CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1902-06-05
BY Charles E. Made.
p. G. ~. p. G. Rep.


must be added, to get the full strength
of the Order. 1t has expended over
eighty eight and half millions of
dollars. in the relief of some two and
pectes to continue its work indefinite
ly in the future.
As it now is. and for more thnn
fifty years past has been, Odd Fellow
ship is true fraternity, intoxicating
upon its members the principles of
Friendship, Love and Truth, 1.-THE
three links in our chain, teaching the
purest of ethics. not pretending to b.
a substitute for religion and studious-
ly holding itself aloof from all that
is divisive, whether religions. social
or political. but presenting a broad
platform of tolerance on which men
of widely variant opinions may unite
in the performance OF those duties,
and the iueulcation of ,ho-e princi-
ple-. which all good mcu recognize as
paramount. II teaches it, initiates
TO be grateful TO their Creator. faith
full to their country and fraternal TO
their fellow men, and thus excludes
from its membership atheists, anar-
chis,s and ssloon-keep-ns, who are
regarded by this Order a. violating
thc-a teachings. respectively. IL
draws il. lessons OF morality. from the
Holy Bible. from which it takes it,
examples Of virtue. and to which it
points its members ss the sure and
safe guide in life. It, aim is to inn
prove and elevate the character OF
msn aud to teach him the true frater-
nal relation designed 10y the Great
Author of his b,ing.
In 1898 the Order had six lodges in
Colorado. located In and ncaE Denver.
In October of that year. while report
ing that he had been in correspondence
with Canon City, the Grand Master
Of the new Grand Lodge reported
financial depression and Indian wars
on the plains rs the irindrancss to the
growth OF the Order. However, BEN
jamin r. Smith and Bcrthier +.
Moore had been Odd Fellows, and
Reuben J. and Gideon b. Frazier
went to Gilpin county, and Samuel ID.
Webster went to Denver, and were
initiated, and these FIVE were insti-
tuted as Canon City Lodge No. :, on
Tuesday. November 10th, 1858. Will
son A. Helm, John l.. Espy and Am
brosr Flournoy united Mt the iustitu-
tion and these eight constituted the
lodge for some weeks while they were
getting the necessary properties for
the working of the lodge. All this
looks small for these days, but 1t
must be remembered that Canon City
in 1870, had a total population of 2sa,
and the trip taken by the three to
volved more of time and hardship
than trip to Chicago at the present
day, for there We're no luxurious cars
making the trip in five hours, but only
the old fashioned stage coach. The
lodge was instructed in the Masonic
Hall, which was located in the build.
ing then on the lot where the Canon
City Club now is,
Soon after institution, George T.
Phillips and Samuel II. Boyd were
admitted on evidence of former MEM
bership, and Charles Pauls and WILL
lam Shepherd We're the first initiated,
closely followed by Robert NJ. Pope,
l.. Jones Moore and William $. Jones.
It's remoteness from the world at large
is shown by the record that, in Octo-
bcr. 1870, its representatives were un-
able to reach the Grand Lodge in Dem
yer ON account of heavy SHOWS on the
divide which stopped the stages.
To trace the progress of the lodge
for more than third of century,
from institution to the present time,
or even to catalogue the sick who
have been visited, the distressed who
have been relieved, and the dead who
have been buried, by this lodge, would
ovor-tax the columns of the Record
and the patience of its readers.
Suffice il to say that many u stranger
in strange land has here found
friends and help, that about $500
have been disbursed to its own mem-
bers, while several times that sun. I
has been advanced to brothers in dir
est need and refunded by their lodges.
Strangers who came here but TO die,
have been tenderly laid in their last
resting place, and moro than once u