Evening star., 1900-08-17
BROTHERHOOD OF FIREMEN
BIENNIAL CONVENTION TO DE HELD
IN DES MONIES, IOWA.
Organization Formed Twenty-Seven
Years Ago - Every Locomotive
Fireman in Union n Member.

The seventh biennial convention of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Ftremen, which
has constituency representing many
thousands of men scattered throughout the
United States, and of which every loco
motive fireman in the United States is a
member, will be held in Des Moines Iowa
about the middle of next month. All the
| railroads in this section will be represent
! ed by delegates.
The Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen
was founded December l, 1873, when eleven
firemen of the old Erie road, In an Informal
manner, pledged a mutual enduring friend
ship. A formal organization was later ef
fected and the society was known as Lodge
No. l, Brotherhood, of Locomotive Fire
men, of Port eJrvis, NY. A year later del
egates from twelve lodges met at Hornells-
Vile in the same state and held the first
convention. The records show that in ad
dition to electing officers, the members or
ganized life association, passed vote
of thanks to the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers for kindnesSes and courte-
sizes extended. and then adjourned.
At the second convention, which was held
the following year at indianapolis, Ind.
iorty-SiX delegates, representing twenty
nine lodges, We're in attendance, and 4
membership Of 900 was reported. 1t was
at this convention that the protective fea-
tui tS VI lHe OTSdnlZdtlDn were HTSt utNeI-
oped.
The third convention met at St Louis,
Mo, in 1876, with forty-one delegates in at
tendance, representing fifty lodges.
AT the fourth convention, which assem-
bled at Indianapolis Ind, an effort was
made to consolidate the International Fire
mems Union with the Firemens Brother
hood. and resolution was adopted inviting
local branches of that organization to be-
come members of the ether order.
This invitation was aftcrward declined,
but steps We're taken looking to co-opera-
ton.
New Life Infused.
When the fifth convention met at Buffalo
N. Y, In 1878, thirty-eight delegates rep
resented fifty-one lodges. The sixth con-
vention was held in Chicago, and, notwith-
standing there was a depleted treasury, the
brotherhood had taken on new growth
Shortly after the fifth convention the local
divisions of the International Firemen's S
Union had cast their lot with the brother
hood. and the grand organizer and several
active members had been in the field.
The organization continued to prosper
during subsequent years. The convention
was held annually in various cities, and at
the eleventh assembly, held at Toronto,
canada. in 1884, there were 116 lodges rep
resented. The membership was II 246 and
the total receipts for the year were s119,-
oo'."J. 1t was at this convention that the
question of classification of wages was dis
cussed and a movement started which in
the end resulted in the brotherhood be-
coming labor organization In It's true
sense Up to this time the word white"
had not been incorporated in qualifications
OF membership, but at this juncture it be-
came part of the law. At the twelfth
convention. which met in Philadelphia in
1850 began another epoch In the history
OF the brotherhood. After six years of ig-
norlng strikes 1t returned to the original
polcy and became labor organization.
Last Annual Convention.
Ihe thirteenth convention. the last an
nual, was held at Minneapolis, Mimi, and
the first biennial meeting took place In At
lanta' Ga, in 1883. During the interven-
Ing two years hundreds of contracts and
agreements we've made with the railway
companies, which terminated in classifica-
ton, and in No. instances Increased
wages were secured
The brotherl!oo. has at Highland Park,
H. hons tol us ed and disabled rail-
r9aa etan. sd employ: d :'ae idea of the home was
erhood men. ii Il now under the special
care OF the Lao.c%' Society of the Broth
erhood OF Locomotive Firemen, which was
organized in Tucson, Ariz., in April 1854