The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-13
A. 0. U. w. Membership SweIIed Last
Night BY hiEetY-One.
interesting Ceremonies BY the Ledge
Team and Officers.
Addresses By Seyara! Prominent Riem.
bars of The 0r34s.
All of Which Vas Followed BY /;
Banquet and 0aGca.

Ninety-on new members, the result
of four weeks jealous canvass, were
initiated into Blue Earth lodge No. 80,
A. o. u. w. in the lodge hall last eve
ming in the presence of no less than two
! hundred and fifty brothers, who gather
ed to witness this, the largest initiation
that the lodge ever had and next to the
largest that ever took place in any
Workman's lodge in the state. This nsw
class of ninety-one together with sigh.
teen more who will be gathered into The
fold a week from next Wednesday night
will swell the total enrolment Of IL
local lodge to $50.
Bruno Roemer, master workman, called
the meeting to order early in the evening
and dispatched some necessary routine
business in short order and then intro
duced Deputy Grand Master Charles S
Able of Minneapolis, under whose super
vision the canvass for applicants had
been made and who now took formal
charge of the ceremony of the initiation
Just los applications had been secured
but seventeen of these candidates had
been rejected on account of physical
disqualifcations.
About half past ten o'clock the doors
were thrown open to the vast concourse
of ladies that had gathered in the ada
cent rooms, Degree of Honor members
and wives, daughters and other relatives
of the Workmen, swelling the assem-
bled throng to more than five hundred
Now came work in the first degree
conducted by Captain John R. Thomas,
the furniture man, with his team of
twelve picked men, all uniformed in
blue with red braid, and performing their
complex evolutions and weapon practice
with a skill that drew frequent bursts of
hearty applause from the spectators.
Next was the second degree work con-
sisting of lecture on the symbols and
guiding principles of the orderly Past Su-
preme Representative j. M. Diment, whose
remarks were splendidly illustrated by
stereoptican views cast upon a screen.
First was picture of John Jordan
Upchurch, who founded the order at
Meadville, Pa, on Oct. 81, 1868. Next
were representations of the guiding ideas
of the order, an anchor the emblem of
hope, shield the sign of protection,
and the Latin motto of the order signi-
flying, Zone needs the help of another,
on all of which topics Mr.. Diment dwelt
with the most impressive earnestness.
Two men with hands clasped together
signified fraternity; a ship gliding out
serenely from a still, secluded bay repre-
sented young life moving towards its
more serious years and unmindful of the
storms it must encounter; ship in
tempest represented this same life at
more troublous time; rocks and reefs
betokened the dangers and difficulties
that must be encountered; four sided
pyramid pictured the four great relations
of mans life, toward God, eternity,
mankind and his family, all perfectly dis
tinct yet all converging at the apex; a
coffin signified death; a picture of
widowed mother and several children in
poor and inadequate home gave warn
ing of the result of mans neglect to
provide for his family after he was gone;
and the more cheerful picture of faith
erless family that had been properly
taken care of impressed the idea.
The sweet voices of several ladies
from time to time were heard singing ap-
propriate songs and hymns as the views
were displayed.
Mr.. Diment at the conclusion of the
screen work addressed the audience fur
ther, congratulating the Workmen on
having with them that night three past
grand master workmen, Judge Porter,
Attorney j. A. Eckstein of New Ulm,
and himself. All were attorneys, and
they also had another, Oscar Hallam of
st. Paul; prominent among the visitors,
too was E. W. Randall of Hamline, chair
man of the finance committee of the
order and secretary of the Minnesota
State Fair.
The local lodge, Mr.. Diment continued,
was deserving of the highest credit.
One of the largest classes ever initiated
into the order in the state had just been
added. Young men could never spend
their evenings to any better advantage
than at well conducted fraternal meet
ings. The abilities of some of the
country's leading men had been developed
in the lodge room.
Mr.. Diment wanted to know if any
body ever heard of Workman being
carried to poor farm or filling a pau
per's grave. He never did and he never
expected to. 1t cost about ten dollars
per year to get thousand dollars worth
of protection. In order to pay this
amount in a member would have to
live 100 years. All the brothers should at
tend the lodge meetings as far as posi-
BILE. It was not right to allow few
faithful ones to 60 and do all the work.
He had heard man who was asked WHY
he belonged to the order when he did not
care to attend the meetings, reply: ooh,
so my wife's second husband will be well