Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-28
THE GALA EVENT
WAPELLo COUNTY wooDMEN
MEET IN oTTuMWA AND INITl-
ATE GIANT CLASS
Rally Was Held Last Evening in Wood
man Hall on West Second Street
Over 500 Are Present at Rites-
Class Numbers About 200,

Last evening In the Woodman hall
on West Main street, the largest
gathering under passwords of the Mod
ern Woodmen of America ever held in
Wapello county convened for the coun.
4 ty class rally and initiation rites. This
occasion was for the camps of Ottum-
wa and the entire county. The affair
was in charge of local camps Nos 103,
LAO and S095, and in the neighbor-
hood OF 200 candidates were initiated.
1t Is estimated that more than 500
members of the different lodges of the
order from this city and the surround
ing towns in attendance and the
spacious hall was filled to its utmost
capacity by the huge crowd.
The camps of the county have work.
ed with untiring energy during the
past several weeks to make the rally
a success and that they have succeed
evening. "The greatest Woodman
meeting ever saw" was what George
N. Frink, state deputy, called 1t. Mr..
Frink said: II have seen larger meet
ings than this, but they were in the
winter time, when people were willing
to stay inside. | never saw such a
meeting as this held indoors in mid
summer.
Parade Attracts Attention.
The exercises of the evening opened
with parade on the down town
streets by the members of the order
and the candidates for initiation. The
parade was about two Llocks long and
attracted large number of spectators
along the entire line of march.
w. j. Berry of camp No. 174O and
F. j. Stevens of camp No. 103 acted
as marshals for the event. The adj
vance guard was composed Of pla-
toon Of the Ottumwa police force. the
members of which were Woodmen.
Then came the South Ottumwa
band, followed by an open car.
riage in which rode Ralph E, Johnson
OF Lincoln, Neb. supreme organizer of
the order; r. N. Frink of Des Moines,
state deputy; John Smith of Des
Moines, district deputy, and w. A. Nc
Intire and w. T. Wilson Of Ottumwa.
At the rear of the carriage marched
the degree teams of the three local
camps. These, were in the following
order; First, No.. 1903; second, No.
3095; third, No 1740 After the de-
gree teams came the Woodmen and the
trembling and fearful novices, whose
first glimpses into the mysteries of
Woodcraft were yet to come
Exercises Are Begun.
After the march the lodgemen re-
turned to the hall and the exercises
proper were commenced. The mys-
teries Of the order were then revealed
to the waiting candidates by the For
roster team of Woodland camp under
the command of Chief Forester G. @.
Afford, and with the following officers:
Consul, w. T. Wilson; adviser, F. p.
Wilkins; banker, B. Holman, escort.
w. j. Berry; Waterman, Samuel
Stump, and sentinel D. L. Armstrong.
Immediately at the close of the in
iatory degree Ralph E. Johnson adj
dressed the audience of lodgemen. Mr..
johnson dwelt upon the pleasure, the
success Of the Wapello county rally
had given him. He also spoke in most
flattering terms Of the city Of Ottum.
wa. He spoke at length of the enor-
nous growth of Woodcraft in the past
six months and stated that the year
1905 would, at its completion, prove
to be the banner year for the order.
outclassing any since it's inception.
Mr.. Johnson was followed by George
". Frink, who made a brief address in
which he spoke most highly of the raj.
and complimented the officers of the
,rious camps for its success.
Delegations of Woodmen were pres
from the following places: Agen.