The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-27
BIRTHDAY OF ODD FELLOWS.
SAVANNAH LODGES CELEBRATE
THE ORDERS 18TH ANNIVERSARY.

Hall - Addresses by Prominent
Members of the Local Lodges and
of the Grand Grand Lodge-The
High Purpose of the order Conn
mended by the Speakers.
The seventy-sixth anniversary OF OBI
Fellowship in America vas celebrated
last night. with appropriate exercises at
Odd Fellows hall
The large hall. as wei as the galleries
and supper room. was filed with the mem
bers and friends of the order. The scene
from the STAGE was a picturesque one.
Upon the stage We're Mayor Myers, Col.
J. II. Estill. past grand Of Dekalb Lodge
No. 9; A y. Manucy. deputy grand mas
ter of Georgia; John 5. Tyson, grand
treasurer; Rev. /. c. Nass. grand chap
lain; John Nicholson, Jr.. Oglethorpe No. !,
Robert NJ. Hitch of Live oak No. 3, J. r.
Saussy. DeKalb No. 3; f. r. Mcclellan,
Golden Rule No L. and others.
Past Grand John r. Glatigny of Live
oak Lodge No. 5. chairman Of the COM
mittee, presided
The exercises opened with prayer by the
Grand Chaplain Rev. DIT. Nass.
The anniversary proclamation was read
by Grand Treasurer Tyson.
The opening address on Practical odd
fellowship" was by Mr.. John Nicholson,
Jr.. of Oglethorpe lodge. Mr.. NichOlson's
address was well received, being replele
with interesting statistics showing the
vast amount Of good done By the order
and illustrating its practical workings.
Robert NJ Hitch, Esq, Of Live oak lodge
spoke on "Odd Fellowship and its Effect
Upon Young Mem Mr.. Hitch's speech
was eloquent and replete with the flowers
OF rhetoric in concluding MS ADDRESS ne
said: AS to the effects Of Odd Fellowship on
young men, recent experience makes me
IN part a competent witness. Were IL
rot for the pam II would cause me
could no doubt give thrilling accounts
of the effects of my encounter with that
aged aud illustrious, yet gay and festive
goat, that with lowered brow ana Win
ering glance, first greet the candidate
ambitious for the hOnOrs OF odd Fellow
ship. And even now, as / think OF thc
degrees that l am yet to take, II mar
lows up my soul ITO contemplate the
many furious, mad and wild caVorunga
OF said goat that ! must perforcS endure.
But things OF more Importance engage
my mind. OF the other more serious ct-
fects of Odd Fellowship on yOung men,
consideration of the nature OF youth
makes plain the consequence. Youth IS
that delicious period when spring makes
love TO summer in mans existence. Meth
er too young to know, nor too old 10
care. Mans nature is then typical SOIL
his ideas and feelings thought and emo
lions are the flowers, grasses and trees
that grow thereon. Good and evil grow
side by side in prodigal profusion. Maybe,
q upaS tree, to blast and blight, maybe.
some healing herb to bless mankind. In
this period Of our lives are laid the deep
foundations Of our characters. Here are
implanted the springs of acuOni the seeds
OF thought, the germs of future crimes or
noble deeds. A struggling thought, fall
ing in such falloW and fecund soil. takes
root, becomes a fixed idea, and grows to
lusty strength and power in a day Ardor
and energy, fire and fervOr, pulse in ev-
cry artery and stand protuberant in ey-
cry action. How important, of what
tremendous moment is it then, that such
natures should be started Alright. And
il such broad, humane and philanthropic
principles as odd Fellowship teaches and
practices are firmly bedded in such ma
lures at such propitiOus and opportune
seasons, how great must be the fruition,
how glorious the harvest in after years
He who should grow to mature manhood
under the benign influence of such princi-
pies should indeed become the perfect
citizen, the ideal man. out of the rough
marble would spring the perfect statue.
In the very nature of things he would
grow more liberal, more loving, more
gentle and more just. He would be the
friend of the needy, the suffering and dis
tresSed. His integrity would be as I'M
bending and infiexible as 1.-THE unwedge-
able and knarled oak" His charity would
be an growing the more by
reaping.' His words would be as bonds,
his oaths as oracles, his love sincere.
his thoughts Immaculate. his heart as far
from guile as heaven from earth"
Past Grand j. r. Saussy of Dekalb No.
3 made very pleasing and witty speech,
his subject being the three links of the
ages-past, present and future.
odd Fellowship and True Citizenship
was responded to by f. r. Mckethan of
Golden Rule Lodge. MIR. Mcclellan spoke
of the citizenship which made possible
this government. and has brought IL to
its present proud position as nation.
This, he said, was the result of the true
citizenship which founded and supported
the government. He called attention to
the conditions which threaten this citi-
zenShip and said:
While we have grown from 100000 to
62,Oo0,OOO people, the two and the 62 do not
represent the same class. In lI76 almost
every man was a land owner and but 3h
per cent. lived in cities; now few, COM
par2tively, are land owners, while 30 per
cert. live in cities. Then every man was
more or less Independent. but now the
wealth of our country is being drained
from the masses into the hands of a few.
Then every man was in truth a king, first
able to govern himself, hence able to gov
ern others; but now 'fis not so-hunger
votes-bread and meat vote and he gets
the most votes, who furnishes the most
bread and the most meat.
Another sign that we are approaching
dangerous ground. Rome grew to be the
ruling power of the world, but prosperity
overthrow her. Her people hocked to the
cities. Property became congeSted in the
shape of immense fortunes. in the hands of
a few; the people, paupers and yet free
men, had to be bought and Rome fell.
But why all this? II is this. If true cit
izenship is our safe guard, we should
those institutions which tend to uplift
man and make him a better citizen.
And / know of no institution, founded on
firmer principles and whose tendency is
more elevating than Odd Fellowship.
The concluding address was made by
Deputy Grand Master A. n. Manucy.
His subject was What odd Fellowship
Has Done for Woman" Mr. Manucy
was introduced as "the next Grand Mas
ter of Georgia" the mention of which was
received with applause.
I'm the early days of odd Fellowship, -
said Mr.. Manucy, Jealousy and preju-
dice were rife among wives of the mem
bers Curiosity TO know what was going
on in the lodge room was becoming g
source of trouble in some families be
cause woman, shut out from general in
tercourse with the world, was filled with
curiosity which seems to have been the
bane of her sex since the foundation OF
time Traditions tell us that man was
made of the dust of the earth and in the
image of his Maker and given dominion
over all created things, and that Goo
said il was not good for man to live alone
and he caused deep sleep to come upOr
Adam and while he slept he took one OF
his ribs and made woman This tradi-
tional first pair lived in blissful ignorance
not knowing good from evil, until wO
mans curiosity prompted Eve to partakt
Of The forbidden fruit, and as she found il
pleasant to the taste she gave il TO hen
husband and their eyes We're opened