The Portland daily press., 1896-02-25
AN ODD FELLOWS JEWEL
Presented to Past Grand A. ID. Smith On
Completion of 40 Years service-Addres
by Past Grand VIM. nj. Marks.

1 Presented to Past Grand "A. ID. smith On
| Completion of 40 Years. service-Address
| by Past Grand VIM. M. Marks.
Maine Lodge, No. 1, 2. O. 0. +. gave
an entertainment and supper at Odd
Fellows Hall last evening. Before the
supper the following programme was car
ried out:
Organ Prelude.
| Mr.. Il. @. FarnswOrth
Piano Solo. Selected
Mr.. Albert F. Smith.
Vocal Solo, Selected
Mr.. Frank W. Shaw.
Reading, Selected
Mr.. R. L. Whitcomb.
Duet cstaoy, Alary
Misses Matte and Cushie Snow.
Vocal Solo-Maid of Dundee, Scotch
Mr.. G. W. Gardiner.
Violin Solo-Seleotion form Opera Bell
| man, Suppe
Mr.. George Barbour.
Duet-The Pilot Brave, Willard
Messrs. Gardiner and jackson.
Vocal Solo-Ashore. Protire
Miss Matte q. Snow.
Reading, Selected
Mr.. R. L. Whitcomb
Piano Solo-Ventre Terre Kowalski
Mr.. Albert +. Smith.
After the above programme Past Grand
William M. Marks made the following
address on the presentation of an Odd
Fellows jewel to Past Grand A. D.
Smith on the completion of forty years.
service as member of the visiting COM
mittee:
Noble Grand, Rebekahs, Odd Fellows
and Friends
| 1t is delight to gather round such q
table as this, to partake of the good
things here provided, to nave our eyes
behold the modern Rebekahs and know
suffer in comparison with the ancient
one. The record of the first Rebekah is
| that. The damsel WAS very fair to look
upon I here is not an Isaac here but
that would bear the same testimony to
any one of her successors. The ancient
Rebekah must have been a thrifty woman,
good housekeeper and cook, for her
husband grew rich under her administra-
ton, and when the appetite of her lord
| needed to be appeased with savory meat,
she had all the good things in the house
ready at a moments notice, and knew
how to cook, season and prepare this saw
DRY dish, SO that the old gentleman didn't
know whether he was eating wild veni-
son or tame goat. The Rebekahs of to-
day are not a whit behind their prede-
cessor of four thousand years ago. for we
all bear testimony to their thrift, good
housekeeping, and cooking, and if we
don't all grow rich. it is our own fault,
not theirs. We the Isaacs, Go not prop
erly second their efforts in that direction,
which explain any failures that arise, =
| therefore We bow in admiration before
our mothers, wives and daughters, for
a good woman is Gods best gift to man.
| We witness tonight one of the best
demonstrations Of Odd Fellowship that
the most enthusiastic believer in the In
dependent Order could desire. United
| as we are in Friendship it illustrates TO
us the equality. the common plane on
which we meet, the interests We have,
and the pleasure it affords, to greet each
other with tie hearty hand grasp of
Brothers and Friends.
This is particularly true of Maine
Lodge, No. l, the pioneer of Odd Follow
ship in the State-and whose name has
always been synonym of honor in the
Order, in this our beloved City, and
through the State-for the reason that
Maine Lodge has never wavered in sup
port of, and devotion to its principles,
and is today proud of it's record in this
| likewise, to be true to their God, their
| country, their neighbors, their families,
and themselves.
| Maine Lodge has been in existence al
most fifty three years, and has seen near
~ two generations come into existence
and pass on to the great hereafter
| My own connection with IT, almost
| twenty two years, has been pleasure,
a satisfaction, and what a Roll Of Honor
able Men 1t can boast-as memory would
recall some of them-David Robinson the
| first Noble Grand, Harris G. Barnes,
solomon Z. Corser, Jas. T. MoCobb,
John K Hooper. Sam'l r. Leavitt,
James Bniley, Jas. q. Baker, Stephen K
Dyer, Richard Cole, Chas Holden, Will
liam H. Smith, Stephen Marsh Vim. S.
1'rowbridge and a host of others, all good
men and true, who have gone to their re-
ward, entered into the Grand Lodge
above, while many more remain to keep
the banner Of the Lodge bright and un-
ullied, and always in the lead.
Brothes and Friends The chief glory
of Odd Fellowship is that 1t is founded
On what is taught us in the Bible, and
that any man asking admission to it's
halls, must be a believer in God, and in
his own immortality, the chief inspira-
ton to all that is good, noble and uplift-
ing in mans life here, thus giving him
| a preparation, training for the life i'm
N or tai.
The commands of our laws are that we
visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bnry
| the dead, and educate the orphan--a God
| given work what more can be desired or
asked from fraternal organization, and
this Maine Lodge has done these fifty
three years. The sick brothers oomforted,
the distressed relieved and the dead bur-
led is beyond our comprehension, but
it has been silently done, day by day,
week by week, until the days and weeks
have grown into months and years.
1t is an unusual record for any man to
he identified with such work, in such
canse for any length of time, other du-
ties and obligations demand attention;
while some of us have contributed to it
for season, and retired from active ser
vice, Maine Lodge has been fortunate in
having the mantle fall on the shoulders
of Younger men, who have been faithful
to the trust. This lodge has tonight, and
he is here, a brother who has been MEM
Der of the visiting committee for 40
years; an example of what an Odd Eel
low ought to be, never weary IL well-do-
ing, showing unto us the truth of the
Scripture that, 'Pure religion and un.
defilad before God and the Father,is this,
to visit the fatherless and widows in
their affiietion," whose reward has been
the sweet consciousness of the good that
Tuo,-haJxr ch1,,11 1-pnxy whit oool