The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-23
An immense Gathering at City Hall
Yesterday.
Address BY Grand Sire
Pinkerton.
Grand Lodge Officers and Others
Present.

!. The Sist anniversary Of Odd Fellow
ship was very appropriately celebrated
yesterday By services In City hall. which
were attended By an audience which COM
p'stsly filled the AUDITORIUM as well % the
galleries above.
Back Of the platform large American
flag was gracefully dropped with the
smblematic three links OF the order Ia
the foreground. and seated near BY were
Past Grand Representatives, Grand Hep
resentativss, veteran Odd Fellows and
Grand lodge officers.
At $50 O'Clock the procession was
formed In front Of the Odd Fellows hall
ON Congress street and. headed By the
American Cadet band. followed BY Can
ton Ridgsley, In full regalia, 10 marched
10 the City hall, where three OF the
lodges Of the Rshekahs had already tax
en- seats In the body OF the hall. Nine
lodges were represented, including one
from South Portland and about 400 men
we're In line, naking most impressive
sight
The exercises In the hall were presided
over BY b. y. Stone, past Grand Repre-
sentative, and they commenced with
musio by tae Ladies' orchestra. after
which Rev. J.B. Sheppard read from the
Scriptures. A beautiful sslsction was
most Artitticslly rendered By the Haydn
quartstts, made up Of Mrs. Palmer, Miss
Rice, Mr.. Etocktridgs and Mr.. Merrill.
Rev. DR.. Blanchard next offered prayer
and tie qaaitstte sang q chant.
Past Grand Representative stone then
slit anniversary OF modern Odd Fellow
ship and referred to the founding Of the
order BY Thomss Wildey, April 20. 1919
He msntionsd the good results which
come from such philanthropio societies In
the amslio-atiou OF suffering, and
touched on that principle Of the order
which recognised the Fatherhood OF God
and the universal brotherhood Of man.
He gave some Interesting statistics show
ing the growth Of the order. We nnd an
aggregate Of membership In good stand
ing, including 1e0. 900 Rebeksh sisters.
of 1000, 95s, belonging to 16. 0ab lodges.
dlsbursing annually In relief IS, &23, 900,
and having an invested reserve FUND OF
ga. 1855. 600; grand total expended In re-
lief since 1880. $50. 7s6, 800. The grand
total OF mem bership In the world was
2, a2i, 900, which included lao, goo colored
Odd Fellows In the United States.
{ Nr. Stone concluded BY paying a warm
compliments to Grand Sire Hon. Altre1 s.
Pinkerton Of Worcester, who addressed
the assembly.
MIR. Pinkerton began by expressing his
pleasure ct being present and said re-
greet was mingled with 1t beoauas since
his last visit there had passed away
two most prominent and worthy Odd
Fellows. meaning Pa,t Grand Represen-
tative and Grand Secretary Joshua
Davis Of Portland, and Past Grand Rep
re5entativs Arthur N. J. Lovejoy OF Au-
gusta.
Hon. MIR. Pinkerton, who by the way,
Is most pleasing speaker. then referred
to Wildsy, who founded the order and was
at tbs time OF Its organization practical
ly stranger In the country. His chief
trait of chara cter was an overwhelming
desire to help others. Wildsy had great
faith In the principles OF the order and
witnessed . great development though he
died In the darkest period of the coun-
try's history. He had full faith that the
order which he called into existence
would be potent agency In reconcil ng
the warning sections ana teaching to
eloh OF the combatAnts in the Civil war
the individual worth and character Of
the other. IL Is one Of the glor.es Of our
that the order which had nsv-
or been divided during the war. was the
d ct to call its scattered membsrship to-
gether and the session Of 1865 found men