The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-13
PUT 1T OFF.
Grand Lodge /. o. o. F. Decides
Not to Locate
Its Home Until Subordinate
Lodges Vote.
ODD FELLOWS VISIT
The Proposed Site West Of the
City.
FELLOWS VISIT
Some Pleased With 1t, Others
Think the House Unsuitable.

Topeka will not have the Odd Eel
lows home for another year at least.
The Grand Lodge did not wish to take
the responsibility of saying that home
should be built and the question of
whether or not the Odd Fellows want
home will be referred to the subordinate
lodges to be voted upon next May. Then
II the lodges vote In favor of a home
the question Of its location will come
up before the Grand Lodge again next
year
At o'clock yesterday afternoon the
area IN front of the west entrance of
the state house and Harrison street be-
yond was crowded with carriages, phae-
tons and other cOnveyances, brought
there by Topeka citizens to take the
guests of the city-the members of the
Grand Lodge and the Rebekah assem-
oIy-out to view the Sutherin property,
the site which Topeka proposed for the
Odd Fellows home. There were about
two hundred conVeyances and each of
them carried from one to four visitors,
but as there were four hundred Re
bekahS and six hundred Odd Fellows to
go there was not room for all About
six hundred went and they all seemed
to enjoy the trip.
The grounds were thoroughly inspect
ed, but the center of interest seemed to
be the apple orchard and every Odd
Fellow came away munching an apple
and carrying from one to three more in
his hands or pockets.
The opinions expressed varied Some
were enthusiastically in favor of pur-
chasing the property for the home, while
others regarded it critically. The sent
tment was almost unanimous that the
location was excellent and that the
farm was just what was needed, but
some of the delegates thought that the
house would need to be remOdeled, and
they expressed the opinion that it
would be cheaper to purchase property
without expensive improvements and
build a suitable home on 1t with the
surplus funds which would be necessary
to purchase a place already deliberately
improved.
No one seemed to be in favor of the
Wichita proposition. If the Wamego or
Mcpherson farms had been near some
larger city they might have received ia
vorabIe consideration, but their location
seemed against them.
When the delegates returned to the
state house and the Grand Lodge re-
convened, the sentiment of the delegates
was overwhelmingly in favor of not To-
eating a home anywhere until the sub
ordinates lodges had voted on the pro-
position of esta blishing one.
The officers of the Odd Fellows Grand
Lodge, unlike those of most orders, are
elected by a direct vote of the mem berS
of the order. Each subordinate lodge
holds in election and the individual
members vote for candidates for differ
ent Offices to be filed. The successful
candidate must have 40 per cent of the
vote cast to be elected. The result of
the election thus held by the subordi-
nate lodges is canvassed by the Grand
Lodge and the result declared. In case
no candidate for an office receives 40
per cent of the entire vote, the election
goes into the Grand Lodge
In accordance with this rule the Grand
Lodge canvassed the election held by
the subordinate lodges, and last evening
declared the following officers elected:
Grand master, J. A. Colaw, Chanute /;
deputy grand master, John A. Bright,
Topeka; grand secretary, D. w. Kent,
Topeka; grand treasurer, L. G. Beal,
Topeka; grand representative, w. NJ
Glenn, Tribune.
In the contest for grand warden there
was no election, no candidate having
received 40 per cent of the entire vote.
There were nine candidates, the leading
ones being L. NJ. Pettingill, of Topeka,
first; Judge NJ. B. Nicholson, of Council
Grove, second; George w. Brown, of
Cherokee, third; J. NJ. Johnson of Gar
| nett fourth and Conner T. Davies of Con-
cordia, fifth. The election of a grand
warden from this list was laid over till
( a later session.