The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-14
Minnesota Delegates Will
Leave for Indianapolis To-
night by Special Train
Convention Expected to Be
Largest Ever Held by the
Order.

$4,000 visitors were present. 1t is eX-
pected that this state will do it's share
to make the coming convention a sue
cess in point of numbers.
Every state in the Union except five
will be represented in the convention
by over 525 delegates, head officers and
members Of standing committees, each
representing 1900 members of the So
ciety in good standing. Besides these
each state will be represented by bat
taliOns of uniformed Foresters, made
up of the degree teams attached to all
the Woodmen camps, or lodges.
The national convention of the Mod
ern Woodmen of America is now
counted as one of the four big Amer
lean national gatherings-the Demo-
cratic and Republican conventions and
the G. A. r. encampment being the
other three. The citizens of Indianap-
oils have raised a fund OF 5000 for
the entertainment of the Woodmen
The Woodmen Forester encampment
also meeting at Indianapolis, opens or
June Is, and continues throughout the
week of the convention.
Indianapolis is peculiarly situated in
the center of the Woodmen society
great membership of over 100000, and
it is conservatively predicted that the
coming meeting will bring together not
less than $4,000 Woodmen.
Society Is Young.
For a society still in it's infancy-at
least as compared with societies like
the Odd Fellows, Ancient Order OF
United Workmen, Knights of Pythias
etc.-the Woodmen organization is
unique in that it holds the largest con-
ventions of any fraternal society in the
United States. Indeed, at the present
time the Modern Woodmen is the
largest fraternal beneficiary organ
izatfon doing business on the Western
continent. 1t has a membership of
over 100000, divided among II, 500 local
camps, or lodges, and maintains at the
present time over 81 ZOO, 900, 900 insur-
ance in force on the lives of it's mem
bers.
Since the first Woodmen camp, or
lodge, was organized on jan 5, 1883,
at Lyons, Iowa, there have been over
$36, 900 disbursed in the payment
of $500 death claims. During the last
two years alone over $11,OOO,00O have
been disbursed to beneficiaries of dead
Woodmen from the society's benefit
fund.
Joseph Cullen Root, the present
sovereign commander Of the Woodmen
Of the World, was the founder of the
Modern WOodTnen of America He or
gained the first local camp at Lyons
Iowa, on Jan. 5, 1883. and was elected
the first provisional head consul, in
which position he continued until the
meeting Of the national Woodmen con-
Vention at Springfield, H., in 1890
when the present head consul, Lieut.
Gov. w. A. Northcott, of Greenville
ILL.,, succeeded him.
Story of Organization.
Mr.. Root has told the story of th<
origin Of the Modern Woodmen in G
book. He says. the Modern. Woodmer
society was the offspring of much
thought, study and investigation, dat
Ing for it's beginning back to the year
1880" He explains that his frs
problem was to select a name" ant
then he tells how it happened.
One Sunday in July, while listen.
ing to a sermon by Rev. Sydney Craw.
ford in the First Congregations
church at Lyons, Iowa, he heard the
preacher speak of 'fWoodmen clear.
ing away the forests Says Mr.
Root; TT was like the appearance
OF a rainbow of beauty and promise
after summer shower. The Wood
men! The name suggested a useful
employment. 1t suggested sturdy
health, vigor and life. 1t was a new
name for a fraternal organization, and
therefore, Modern It was indigen-
Gus to the soil of the land so what
could be more appropriate than to add
of America" Thus was the name
selected-The Modern Woodmen Of
America"
This is Mr.. Roots explanation, but
others have since claimed that the
name was simply an adaptation Of the
IOrder OF Wood Splitters," society
which existed in France in the sew
enteenth century. The local lodges, OF
camps, of the ancient French society
were yards" the members were
called cousins" and the candidate
for admission was STEEL
Louis G. Blaine, of Lyons, Iowa, cir
culated the first petition for a Modern
Woodman camp charter, and on Jan
5, 1883, as stated, the first camp Of
Woodmen was organized with twenty.
Two charter members. 1t was called
Pioneer Camp No. /, and still -four
fshes. At the same time the first pro-
Visional head camp was organized, Mr.
Root being elected head consul: AL
bert Hilton, head clerk, and Louis G.
Blaine, head banker.
Second Camp Formed.
The second local camp was organ
lied at Fulton, ILL.,, by Thomas L. Tag
CERT, DR.. Henry NJ. Kennedy, who
afterwards became head clerk. and
who, about four years ago, lost his
life in South Dakota blizzard, was
the first signer of the charter petition
The Fulton camp was organized with
eleven members in the basement of the
First Baptist church, and was named
Forest Camp No. 2.
The third camp was organized By
DR.. ]. Halter, Lanark, Ill. Soor
after the organization Of the Camp al
Lanark, Ogden H. Henderson, a law
yer seeking outdoor employment fol
the benefit of his health, was engaged
by Head Consul Root as an organizer
He instituted the fourth Woodmar
camp at Mount Carroll, ILL.,, and this
was the first camp Of the Modern
Woodmen organized by a deputy head
consul, The date Of its charter was
June 8, 1883.
On June %, 1883, there was. al
told, seven local camps in active
operation. On that date the first req
ular mead camp, or national conyen-
llon, or the society was held at Fulton
III. rive local camps were represent
eu py deIegates. At this meeting the
original fundamental laws were re-
vised and adopted. The societv;s
jurisdiction and age limit for adnis-
sion or members were defined. . tahIe
OF assessment rates was fixed ond
with the election of a full set Of haad
officers, with laws formally adontad
for their guidance, the society for the
first time had a regular and orderIv
government.
Pay First Death.
The first death Of member of the
Modern Woodmen society was that 81
Mr. Alb. Meyer, of Davenport Iowa. on
July "a, 1884. He held a certificate
for $1,000, and his benefciaries re-
celved the proceeds of one assessment
levied on the entire membership at that
time, which brought about 500. How
ever, all succeeding claims were paid
| In full' the society's growth being SC