The San Francisco call., 1897-04-27
ANNUAL JUBILEE
Of ODD FELLOWS
Founders Day Happily
Observed at Santa
Barbara.
Gathering of Members From
All Counties in Southern
California.
Visitors March In Parade and
Are rendered a Banquet at
Night.

SANTA BARBARA, CAL, April o.
The Odd Fellows ofSouthern California cell
ebrated the seventh-sighth anniversary of
the establishment OF the order in America
with grand demonstration here to-day.
Lodges came from nearly all the southern
counties and eminent individuals from
many other parts of the State. There was
also large gathering of tie Daughters of
Rebekah. The orator OF the day was W.
II. Barnes of San Francisco.
A large number cf the visiting deleca-
tions came III on 8 special train shortly
after noon The train was met ct Ven
tura by 4 committee of the local Odd Fell
lows and Rebekahs. As the lodges ar
rived in the city they were met by bands
of music and escorted 10 their quarters.
A street parade took place this after
noon, the line starting st o'clock. The
procession was under command of Grand
Marshal Francis 4. Blake Jr., and with
him rode General c. c. s. uerman, com
mander-in-chief of the California cantors.
The aids were w. +. Harne j. and Cleo
Lloyd. Later in the afternoon appro-
pirate exercises were held 10 Grace NJ. E.
Church, T. r. Dave, P. c., of Santa Bar
90" NSA%'SA-4AS AAAC S0NASSS Vi NSIStAnC3
W. 4. Borynge, P. G., of Los Angeles re-
spending.
W. H. Barnes, P. G. NJ, of San Fran-
cisco, orator of the day, announced that
this was the torty-hrst annual occasion on
which he had served in like capacity, his
first anniversary address having been de-
livered in 1857 at Atlanta, Ga. In his ad-
dress he dwelt largely upon the great
strength and marvellous growth OF the or
der. There were now, he said, 100
lodges, with $40, 900 mem bers, in America;
there were 200 encampments, with 1885,
coo memb bers; there we're 42o0 Rebekah
lodges, with 360, 900 embers-over l. ,0O0,-
600 members altogether, and forming the
largest frateTnal order in the world. From
1880 10 1895, :, 100 00o0 men were initiated
as Odd Fellows. OF this number 2,eo0, 600
had been relieved during financial trou-
bic, illness or injury; 221 900 widows and
families had been relieved, and there had
been 100000 hurials by the lodges. Dur
ing that time S7S 0o0, 600 had been ex-
pended in relief work; last years relief
fund was S., SOC, COO
In California, he continued, there were
S55 lodges with $4,000 mem bers, IS en-
csmpments with 5000 members and 800
Rebskahs with 5000 mem oers. Although
Cahiornis's mem oershlp was but one
thirty-hrst part OF the me ~ bership, the
State paid one-tenth of the entire relief
fund. The assets of the $50 lodges
amounted TO S270,o0o.
The speaker said that the Independent
Order OF ODD Fellows was one OF the frater-
nal orders-perhaps the only one-that
held TO its tenets through the war. While
the churches of the North and South were
divided against each other and remained
so for years after the close Of the war, the
Odd Fellows remained true, and at the
assem- bling OF the Grand Lodge al BaIt-
more at the close of the war the Southern
States were promptly requested 10 send I'D
their representatives They did so, aud
were received without s dissenting voice.
On the desks OF the Southern members
were found transcripts of the i've yesrs
that they had missed.
This statement provoked rounds OF ap-
plause tFom the big audience.
AT that meeting of the Grand Lodge the
speaker, Mr. Barnes, was delegate from
Georgia. Since the war the order hiss
grown remarkably and has spread ali over
the world.
Tonight the Odd Fellows were enter
tained with banquet and grand ball st
the Arling gton Hotel.