The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-12
IN MEMORY OF THEIR DEAD.
ODD FELLOWS PAY TRIBUTE TO
THEIR DECEASED MEMBERS.

Who Have Died in the Last Year.
The Odd Fellows memorial service at the
/ Lutheran church last night was an inter
esting ceremony. The Odd Fellows Of the
several lodges gathered at the hall and at
3 O'Clock marched from the hall TO the
I church The members wore their regalia
and tho grand lodge officers occupied the
/ positions of honor.
The programme opened with the odd
Fellows ode. sung by the assembly. This
was followed by prayer by the grand chap
I lain, Rev. L. c. Vass, D. D. The presiding
/ officer. p. d. G. James VanBerschot, stated
the object Of the meeting. after which the
secretary. p. G. c. Z. Stanton. read the
4 proclamation OF the grand sire and grand
/ master.
4 The choir sang its first selection, Jesus
/ Lover of My Soul" The first tribute was
/ to the dead of the sovereign grand lodge,
and was delivered by p. C. r. John S.
Tyson Mr.. Tyson's tribute was exceeding
~ appropriate and well worded. He opened
his address with the following extract:
out Of the world Of the wailing,
Thronged with the anguished and ailing,
out OF the world of the sad;
Into the world that rejoices,
| World OF bright visions and voices,
Into the world OF the glad.
The speaker said that such had been the
tradition since the last memorial service of
twenty-five prominent members of the or
der, who had at some period of their lives
participated in the supreme legislation,
men whose fitness as leaders and whose
capacity as legislators had brought them
prominently before the order and had
raised them gradually through the subor-
dnate branches to membership in the
highest official body known TO American
odd Fellowship. a majority of those of
whom he spoke, the speaker said, had been
at some period of their career associates
Of his as members of the supreme grand
lodge and many were personally known
to him. Judging all Of them" ne said
by the standard of those whose personal
acquaintance IL was my good fortune 20
enjoy, they were men whose love for their
fellows, as eXemplified in their Intercourse
with the world at large, was such as to
endear them to all with whom they were
associated in life and whose memory win
ever be held sacred by those who CHANGED
to come within the sphere of their al
fections"
Mr.. TysoD's address was of a high char
acter throughout, and was very much ap-
preciated by his brother odd Fellows.
The tribute to the dead of the grand
lodge of the state of Georgia was deilv-
cred by Deputy Grand Master A. n. Man
ucy and was listened to with especial in
terest. Mr.. Manucy alluded in a touch
ing manner to the memorial services
held by the order for its dead and to
their propriety.
Nothing can be more fitting" he said.
than the tender tributes of affection we
pay to our departed friends; nothing more
appropriate to an order like ours than the
deserved honor it pays to it's illustrious
dead. More than eighteen hundred years
ago, on Judea's stored plains, the Di-
vine Friend wept at the grave of one of
his humble followers, and as he thus con-
secrated to diVinest uses the tears which,
at Friendship bidding, or at Loves. behest,
fall upon the tomb, those who stood ty
marveled and said, Behold, how he
loves him." He, who gave sight to the
blind, at whose bidding the dead came
forth from the sepulchre, to whom an
gels came and ministered while in Gethe-
semane, who bore the sorrows of the
world, could find no fitting words in which
to voice his grief, and paid to his faithful
friend the matchless tribute of a tear
During the past year the relentless
Reaper has garnered from our membership
many thousands. What a vast procession
moving to the pile realms of shade"
What desolation of erstwhile haDpy
homes! What sundering of the fondest ties!
Many of those who have passed
away have achieved eminence in
our order, and were distinguish
ed in the work of upbuilding and
spreading Odd Fellowship. Among the
members OF the Grand Lodge of Georgia
were: Burr Winton, past grand. Seaport
Lodge, No. 6S Died at his home in the city
of Brunswick, Ga. Aged, "a years
w. b. Dillon, past grand, Miller Lodge
No. TO- Died at his home in the city of Au-
gusta. Aged, IS years.
| Young II. Thompson, past grand, New
nan Lodge No. 102. Died at his home in
| Newman. Aged 81 years.
! Philip EiAer, past grand, Columbus
| Lodge No. 81. Died at his home in the city
! of Columbus Aged, Ga years
This annual memorial convocation has
| not been established solely that we may
/ Irvine the sombre cypress of our grief with
! the bright laurels of their victory, and
! place enduring wreaths upon the hallowed
| places where they sleep, but chiefly be-
| cause in this hour as in their lives they
| are the chosen representatives of the
! thousands who with them have crossed
| the dark river and entered the portal of
eternity
"Since we cannot tonight name this vast
! throng, much less rehearse their worthy
deeds or extol their virtues, we name these
J few who represent the thousands who have
| wrapped the drapery of their couch about
them, and laid down to pleasant dreams. F."
Gould we to-day read the life histories
| of all of these our dead brothers. what
grand heroes would stand revealed among
them. The beautiful flower of true heroism
| blossoms no less frequently in the shady
nook than the nights whence fame
proud temple shines affair.""
Its sweet fragrance perfumes the seclud-
ed valley as we'll as the mountain side.
1t often finds its most congenial soil and
attains its highest perfection among the
great souls, who by some adverse fate,
live and struggle and conquer and die,
| doomed to utter obscurity. Few indeed
| of the worlds heroes have been deified;
! few of its saints canonized. Oh, the I'M
written biographies of unknown heroes!
No. not unknown, for the Omnicient Eye
beheld them. Not unwritten, for their
| glorious deeds are inscribed on imperish-
able tablets by the finger of the Almighty,
and treasured in the archives of etern-
ity.
Standing here tonight and recalling the
virtues of those who have gone before