The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-14
Odd Fellows Are Planning to
Build a Home.
VIII Be Different Institution
From De Boissiere Grant.
PLANS ARE UNDER WAY
Rebekahs Are Doing Much to
Help Project.
Items of Interest to Secret So.
ciety Workers.

Contributions are being collected by
the Rebekah assembly to form a fund
with which to build orphans and
women's home for the Odd Fellows and
Rebekahs of Kansas.
The project to build the home is
meeting with the approval of the sub
ordinate lodges throughout the state,
and it is confidently believed that the
grand lodge OF the order of Kansas Will
help in swelling the fund by appropriate
ing handsome sum at the next meet
ing
The home will be built no matter how
the suit in the supreme court concern
ing the DeBoissiere home case may re-
suit
The DeBoissiere home case has be-
come a bugbear to the Odd Fellows, and
TO many it is a matter of very little
import whether the case is finally de-
cided one way or another
Under the provisions of the will that
bequeathed the property to the Odd Eel
lows it was made obligatory to APP
point a board Of trustees whose term
should be for life, to have absolute and
final authority TO act and decide all
matters in regard to the control of the
institution. The only part played by
the grand lodge of the state was to fur
along lines prescribed by the board of
trustees. whether it was satisfactory to
those who furnished the money or Sot.
Then Their, came a time when forty
pay their share of the assessment for
the support Of the institution Their
suspension was ordered by J. A. Camp
bell, then grand master of the order.
At the meeting of the delegates at
the grand lodge in 1894 the subject be
came the one topic of interest, and one
of the bitterest fights in the history of
the grand lodge resulted.
There were two factions. One was
in favor of relinquishing all claim to
the property and the other was in favor
TO reinstate the forty lodges which had
been suspended and admit the dele
gates
1t was then decided to dispose of all
interest in the property, and a quit
claim deed was made out and the prop
erty turned over to the trustees.
The grand lodge then refused to levy
assessments for the further support of
the institution All the officers of the
grand lodge were ousted and new ones
elected.
court is in reality between the trustees
of the institution and the interests rep
resented by Troutman & Stone.
In event the trustees win in the suit
for possession of the property, it is said
the grand lodge will never have any
further connection with it, Since it
was abandoned by the grand lodge in
1894 ii has been under the control of the
trustees. 1t is said that a decision TAX
ing the property from the hands of the
trustees and turning it over to the in
terests represented by Troutman &
stone would simplify matters greatly
Tor the grand lodge of Kansas
The trustees of the institution are L.
g Slime, Of Ottawa, president; G. A.
Huron, OF Topeka, secretary; C. l.. Rob-
bins and J. A. Purdy, of Ottawa, and
c. w. Jones' of Mound City.
The value of the property is estimated
et from $4,000 to $125, 900. 1t comprises
about 5000 acres of land at Silkvilie, in
Franklin county, and a three-story
building stands on the land The build
ang when originally built was not mod
ern, but it was fitted with modern i'm
provementS at the expense of the grand
lodge of the Odd Fellows of Kansas
There are sixty rooms in the house
water is piped all over the building,
and it is lighted and heated by modern
methods. gas factory is run there
The entire cost of the place to the Odd
Fellows is estimated at about $34, 600
The matter of who is the rightful pos
SCISSOR of the property has been drag
ging in the courts for number of
years between the De Boissiere heirs
and the trustees of the institution but
will in all probability be settled finally
at the February term of the supreme
court.
Meanwhile the members of the order
are active in taking contributions for
the construction of a new home. 1t is
predicted one will be built within the
coming two years A location has not
yet been discussed.
Grand Secretary w. H Kemper. of
the Odd Fellows, is sending out the fol-
lowing notices this week:
At the session of the grand lodge held
at Topeka the 9th and 10th of Dc
tober. 1901, the following named broth
ers were nominated, and accepted said
nomination, as grand lodge officers, 70
be voted on by the past grands in their
respective lodges on the regular cleo
ton night in May. 1902:
Grand MASTER M johnson Gar
nett No 16; A. s. Kemper, Louisville
No. 1872
Deputy Grand Master. ]. Roll,
Grand Warden C w. ALBANIAN,
Friendship No. 5; H Z. Potter, Clifton
n. Isl; ]. i. Saunders, Cheney No. 254
J; ID. Vance. Winfield No. lol; s. 3. 5.
wilson, Harmony No "a,
Grand Secretary-Eariy carder, Mark
Twain No 361; J. A Colaw. Chanute No.
"a; ". H. Kenper Horton No 23i
Grand Treas1rer-L- G. Beal. Topeka
No. 20; $. s. Learned, Lawrence No. 4;
Charles A. Mitchell, Cherryvale No. 142;
~ E. Wood, Rescue No. 1893.
Grand Representative-Joh ohm A. Bright,
Eugene No. 70; ]. W. Haughey, wei
lington No. 1913.
Triple Tie No. initiated five candi-
dates Monday night. The grand council
of this order for the state of Kansas
will be held in Topeka in February.
F. S. Stevens, of the Western Odd
Fellow, is assisting Grand Secretary w
H Kemper in the Office at headquarters
here.
The following officers for the ensuing
year have been elected in the Upchurch
lodge No. 244. A. Q. U. W.: Master work
man, George w. Banta: foreman Geo.
Bartell; overseer. w. w. Wooley; re-
corder. c. F. woodward; financier, G.
A Wieneke; receiver, T. B. Brown:
guide G. NJ. Jamison; watchrnen E E
NanZant and J. c. Kay; trustee, NJ. A
Curry; representative to the grand
lodge, Charles A. Miller; alternate rep
resentative, T. B. Brown