The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-31
EAGLETS ARE PLEDGED
STRONG SHOWING MADE BY LOCAL
EYRE OF NEW FRATERNAL
ORDER
MEMBERS MEN AMONG MEN

Occupation No Bar to Membership.
Along Whatever Line, CongeniaI-
1fy and Conrad eship Being the
Essentials Demanded of AppIi-
Giants for Admission to the New
and Somewhat Unique Fraternity.
The FraternaT Order Of Eagles, a new
secret society of which e branch was re-
Gently organized In this city, is soaring
on strong wings from It's nest on the
racine coast eastward, has reached Chi
cago and, according to its promoters,
Will ere long be one Of the most flourish
ing organizations Of its kind in the United
States. IT'S objects are penevolence and
sociability, and no man is barred from
membership on account Of his business.
In fact, demand for some. organization
where any one with the essential charao-.
teristics of a good fellow" including IN
tegrity as well as congenianty, might
JOIN, gave birth to the order. Most all
other secret societies refuse to accept
members engaged in certain lines of bust
ness. Saloonkeepers and sporting men
generally may affiliate with the Eagles.
and at the same time professional men.
are not barred. Many of this latter class.
indeed, are already members of the lodge.
The Fraternal Order Of Eagles was or
gained in Seattle, Wash, in February,
1888, since which time it has extended to
every city Of consequence east Of the
coast to Chicago, until its total member
ship Is nearly 1900 =.
The story Of the origin of the order
iC int
province. There was strike Of theat-
rical stage hands in Seattle in February,
1888, and a number Of theatrical employees
"htrng out at a certain saloon. Pro-
fessfonal men, lawyers, physicians and
newspaper men also made the resort loaf
Ing headquarters One Sunday afternoon
an unusually large crowd was enjoying
quiet sociabflity at the saloon, when some
one Jok1ngly arose and called the COM
pany to order, stating In a formal man
ner that it was the purpose to perfect
a permanent organization of those pres,
ent: Some one proposed a toast for the
speaker and the conversation drifted to
the subject Of lodge societies. Many of
those present were without secret So
c1ety affiliations, some because their
business debarred them This phase of
prevalent conditions was discussed and 1t
was finally decided that 1t would be a
great thing to organize a secret society
with all of the high aims of other LODGES
but one to which any person could be-
long, irrespective Of how he made a liy-
ing, providing he was "on the square,"
The idea was popularity received. When
the party broke up it was with the I'M
Outstanding that there would be another
meeting the next Sunday. During the
week the project was generally talked
over and the following Sunday the sa-
loon was filled. Men of all classes were
among those present, and after some dis
cussion bylaws and q constitution were
drawn up. For several months this
company held it's regular Sunday after
noon social sessions, and gradually the
idea of enlargfng the organization assert,
ed itself. Other clubs, societies, lodges,
or whatever the members chose to call
them, were instituted in neighboring
towns, and when the popularity of the
plan was realized more systematic or
ganizat1on was brought about, resulting
in the ultimate organization of the Fra
ternal Order Of Eagles The order has
an impressive ritual, stringent rules for
the government of it's members and a
grand lodge body, and the members boast
that despite the fact that all classes are
represented on the rolls no man can be-
long to the order unless he possesses the
qualifications that make men among men.
Members are pledged to help each other
IN trouble or SICKNESS and render assist
ance when death enters the family of any
brother. In sickness the order pays
weekly benefit, and in case Of death sees
that the deceased member Is accorded
proper burial. Every Sunday the
lodges hold a social session at which
good fellowship reigns supreme.
Eyrie No. SO is the title of the local
lodge the word "eyrie" being appro-
priately chosen as meaning eagles
nest" This lodge. was instituted three
weeks ago with a charter membership of
sixty and at present the roll numbers 100
members. DR.. Horace e. Merkel, of
Seattle, grand organizer, stirred up local
interest in the order with the assistance
of several prominent saloon men, and
those who have affiliated with the Eagles
declare the organization is all that it is
represented to be. 1t is the purpose of
the local eyrie to soon secure commo-
dious lodge rooms, when it will endeavor
to assert itself among the secret So
cieties. The officers Of the eyrie are.
H. L. Bonn, worthy past president; B.
D. Campbell, worthy president; G. 3.
Eckman. worthy vice president; O. ].
McDermott, worthy secretary; Herman
Schwabel, worthy treasurer; ]. c. Nc
Nabb, worthy conductor; George Stotzer,
worthy chaplain; trustees, r. N. Grady,
KffIIar ond ArChia Mona