The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-17
GRAND LODGE MEETING
Odd Fellows to Consider the
0rphanage Question This
Afternoon.
Special to the Jersey citv Ne,rs.

TRENTON, April II. 1S94.-The Grand
Lodge of New Jersey, 1. o. o. F., will meet
in Odd Fellows Hail, Broad and Hanover
streets, this afternoon. The particular bust
ness which calls the grand body together at
this time is to hear the report of special
committee appointed at the last annual ses-
sion to consider the differences existing in
regard to the Odd Fellows orphanage.
An association known as the Odd Fellows
Orphanage Association of New Jersey was
organized about two years ago for the pur-
pose of establishing home in the State
where Odd Fellows orphans otherwise un-
provided for might be cared for and edu-
Gated.
The Grand Lodge recognized the move
ment by the appointment of a. representative
to cooperate in the work of the Association.
That representative was Thomas Pole of
Jersey City Subscriptions were solicited
from the different subordinate lodges, and
many of them responded to the appeal,
some of the lodges and particularly num-
ber of Rebeckah degree lodges held fairs and
bazaars, and altogether snug sum was
accumulated for the carrying forward OF
the project.
1t was the strong desire of Essex and Hud-
son counties to have the orphanage located
in that section of the State, and to that end
the members of the association from those
two counties did all in their power to secure
the institution A number of meetings were
held and various plans suggested and dis
cussed, and sites in different localities were
offered, the Odd Fellows Home Association
being among the number who offered to do
nate sufficient ground for the purpose.
At a meeting held in Concordia Lodge
room, this city, on the fourth of April, 1893,
after much discussion anu tilibusterlng. the
matter of choosing a site was left to she
doll ion con
this plan was not carried out. and Mrs. Mag
gle B. Gill of Camden, President of the as
sociation, called on Grand Master Frank w.
Tussey, who was acting in the place of
Grand Master King, he being incapaci-
tated by severe illness from per
ter. The acting Grand Master issued
an order restraining the association from
purchasing site until he should have as
certained the exact status of the case, and
also directing that all monies collected in
the name of the association be paid into the
hands of the Grand Secretary, Lewis
Parker This order raised breeze among
Grand Lodge.
MRS. GILL's CHARGES.
Mrs Gill, President, handed a report OF
her official action to the Grand Master, in
which she vigorously described the action
Of the association. Her statement took up
twelve pages or the Granu MasJers report,
and in it she made some startling charges
against some elements that were seeking the
control of the association.
When the Grand Lodge convened a seven
teen page brochure was circulated among
the members, giving the history of the affair
from the side OF the opposition. When the
matter came up in the Grand Lodge, it was
found that there was such a wide
divergence that it was decided
to refer the whole subject to a
special committee. That committee con-
sisted Of Grand Conductor Peter W. Stagg
of No. rs; Past Grand Master Howard S1t-
phin of No. "a, George Wales of No. II.
It is to hear the report of this committee
that this special session of the Grand Lodge
was called. There will be an afternoon and
evening session, and it is expected that
prominent members of the order from all
parts of the State will be present.