The Jersey City news., 1902-02-28
RED men meet
Reports at the Great Council
Show the Order to Be
Prosperous.

| Tspecial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."]
| TRENTON, Feb. %, 1902.-"Heap big In
diam owned the town and all the mud
ness thereof yesterday wien the streets
| were crowded with Red Men. From all
over the State the representative men OF
| each tribe gathered to the number OF 6ou-
| The annual great council of the Inn
proved Order of Red Men was held in
Association Hall yesterday. All day long
the glitter orators attended to business,
and in the evening, like good Red Men,
smoked the pipe of peace and danced the
hours away free from care. in Turner
Hail.
The work of the convention is not mn
ished and will be done today
Two important things come before the
conventions reduction of the per capita
tax to thirty-two cents,a cut of five cents,
and the proposed admission of members
below the present age limit. The first
proposition was settled in the affirmative
yesterday, and is now Red Mems law.
The second question will be settled at this
mornings session.
Reports showed a membership of the or
der in this State of 10000. gain of 1,2s0
members in the past years. The chief of
records reported the total wealth of the
tribes at 1854, ,420.16, and that the orphans
guardian fund was in good condition.
There has been paid out for relief of
members $72 900. sc, funeral benefits S2l,-
ssIS4, and to widows and orphans $s12.73.
Grand Sachem Lowery, in his report
yesterday, spoke of the funeral benefit
fund, and said
s'I am pleased to say that owing to the
wise legislation of this great council and
through the persistent efforts of Past
Great Sachem Thomas H. Sprague, chair
man of the Committee on Funeral Benefit
Fund, the affairs of that defunct associa
ton have been, at this writing, nearly
wound up, and before our council fire has
been kindled the prospects are that every
claim against it will be adjusted. It has
taken tact and skill to accomplish this
end, but the tribes have met the great
council half way. and are to be commend
ed for their obedience to the enactments
Of this body, which in several cases meant
a sacrifice of wampum to the individual
tribes. Too much credit cannot be ac-
corded Past Sachem Sprague for his part
in the settlement.
The election of officers for the ensuing
year held yesterday afternoon resulted as
follows:-
Great prophet, Joseph E. Nowrey. Cam
den; great sachem, Blanchard H. White,
Pemberton; great senior sycamore, Wal
ter s. White Oceanic; great junior saga
more. Fred P, Rees. Trenton; great chief
of records Daniel NJ. Stevens. Camden;
great keeper of wampum. William j.
Smythe, Jr., Long Branch; representa-
tives to United States Grand Council. Jo-
seph E. Nowrey, Camden; Arthur H.
Stiles, Atlantic City; H. H. Stepler.
woodstown; Emil w schabilon. Hacken-
sack
Among the distinguished men of the or
der present are:-Past Grand Incohonee
Charles c. Conley. of Pennsylvania who
yesterday Installed the newly-elected Off
GERS; Past Grand Ineohonee Charles H.
Leishmann, of the United States Congress
sional Commission. and Past Grand In
cohonee James A. Parsons, of Pennsyl-
vania.
The fifteenth annual ball of Iroquois
Tribe, No. SO. Improved Order of Red
Men, was held in Turner Hall last even
ing, to which the convention members
were invited and it was a late hour this
morning before the merry dancers de-
sisted and went home.