s75, ,2SS expended dur
Ing tho year. Tho grand treasurer has
s3S, ,25l cash on hand, $4,000 Of railroad
bonds, and other items making the
total assets OF tho sovereign grand
lodge Sl07,72l. A summary OF tho
statistics Of ordor from 1880 shows
that tho total receipts have reached
slOs, 05G, ,287, Of which S8i, 1870, $50 has
gone for rolict TO mombors, widows and
families.