The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-30
NEEDS A STRONG PULL
TO LAND SESSION OF MODERN
WOODMEN OF AMERICA
FOR ST. PAUL
WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT
The Head Camp Session In 1901 Will
BE Attended by Thousands of
Delegates and Visitors-Order Has
Membership Of 10000 In Minneso-
ta NOw-Question to BE Settled at
Kansas City.

The various little items which have ap-
peared from time to time in the news
papers of the city concerning the work
being done for the securing Of the head
camp session Of the Modern Woodmen of
America for 1901 hardly convey to the
average or uninitiated reader an idea Of
the magnitude of the undertaking or i'm
portance Of these gatherings.
In view of the fact that committees are
at present engaged In soliciting funds to
defray the preliminary expenses, required
to send a proper delegation to Kansas
City. something of a general character
may not be inopportune reading.
At the outset it may be stated that the
local camps of the Woodmen have al
ready raised funds to send forty dele
gates to represent the interests Of the
city before the session of the head camp
at Kansas City, in June next. In addition
to these forty delegates the regular Min
nesota state delegation of twenty -eight,
who have a vote in the session and who
are instructed to cast their votes for st.
Paul, will also go, and several degree
teams from st. Paul and other cities will
be present, making a strong force Of
shouters. It Is sought to add to these
number of gentlemen from the CONNER
cial club, who will represent the business
interests of st. Paul and extend proper
invitation to the convention at Kansas
City
The question naturally arises, is 1t worth
while for this city to seek such gather
ing? For reply we will say that during
fhn oor,fb nf An1il tha
of America outstripped all competitors
in the field of fraternal organizations
based upon mutual protection lines, and
stand now at the head Of the list Of or
ders, numerically, in the United States.
The statement Of membership on March
81. showed a total of active members of
1856, 775. However, at the Kansas City
meeting the question will be settled of
admitting into the order q number of new
states, which are clamoring for adnls-
sion to the order. Among these states are
New York, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Maine, Colorado, California and Utah,
and with the admission of these states
the order will almost double the present
membership by the time the session Of
1901 arrives.
Kansas City is preparing this year to
entertain no less than $4,000 visitors, so
natural conclusions may be drawn there
from, and st. Paul can reasonably ex-
pect no less than 100,0 900 visitors If the
session is voted here. Who are the men,
bers Of this order, which Is sweeping
rapidly through its self-chosen territory?
They comprise the brain of the country.
The professional man and the artisan are
shoulder to shoulder within its ranks.
They are the class Of people who can be
attracted to new scenes Of action and to
new homes among more favorable sur
roundings. They will form a worthy
addition to the population of any city
or state and are of those walks of life
where men are wont to be self-reliant
and able to contribute to the development
of their adopted homes. They are not
confined to the Office or shop, but take in
the thrifty farms In many states.
1t is therefore evident that in securing
convention of this character St. Paul
and Minnesota have everything to gain
and nothing to lose. The men who come
no free support, but only such reasonable
entertainment as is usually accorded
honored guests within our gates.
The central committee of the Wood
men Of this city has been unusually ac-
tive since the question was first taken up.
A poll has already been taken of the 3S5
delegates whose votes will settle the
"
the secretary has tabulated the returns,
which show that more than one-half of
the delegates to the Kansas City session
are ready to cast their votes for st. Paul,
all that is required being q systematic ef-
fort
Past experiences have demonstrated
that ST Paul is no laggard when 1t comes
to entertaining conventions. The Wood
mems convention will unquestionably be
the greatest gathering this city has ever
seen, aside from the G. A. r., and may
surpass even that great event numeri-
cally 1t is worth every effort that is
being made to bring this gathering here.
especially when Minnesota alone has
more than 10000 members Of the order,
all of whom will only be too glad to visit
the city during the session and to partici-
pate In the parades and other pleasures
of the gathering. which usually bring out