, 1897-04-28
18TH ANNIVERSARY.
A DELIGHTFUL CELEBRATION AT
ODD FELLOW HALL LAST
EVENING.
District Deputy Grand Master Dawber
Delivers an Eloquent Oration-Dr.
N. 8. Sage Addresses the Member
ship on a Few Things They Ought
to Do-Delightful Dance.

The celebration OF the 18th anniver-
sary OF Odd Fellowship in America. at
Odd Fellow hall last evening, wal an in
teresting and highly entertaining event. |
The ladies Of the Rebekah degree had
charge Of the arrangements and showed
superior skill In the management Of the
many details which go to make social
events Of this nature a success. For the
benefit Of the membership and their in
vited guests a program OF rare merit was
rendered. Grand Secretary Louis Miller
acting as master o. ceremonies. Wheth-
er the lodge was opened In due form or
not. The Republican cannot say. but it
does know that the opening was beauti-
full. Members Of the Encampment ap-
peared in full uniform and, under the
captaincy of Mr.. Peter Smart, executed a
sword drill. The opening prayer was by
DR.. N. S. Sage.
The first number on the program was
a musical selection by the Mandolin
club, consisting Of Messrs. Gray, Brett
enstien, Foster and Cokefair. Mrs.
Anna Bramel-Delario recited a poem.
odd Fellowship" which is said by some
pt the communicative members to touch
pretty close to some Of the secret work.
Her rendition Of the piece was beauti-
full and touching. Miss Louisa Berner
followed with a delightful piece OF organ
music. and then came the Grafton of he
evening. by Mr.. Christopher Dawber.
who spoke as follows:
THE GRAFTON.
Most Worthy Master OF Ceremonies,
Ladies' and Gentlemen, Sisters Of Re
bekah and Brethren of the Independent
Order OF Odd Fellows: A man should
have a reason for everything he does,
and this is one Of the great reasons why
l endeavor to cherish the senti-
ments peculiar to Odd Fellow
ship, our great and glorious fraternity
OF man. erected t the work Of Almighty
God and dedicated to the principles Of
friendship, love and truth, for the good
OF the common race, taking In the world
for its country and the human race for
its nation. Odd Fellowship is likened
unto a beautiful river Of running waters,
where the high and the low. the rich and
the poor, the humble and the great, may
meet on a common level as brethren OF
one tribe and drink from the clear crys-
tai depths OF human nature the sweet
waters Of fraternal love.
Odd Fellowship is the full embodiment
of the fatherhood Of God and the broth
erhood Of man. God is our Father In
whom alone we live and move and have
our being, while man-man Is ~ broth
er, in whom we have an interest as
long as life shall last. Odd Fellowship,
as layed down in the ancient law Of our
fo%refathers, is the emancipation Of that
slavery OF soul to sense; that subsection
to things outward and ~perishable into
which man is brought by his W pas
sion. To the hoest man, whose candid
state Of darkness and bound with the
chains of doubt, fear and superstition,
Odd Fellowship is the resurrection and
the life OF a true fraternal spirit that will
point out his duty to God, his country
and his fellow man.
The qualifications to become an Odd
Fellow of the Independent Order are that
the a who knocks at u lodge room
door for admission to its mysteries must
be a free white man, 81 years Of age, In
sound health, of good moral character
and a believer in the Supreme Being, the
maker and ruler Of the universe. I'tAke
this qualification to mean, spiritually,
that a man should put his trust In God
and behold in himself the self-evident
turths that the Lord God formed man Of
the dust Of the ground and brethed into
his nostrils the breath Of life and man
became a living soul.
A stranger N being initiated into and
made acquainted with the organization
and work Of a lodge Of the Independent
Order Of Odd Fellows, Is, in my honest
and candid opinion, q man, or h~gurative-
ly speaking. a traveller who has crossed
the threshold Of a new world Of thought,
illuminated In brilliant light with the
three great powers Of life. beauty and
JOY. He is born again, fraternally. into
the world and imbued with q higher
sense Of duty to himself and his fellow
man. He becomes the sacred care Of the
mightiest brotherhood OF men inhabit-
ing this universe. He is recognised by
the civilized nations Of the world where
ever the nag q Odd Fellowship has been
carried "a q member OF an institution
where the angels Of friendship and love
assert their pild dominion around the
alter Of peace, where faith and charity
combine In one grand and imperishabTt
union to bless the mind Of man with
peace and soften. the human heart with
sympathy.
1t might be most beautifully aid "a
Odd Fellowship that it inculcates . ven
Grafton for religion in the spirit in which
1t was given to the world by our fxfd
and Savior. Jesus Christ, in the paSktae]
Of the Good Samaritan teaching tn
Golden Rnle. That Whatsoever 70 woeeA]
that others should do unto you, do ~
eveo 30 unto them"
The true object Of our great and dor
ious fraternity il not to unseat empefpts.
&c. A--- --A--A-k~