The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-15
GRAND LODGE
OF Odd Fellows Now In
Annual Session in
This City
BIG ATTENDANCE
Fist Meeting Held Last NiGht-AbIe
Iuent RespOnses-Standing Com
mittees Announced-Session This
Morning and q Trip to
Vile Beach This Afternoon.

the Independent Order of d Eel
lows met IN it's sixtieth session last
night in the Pythian Castle Hall in
the Murchison National Bank building.
This yearly session promises to be a
highly profitable one. 1t is largely at
ten led and each member is full of en-
t-,sIasm.
The session was called to order
promptly at s o'clock by Past
Grand J.. T. King, chairman of the
joint local committee of arrangements.
He made Il few graceful remarks, and
hen introduced Hon. John D. Bellamy
and Alderman w. H. Yopp. The for
mer extended a most hearty welcome
to the Grand Lodge on behalf of the
Odd Fellows Of Wilmington in the fol-
lowing speech:
Grand Lodge:
- am chosen by the seven hundred
Odd Fellows of the city to extend to
you n cordial welcome to our city. It
is more than ten years since you
have honored us with a visit. But the
old Cape Fear still flows by our city,
bearing the OF nations upon
it's bosom, and the same light house
still stands at the mouth of the har-
Dor, shedding it's beams upon the
broad Atlantic, bidding the marines
q fOnd adieu.
"Bu Notwithstanding that these
things are still here. changes have
taken place. The political curse, which
blighted our city, has passed away and
We stand forth d~isenthralled and re-
juvinated. Tonight we present you q
city busy, active and thrifty, filled
with honest tradesmen and skilled me-
chanicS. A city filled with
valOrUuS men and beautiful women.
However, in his progress 1 do not
wish for US to forget traditions. This
IS Wilmington which furnished Cor
nelius Harnett. This Is Wilmington.
the city that furnished Il greater than
Howe. who filled ar grave.
This is Wilmington, the port during
The civil war which it was impossible
10 blockade and by this means fur
mished such material aid to the
Confederate cause 1t furnished
Fort Fisher, one of the great V
-orodigies of the ages, which for so
long Il time withStOOd the terrible on
-Slaught of shot and shell.
Along these streets walked WASH
ingtOn and Calhoun 1t has entertain
ed Clay and many other distlnSulshed
men within its gates. 1t Is the nome
of warm hearted and generous people
To these homes We welcome YOU May
the blessings of God rest upon you
and our beloved RIDER. Grand Mas
ter / now thrice welcome you to our
town."
In the absence of Mayor William T..
Springer. who is In Raleigh, Alderman
Yopp babe the Grand Lodge a most
gracious welcome, rs follows:
@sGrand Master and Brother Odd Eel
lows:
For by his endearing name l am
permitted to greet YOU
lowing to the absence of the mayor,
the Hon. w. +. Springer, from the city.
I have been requested by your lOcal
committee on entertainments in my ca
Oacity as an alderman and mayor pro
tenn to welcome o TO our city. Beng
Il novice in making public addresses
naturally you will not expect ME to re-
gale YOU with oratory. ~high-soundins
rhetoric or flights of elOquenCe. Orators
as O know. are born and not mad in
n day. and so when l assure You That
this is my first attempt at pubic
speaking, you will be charitable
to my faults and pass my impeTfec-
tons by.
.In he name of the entire popula-
non OF tWeIlN-llNS lilbu@St-N RNNl'N'
extend to YOU 4 sincere. cordial anC
hearty welcome. We are glad to nave
YOU visit our progressive city, we are
rejoiced at yOur presence: we earnestly
hone that each of YOU Will ENJOY your
visit and that your meeting VIII De
pleasant and successful ana
of much benefit TO the seven hundT"-
and fifty Odd Fellows i'll Wilmlngto!
and to- the eight thousand II five nun
a-,l y,ar,h.-- ~ North Carolina
Those of you who have not visited u:
in years. cannot help noticing the grea
improvements that have taken place II
our city since the revolution 81 1895
when vandalism. inCendiarlsm and ne
grOism were driven from our midst D.
a force of I'VE thousand brave citizens
headed by that silver tOngued orator
that statesman and genial gentleman
our former mayO the Hon AItre'
Moore Waddell.
BY way of parenthethis. l woul'
state hat Colonel Wdddell was adj,
assisted by Colonel Roger Moore an
Captain w. r. Kenan. one in charge o
the forces in the northern part OF III
city. The other in charge ~ the raPi
fire gun which was carried aroun
from place 70 place. These two gallan
confederate Chieftains have paSSe
from life TO death. have crossed owe
the river and are at rest under IN
shade. Colonel Walker Taylor, in CON
mand of our local military. also di
very valuable service. being found a
ways to the front and on the aler
C1lonels Moore and Taylor We're bot
odd Fellows. Colonel Waddell an
g. Dtain W. r. Kenan were prominer
members Of the Masonic fraternity.
This epoch in u history VIZ
beraIded all over this union, and mar
were fearful that u city had receive
Sts death blow, but our people wei
determined thai such should not be II
case, and all Joined hands with a GIL
determination to do or die, n out
chaos has come life and liberty al
push and industry. So, by united exc
tions. we have succeeded in almo