The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-16
Membership Is Fast Nearing
Five Hundred.
Visiting Brothers and Officers
Are There.
Degree of Honor Ladies Bright
Spot in Center.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Festivities of the United Workmen,
held III jublation over the initiation of
the big class of new members into the
Blue Earth Lodge No. 80, came very
near proving an all night social session.
Probably not less than six hundred were
gathered in the A. o. L. w. hall last
evening when the meeting was at its
height. Quite crowd was still there
when the dancing commenced, which
did not occur until two o'clock, as the
supper tables had not been cleared away
from the floor. 1t was certainly a grand
occasion and one well worthy of the
great and fast growing local lodge.
Last evening eighty-four candidates
were initiated. Tonight at least twen-
ty more will 90 in and possibly another
dozen will receive favorable considera-
ton. If these hopes prove true, Blue
Earth Lodge No. 30 will be the banner
lodge of the jurisdiction of Minnesota,
having initiated the largest class ever
admitted by any lodge within the state.
The Saltwater lodge on June % initial
ed class of 1922 The Mankatonians
will beat that.
In the early part of the evening the
ladies of Degree of Honor Lodge No.
10 presented to Grand Master Work
man Anderson of Winona a beautiful
bouquet of many kinds of flowers.
1t was past ten o'clock when the
assembly hall was thrown open to the
Degree of Honor ladies and other friends
of the Workmen. A great concourse had
gathered in the halls and rooms adoin-
ing. The dance hall had been filled with
tables, which were beautifully spread
under the City hotel management. This
hall was prettily decorated in red, white
and blue, but still finer were the adorn
ments of the assembly hall, where the
stars and stripes could be seen in the
greatest profusion on the walls and cell
ing.
The program opened with selection
by the orchestra. There were six who
played: Prof. Schwanenberg on the
trumpet; Ed Hodapp on the trap
drums; Karl Korts OH the flute; Ed
Lamm on the clarionet; Prof. Jache on
the violin; and Miss Elsie Koke on the
piano. Several beautiful selections were
rendered by these well known celebrities,
in the course of the session.
William n. Narvis of Muscatine, Ia,
supreme master workman of the order
was the first and principal speaker. Bro.
Narvis east his eye over the well filled
hall and remarked that he seldom had
the privilege of talking to such an as
semblage. His fate was usually to talk
such a flower garden as he saw before
him. He glanced at the cluster of De-
gree of Honor ladies in the center of the
hall as he said this. One coud sec plain
~ that he had in mind the feminine adj
juncts of the order, for he was soon re-
marking that he could talk all night,
and in that respect was a full-hedged
sister of the Degree of Honor. As a
true sister, he knew that it is never
too late to mend He had himself often
ripped and sewed and mended, while his
wife was absent late into the night at
the Degree of Honor meetings.
Bro. Narvis recounted portions of the
history of the order, showing its vast
growth. Father Upchurch started the
first lodge in 1868 at Meadville, Penn,
with sivxteen members. Today in the
United States and Canada there are
more than 100000 United Workmen. In
the state of Minnesota alone there are
more than $4,000 Since the order was
first organized, it has dispensed to the
widows and orphans of the deceased
members the sum of $l40,000,000.
The United Workmen should adhere
To the golden rule, "Do unto others as
you would they should do unto you,"
and should not follow the maxim of
the old line insurance companies, ''Do
others before they do you."
He paid high compliment to the
work of Brother w. B. Anderson of
Winona, the Minnesota grand master
workman, and declared that he was
the one of best grand master workmen
that the state ever had. During one
quarter 5000 homes had been added to
the list of those protected by the A. o.
u. W., in the state of Minnesota alone.
1t is a grand record. If Minnesota goes
on increasing as she has been doing in
the A. o. L. W.. membership, she may
wrest from Nebraska the distinction
of being the first state in the union in
hat respect.
He exhorted the Mankato brothers to