The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-11

a contribution OF 81 per member. and from
this appeal received s.. 800. when he notified
the order that the State had undertaken
the care OF these helpless wards and re-
quested that the contributions be discon-
tinued."
The Order OF Odd Fellows In Indiana Is
now sixty-four years old. IT was estab-
lished in New Albany in 1895. The Sec
ond lodge was established in Madison. the
third i'm Jacksonville and the fourth in
Rising Sun. after which came. IN close
succession. lodges at Evansville. Law
renceburg. Patriot and other places along
the Ohio river. Following the establish
ment of these lodges on the Ohio river
others were started in towns lying in the
Whitewater valley. IF any one were TO
glance at a map OF Indiana at the present
time" said Mr.. Leedy, with the lodges Of
Odd Fellows Indicated on II, he would won
der when there could have been a begin
ming. so thickly are they distributed over
the State Nevertheless, there has been
scarcely a time from 1885 down TO the pres
ent, except possibly a year or two during
the civil war. when the order has not
grown in membership. The increase in re-
cent years has been little short of mar
velous. Since 1 became grand secretary.
five years ago, we nave added more than
1900 members to our already large num-
Der, and now the gain each year is ex-
ceeding 5000.
Tine lodge in Indiana has resources OF
nearly 2,5O0.000 and pays out 81. 900. 900 every
five years in relief. It's average payment
for the care of the sick and relief Of dis
tress is $23 every hour. every day in the
week and every week in the year. Few peo-
pie outside of the order realize the extent
of this great charity. The question is
asked in 64 lodges Of Odd Fellows in In
diana every week. Does any one know of a
sick brother or of a brother In distress?'
and from among the twenty, or thirty, or
fifty, or hundred members present the
probabilities are that some one will be re-
ported from the community as entitled to
the relief that the lodge affords"
The origin and development of Odd Eel
lowship in the United States was discussed
briefly and in a highly interesting manner
by Mr.. Leedy. The Independent Order OF
Odd Fellows in this country" he said. "is
not an ancient institution. The first lodge
was established in Baltimore in 1919 by
Thomas Wildey, OF whom a fine oil por-
trait adorns the walls of the Grand Lodge
building in this city. After coming to this
country Mr.. Wildey soon began to miss
the association OF his fellow-lodge MEM
bers. and upon inserting an advertisement
in a Baltimore paper received the names
of four other persons who had likewise
been members of the lodge in England and
missed the old afiliation. AT the instance
of these men Wildey returned to England
and cQCNro1 from tho NTonohao%er TTp;ty
of Odd Fellows of that country a charter
for the Odd Fellows of the United States.
This was the beginning of odd Fellowship
in America. For many years the Man.
chester Unity and the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, as the United States or
der was known. worked together. but about
1912 there was a division in the ranks and
our institution became an Independent or
der in fact as we'll as in name.
THIRTEEN THOUSAND LODGES.
From this beginning the order has grown
to more than thirteen thousand lodges.
distributed throughout every State In the
Union and every province in Canada. There
are also lodges in Holland, Sweden, Aus
tralia and Hawaii. and a few in other
countries. The total membership is almost
a million. There are also 500. 900 Rebekah
members and 225,OOO encampment members.
Next to the Manchester Unity of Odd Eel
lows. it is one of the largest secret orders
in the world.
Strange as Ii may seem, Hawaii was
one of the first countries to have Odd Eel
lowship. the order in that country being
established in 1S47. Odd Fellowship is very
strong in Canada. proportionately as strong
as in the United States.
1--WE haxa hut apa Jo5-o - - -
to the fact that the government frowns
upon such institutions under the impression
that they are liable to prove inimical to it's
interests.
I'm Germany we have 1000 or Is. 900
members. In Sweden the order is also very
strong. In France there is but one lodge
and that very weak. Odd Fellowship has
not grown in South America, there being
but few lodges on the entire continent.
"Odd Fellowship has taken quite a foot
hold in Mexico recently and we now have
several prosperous lodges in that country.
When these countries once understand the
real motives of this institution it becomes
popular. but many of them are somewhat
jealous of any institution that might divide
honors with them or be dangerous to their
perpetuity.
IN mt VI OQd
from whom we received our charter, is an
institution somewhat similar TO ours. They
outnumber us by perhaps $4,000 and work
on slightly different lines, but originally
their work was the same as ours and there
is a great deal of sympathy between the
two organizations. They do not hold Grand
Lodges as we do, but have what is termed
a movable committee, whose powers are
| similar to those of our Grand Lodge. Many
of our members who go TO England, even
for a brief visit. take the Manchester
Unity degrees in order that they may per-
sonally observe the difference between the
two organizations.
MEET IN PUBLIC INNS.
1.-The Manchester Union lodges as a rule,
/ understand, meet in public inns and at all
their meetings it was formerly their Gus
tom, and probably is now. to deposit some
thing in a box for the relief of sick men,
bers and members who were out Of work.
In the early days, at least, the Man
chester Union lodges were disposed to be
convivial, and passed their lodge evenings
in eating, and, / presume, to no little extent
in drinking. This was probably the real
cause of the separation of the two or
ganizations, because our institution never
,-oAl5 rarp;+ C,,Oh fhfr NC IN folxa .1ooa g.