The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-06-05
A Rare incident.

While once flourishing society in New
Jersey, the Ancient Order of Good Fellows
is in the throes of its last death struggle.
and its complete extinction is only matter
of time. From Jersey City to Cape May
there are scattered the mounds of thirty
one lodges which have died from various
causes, although diagnosis never seems
to have determined the cause. The claim
is made by some that most of the members
were killed during the civil war, but Har-
man 8. Baugh, one of the four surviving
charter members of the only remaining
lodge, disputes this theory by calling at
tention to the fact that number of the
lodges were not instituted until after 1866
Such condition, perhaps, exists no.
where else in the United States, and it is
interesting Mount Holly Lodge, No. 10,
Is the only one left In the State. This
forced 1t under the direct supervision
of the National or Supreme Grand Lodge,
but as this was not pleasing to the mem
bers. their appeal was accepted for affiilia-
ton with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
The latter body is composed of Pennsyl-
vania Lodge, No. 4, and Washington
Lodge. No. 20, of Philadelphia Samari-
tan Lodge. No. 80, of Reading; Golden
Rule Lodge, No. AZ, of Stroudsburg, Pa,
and Mount Holly Lodge, No. 10. William
d. Herbert, of Mount Holly, is Grand Mas
ter Of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
ho e ioI. l. IL l.. Al
ing, about an hour being required tc
transact the business. The semi annual
session will be held at Norristown on the
second Wednesday in October next. Thu
! Washington and Mount Holly Lodges arr
, the only ones that attend the annual an6
semi-annual meetings of the grand body
The work of this order is on a par will
J other secret societies, but the rapid falling
of of lodges in nearly all the States can
not seem to be satisfactorily accounted for
: Thirty seven years ago Mount Holl.
) Lodge, No. 18. was instituted. on st. Pat
0 rick's day, with charter list of twenty
five members. The first meetings wer
: held in the old Masonic Temple, on Waite
: street, William j. Brannan, recently dc
+ ceased, being the first Worthy Crane
At the present time the lodge has seventy
four members and they have 81, 800 i
| their treasury. The officers are as follows
Junior Past Grand, William H. Hinkle
Worthy Grand, Albert Cameron Worth
Vice Grand. John Stiles Chaplain, j. 4
+ Parker; Recording Secretary, John Elber
son Financial Secretary, Elmer D. Pricl
10 lit /; Treasurer, William Mcdonald.
Lodge No. 10. in view of the disast'
which has befallen its sister lodges in thi
state, has good membership, is financia
ly strong, and its average attendance du
u ing the past year has been thirteen. Thes
&c facts should have q tendency to XII
10 the superstition attached to that numbe
which some people regard as a fatal omel
The Mount Holly Lodge is practical
It like ship without rudder 1t has u
re boss, and William d. Herbert virtual
rules In the Grand Lodge. With no 9TH
IN lodge In the country, perhaps, are Il
r. members free to do what they please wit
ae their money. there being no strings fro
We superior bodies attached to this fun
y from which two members have been r
Or ceiving benefits during the past t,
years.