The Portland daily press., 1897-01-12
DEDICATED.
Odd FelloWship's New and Hand.
some Home.
FORMALLY CHRISTENED BY THE
GRAND OFFICERS.

Double Dedication Last Evening-Im-
pressive Services and Interesting En-
tertainment-Fine Banquet and Large
Attendance.
The new homs of Odd Fellowship in
the Baxter building is now an official re-
ality have been duly dedicated by the
solemn and impressive ritual OF the
Independent Order Of Odd Bellows. and
off cially set apart for the special uses OF
the ancient and honorable order whose
home it is to be.
The details of this new home OF Odd
Fellowship and the many beauties and
conveniences it possesses have already
been described at length in these
columns. The comments of the large
number Of people present last evening
only confirmed all the complimentary
things said of the handsome new quarters
where they were thrown open to public
inspection few weeks ago. and closer
acquaintance with the rooms only
strengthens the pleasant impressions
formed on first sight.
While as has been stated, the looms
| were informally opened a short time ago,
last night was the official opening and
dedication. EARLY in the evening large
numbers of Odd Fellows and their ladies
began to arrive and the early hours OF
the evening were spent in roaming over
the building and ipspe citing all OF its
| many points of comfort and convenience.
| By the time the formal exercises began
the spacious halls and lobbies were
thronged with bright and happy crowd
of people. Everybody present seemed to
take a personal pride in the new quarters
and the committee which has labored SO
long, hard and intelligently to produce
the perfection of the present suite, came
| in for numerous hearty and meri tsd con-
gratulatiOns.
| The general comm ittee on construction
and furnishing was composed of the fol-
lowing well known Odd Fellows, repre-
senting all the lodges and encampments
| in the city: Charles L. Snow, chairJuan;
Charles B. Guptill, secretary; +. E.
Haskell, treasurer; John L. Palmer,
| Nathan E. Redion, Simeon Malone, Au-
gustine d. Smith, Wysr Greene, Andrew
j. Cummings. Enooh Hunt, Emery @.
Chase, John y. Foss.
The special committee having in charge
| last nights exercises consisted OF Fred
E. Haskell, John 7. Palmer and Nathan
e. Redlon.
1t was necessary Last evening to per
form dual dedication, as the two large
halls, that of the subordinate lodges and
the one to be used by the encampmeDts
| were entitled to equal attention.
A happy plan was arranged by the
committee. While one hall was being
dedicated in the other was being per-
formed an entertaining miscellaneous
programme of m usio and reoitations.
AS soon as the dedication WAS finished
in the subordinate hall, the Officer pro-
oeeded to the Camp hall while the enter
tainment programme was repeated in the
hall Just dedicated. Both halls we're
filed to completion with most attentive
audiences.
The grand officers performing the dedi-
catory services were as follows: Grand
MASTER A. N. Lovejoy, Augusta; deputy
grand master. Albert L. II. Pike, Nor
way; grand wazden, Albro e. Chase,
Portland; grand marshal. FrsLk A.
Knowlton, Augusta: grand sir herald
of the north, Benjamin G. Stone, Port
Hand; grand sir herald of the south,
Russell g. Dyer Onkdale; grand sir.
herald of the east, Henry p. Cox, Port
land; grand sir herald of the west, A.
5. Kimball, Portland; grand chaplain,
Rev. Mr.. Cummings, Augusta.
The services were Of course the beauti-
full dedcatory ritual of the order used
upon all similar occasions. The officers
performed their parts with great dignity
aud impressiveness, and everything went
without single hitch. The musical
portion of the service, which added
immensely to its beauty and so!emnity
was furnished by Prof. Farnsworth, as
organist. and Shaw's Male quartette,
who sang with spirit and fine shading.
When the preliminary portions of the
service had been performed and the altar
reared of the blocks of, Purity, Triend-
j ship, Truth, Faith, Hope and Charity,
Charles e. Snow, chairman of the hall
committee, arose and addressing Grand
Master Lovejoy. said: ''We meet you
here tonight to inform you that our COM
mittee has finished it's laboTs and hereby
report that the hall is now completed and
ready for Use. The work speaks for itselt
far more eloquently than any words Of
niue could DO.
The grand master impressively replied
d: ~ accept this hall for the pu1p pose OF
, dedication. congratulate you on the
completion of the beautiful editice we art
now about to dedicate to the cardinal
principles Of humanity, which form the
basis of our order"
, Then followed prayer by the grano
chaplain and music, and then the graDd
master pronounced the solemn words o1
dedication, and the heral Is were COM
manded to make proclamation that TIE
| ,>or, ho,,,o re Odd PalIowshiD had bean