The San Francisco call., 1904-09-18


Fellows, the greatest of American
fraternal orders. and easily rank
A ing second among the fraternal
orders Ct the world, had its origin in
the city Of Baltimore on the 26th day
Of April. 1919. and at that time con-
sisted of just five members. Thomas
Wildey, John welch. John Duncan.
John Cheatham and Robert Rush
worth. whose names, with ever in
creasing veneration, are everywhere
honored by members of our frater-
nifty. They founded the order upon and
dedicated IL 10 the principles OF
friendship. love and truth, with mutual
relief in distress and sickness. care of
the sick, burial OF the dead. relief of
the widows and education of the or
phans Of deceased brethren, as very
important but incidental duties and
purposes. The great ultimate purpose
being TO fraternize the world; TO make
brotherly love the universal basis of
human relations and the universal tie
among all races. creeds and nations Of
the earth: 10 make ell men feel an in
ward and controlling sense of duty:
To meliorste the sorrows of mankind
Relieve the poor, the sick. the maim'd, the
blind.
Lift uD the dropping heart, the widow cheer,
And wipe away The helpless orphans tear.
To form Of widespread brotherhood
Linked in the bonds OF doing good.
Throughout the eighty-five years Of
its existence no substantial change has
been made in> its fundamental prin-
ciples or purposes, but their teaching
nd
that period. brought to the order mill
ions of earnest and faithful men and.
in later years. hundreds of thousands
Of devoted women, all eagerly willing
10 devote their lives to the promotion
OF the principles and purposes of the
order. satisfied that this world affords
no better or more certain way TO the
reward which surely follows a well
spent life. Most OF this work has been
done, net in the glare Of day nor be-
fore the gaze Of applauding multitudes,
but in the scrrow- burdened homes Of
the poor and in the sorrowful cham
bers of sickness and death. These
duties bring exquisite pleasures as well
as trying sorrows to their deVotees,
because those who minister to the vic
Tins of sickness, pain, suffering and
helplessneas soon unconsciously share
every feeling of relief which their de-
votion brings to those whom they at
tend. and thoroughly enjoy every look
ard expression and word of gratitude
which their service inspires; they
soon come 10 enjoy such service and.
going beyond the fraternal circle, as
eagerly minister to strangers in dis
tress.
Birth OF tho Order i'm California.
When. upon the discovery of gold in
California in 1S49, the mad rush for
wealth came on from every quarter Of
the civilized world. California present
ed one of thu most remarkable pictures
in the worlds history of what econo-
mists call the struggle for existence,
and of the awful visage of the attend
ant Of that struggle, THE survival of
the fttest"
Under the motto. Save himself who
can" human life on the Pacific slope
was succession of tragedies in which
The cursfi utiorallv weak the unfortu-
nate. those stricken with disease, or
sudden disabling afiction. were left by
the roadside to the uncertain care of
those who dared not tarry in their race
fcT wealth. lest the purpose Of their
s6venturous journey should fail and
they thenfeives be stricken
In this environment the training of
odd Fellowship asserted itself among
the members Of the order who came
with the army Of gold seekers. and
they placed their duty to humanity so
FAR above their duty To- themselves land
indeed self-interest was in those days
duty which could not he lightly put
aside. that they paused in the mad
race for wealth TO perform that higher
DUTY and to provide for its systematic
performance by themselves and others
through the familiar machinery of the
Subordinate Lodge.
The Pioneer Lol-cs.
Prompted by these motives and for
these purposes. California Lodge No. l
Of the Independent Order of Odd Fell
lcws. was organized in San Francisco
on the 9Th day OF September. ls49. The
method of its organization and the
means adopted for that purpose were
extraordinary, not TO say tragic, in
the earnestness Of the brethren inter-
ested. Members Of the order repeatedly
went lniOuEn the streets ringing DeltS
and calling upon Odd Fellows TO meet
with them and organize a lodge. These
efforts were made in May and re-
peated IN August, lS49. succeeding at
last on the 9Th of September of that
year. when Brother James Smiley. un-
der dispensation from Grand Sire
Horn r. Kneass. organized California
Lodge No. ] with the following named
charter members: Robert H. Taylor.
noble grand; II. w. Herley. vice grand:
c. z. Franklin, secretary; John NJ.
Coughlin, treasurer. and Brothers
Julius Rose. William Burling, J., L.
Dali, David Jobson and Louis Tremble
Thee men. ~ whom r. H. Taylor (ex-
District Judge) is the sole survivor,
with number OF brethren holding Wis
iting cards from lodges in the Atlantic
States. who readily and earnestly
worked with them but would not sur
render membership in their home
lodges TO join the new lodge, nobly