The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-22
A GRAND PICNIC.
Masons and Odd Fellows.

al tapt. " ii. kitchln' : grove August
18th, under the auspices Of the Ma-ons
and odd Fellows. The dav was perfec;
Light showers a few nights previous
settled the dust and nothing more could
have been desired IN the weather. ex-
cept II would have been more pleasant
with the mercury a few degrees lower.
Several hundred invitations had been
sent out To private persons and 20 the
nelghborlng lodges OF the two orders.
At an early hour in the day buggie5
and carriages began to roll into town
bringing crowds to enjoy the festivities
Of the day. Quite a number came IL
upon the morning trains and made their
way to the picnic grounds
Various lodges OF Masons and odd
Fellows were represented from Enfield
Halifax, Tarboro, Greenville, William
ston, Hamilton, Bethel and other
places.
BY noon the large, shady grove on
the gently sloping hill side in front Of
Capt. Kitchin's residence was we'll filled
with the visitors from a distance, from
the surrounding country and with the
people OF the town. 1t is an ideal place
for picnic, with cool shades, open
yards, good elevation and gentle breezes.
Speakers from distance had been
invited, and a broad platform with am
pie seat room in front for the great
crowd. At II o'clock Mr.. S. F. Dunn
invited the crowd to the stand to hear
the speeches.
Capt. Kitchin came upon the stand
and stated that he had tried to secure
some speakers from a distance but had
failed. He then proceeded to address
the crowd himself He euloglzed the
principles, purposes and works of the
Masonic order and the Odd Fellows
He said they were good ard noble in
stitutiOns and are doing great good in
the world, in some cases reaching men
whom the church Of God cannot reach
and doing for them what the Christian
church cannot do. He said that Ma
sorry antedates Christianity 100
years and that it has been the right
bower of the church all the while. He
said that Solomon was q Master Mason
and that all those who worked to build
the temple were MasOns and that John
the Baptist and the Apostle John were
Masons. He made some statements
for which he said he had no Scripture
authority, but to an unbiased mind
he could prove them. The speaker de-
plored the fact that prejudice exists
against secret orders, but said that If
the orders were understood the preju-
dice would no longer exist He said
there is room for all the benevolent or
one ought to have Its own orphanage
as we'll as each religious denomination.
In North Carolina, he said, the Bap-
fists, the Metilodists, Episcopalians and
Presbyterians can all find field from
which to gather orphans Tor their
homes and then leave work for the Ma
sons and Odd Fellows
The Speaker said that as a Mason he
preferred that the State should not
make an appropriation of $4,000 q
wear to the orphan asylum at Oxford
1t ought to be left to the Masons if it
is their institution. He said further
that he would be willing to be taxed by
the State to take care Of al the orphans
that these other institutions do no,
care for
In summing up, Capt. Kitchin laid
down a high ideal for Masons and Ode
Fellows. and said that whoever does no.
keep his life IN harmony with virtue
truth, honesty, righteousness and aspot
less character, Is unworthy to be {
member of these orders and ought tC
be turned out.
At the conclusion Of his speech Capt
Kitchin invited all to dinner. In ONT
corner OF the grove, under some wide
! spreading oaks circular table hat
been arranged, and while Capt. kitch
in had been speaking others had beer
loading the tables with good things
Full twenty barbecues, large humble
of hams, fifty gallons of Brunswicl
stew, which is made nowhere like il
Eastern Carolina, had been we'll pre-
pared and awaited the sharp appetite
of the hungry crowd near by. Whel
the invitation to dinner was given tn
great crowd, numbering about eigh
hundred. moved down to the fiesta
board and all partook to satisfaction
and there was something left after al
mad turned away.
The crowd repaired again to tn
speakers stand and Ex-Judge Spie
Whitaker, OF Raleigh, was called fo
and responded in happy vein.
He said he was neither a Mason nc
an Odd Fellow, and he thought 1t III
fair to call upon him, but he was gla
to meet his old friends in Halifa,
He congratulated himself on being