The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-09-01
PAST GRAND MASTERS, I. o. o. F.

Edward White Conant OF Old Town
was the thirty-eighth grand master of
the Grand lodge He was born in Win
terport, Waldo county, Maine, June
"a, 1881. the son of Isaac and Jane
(Weston) Conant. He was educated in
the common schools of Winterport.
When seventeen years OF age he left
school entering the store of Kaler &
Co.. as clerk, remaining two years.
The senior member of the firm was Mr..
Otis Kaler, afterwards grand master
of the Grand lodge. Mr.. Conant then
entered the store of Treat & Co., same
town. In 1858 he left Winterport for
Milford, a town near Bangor, where he
went into the lumber and stock bust
ness, remaining there about ten years.
In 1869 he moved to Old Town, which
has been his place OF residence ever
since. Here he engaged IN the grocery
| business which he conducted until $780,
He then formed the co-partnership of
Conant, White & Co., in the manufac-
ture of lumber, which firm continued
until 1891, when it was changed to
Conant & Carr, and now bears that
name. Mr.. Conant may be regarded as
one of the solid business men of Old
Town, and is closely identified with all
| the towns interests. From 1891 to
! 1897 he was chairman of the board of
| registration, when he resigned to &C
cept the office of assessor for three
years, and was reelected in 1901.
While resident of Milford Mr..
Conant married Carrie E., the only
daughter of William Bailey. She died
| December "a, 1874. In religion he is
! Universalist.
Mr.. Conant became an Odd Fellow
December 2, 1870, by joining Tarratine
! lodge, No. ~, of Old Town, and has
ever since been a faithful worker in
that body. In 1872 he was elected
noble grand. In 1885, the next year
after he was grand master, he was
| elected secretary Of his lodge and re-
mains iii the same position to the
present time He is one of those Odd
Fellows who believes his interest
should not cease in the Subordinate
lodge because he has held high office in
the Grand bodies. Mr.. Conant became
a member of the Grand lodge at the
annual session held in August, 1876,
and was appointed district deputy
grand master, serving faithfully for
two years. In 1888 he was elected
deputy grand master, never having
served as grand warden. At the an
nual session held in Bangor, August -,
1854, he was elected grand master
During his term as grand master he
instituted new lodges at Sprague's
Mills, South NorridgeM ock, Turner,
Springfield and Washburn, and one
Rebekah lodge at Brunswick. A
memorial day, for commemorative the
memory of deceased brethren and for
tho 1oaorofinr of fboir
tablished during his term. Another
important feature of his year was the
PRONUNCIATION of the beautiied, or
dramatic form, of comforting the de-
grees. At the annual session of the
Grand lodge in 1885 Norway lodge,
No. IS, of Norway, the first Subordin-
ate lodge in Maine to confer the work
dramatically, was invited to exemplify
the same before the Grand body From
this the work spread until today near
ly every lodge in Maine confers the
degree agreeably in this form. In 1885
Mr.. Conant was elected grand repre-
sentative to the Sovereign Grand lodge
for term OF two years, serving his
jurisdiction faithfully.
December 7, 1882, when Fellowship
lodge, No. 81, was instituted, of Calais,
Mr.. Conant was present, and assisted
in the work. An accident happened to
him on that occasion. He was acting
as conductor, and slipping upon the
floor fell, breaking his leg.
February n. 1871 he became mem
Der of Old Town encampment, No. II.
He passed all the chairs in that body,
and in 1888 was elected treasurer, an
office he now holds after an honorable
service of twenty-one years. He was a
charter member of Myrtle Rebekah
lodge, No. IA, and was elected its first
noble grand. AT the present time and
for number of years Mr.. Conant has
been president of the Past Grand Rep
resentatives' association, an organiza-
ton made up of those Odd Fellows
who have represented their jurisdiction
in the Sovereign Grand lodge, and
which meets annually at the same
place with the Grand lodge. MI.
Conant may be classed as a working
member and one who has the confidence
of his colleagues in the Grand and
Subordinate bodies.
RUSSELL G. DYER,
Grand Secretary