Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-05-03
FELLOWSHIP OF
S.. ! THREE LINKS
Held Impressive Ceremonies in This City on
Friday
Rightly. .BIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDER
Oddfellows From all the Valley towns and Many
Grand Lodge Officers Present to Assist
No 81 in Defeating Their
Hall Building

The Odd Fellows OF the Arkansas
Valley celebrated the cighty-eishth
anniversary OF the organization OF
Odd Fellowship in America with
union meeting in Rocky Ford last Fri
day. The lodges up and down the
Valley were fairly well represented
and the occasion was made one ot
general god fellowship. not only with
in the Order but with many outsiders
who witnessed the exercises and
shared in the entertainment furnish
ed.
In addition to the observance ot
this anniversary occasion the local
lodge took advantage OF the gather
ing to have the state Grand Lodge
officers present and to dedicate their
Lodge building. which has lately been
freed from the last instal!ment OF
debt.
Hon. ]. II. Crowley. as President
OF the Valley Anniversary Assoeia-
ton, had charge OF the celebration
exercises OF Friday morning and de-
livercd the address OF welcome to
the visiting brethren.
The address was responded to by
Bro. E. w. MeDanieis OF La Junsa.
Later in the business session that
followed Bro. MeDanieis was chosen
10 succeed Mr.. Crowley as President
Of the Valley Association. c. n.
Crahood was chosen Secretary and
II w. Adsmond association Treas
urcr.
The afternoon session was given up
TO n program in connection with the
dedication OF the hall.
This ceremonial was open to the
animated and the hall was well hilcd
with an audience that listened with
attentive interest to the beautiful rit-
ual service.
Pas. Grand Master d. c. Taylor
had been dcpuiixcd to act for the chief
officer OF the Grand Lodge and gave
the authority to Past Grand J. Nj.
Price to proceed with the dedication,
having been first duly informed that
the building was now free from all
debt.
The ritual service consisted of the
raising OF an cmblcma,ic altar. The
first stone. supposed to be white
ono. symbolixed Purity. Upon this
was buiidcd other stones, whose col
ors and inscriptions symbolized the
first principles OF the Order, namely;
Friendship, Love and Truth. Above
these were raised three other stones
symbolizing Faith. Hope and Charity:
Each OF these qualities were defined
in beautifully fgurativc language by
tho acting Past Grand Master, while
the Hcralds. representing their re-
spcctivc parts OF the Earth. north.
south. east and west, brought forth
the symbolic stones. On the top OF
the altar was sprinkicd the waters OF
purity, the seeds OF truth and the
flowers Of love and hope. The her
aids were Bros. Crowley, Lawton,
Amend and Van Vclsor. The invo..
cations were given by acting Grand
Chaplain Washburn. After the ritual
service Miss Jean Bryce Allen sung
beautifully two appropriate songs.
Addresses were to have followed.
given by Grand Officers Taylor and
Price, but as the hour was late IL
was decided to put these over to the
evening session, and President Crow
ley presented only his successor in
office, Bro. E. w. Mcdaniel Of La
Junta, VINO nlaOc very OrlcI ludus
ural talk. Then the afternoon scs-
sion adjourned.
The building that was dedicated on
this occasion is not a new one. The
Odd Fellows were the very first of
our fraternal societies to undertake
the building of their own lodge room
and the result was the two story
building erected fifteen years ago To-
Gated on the corner of South Main
and Front streets. The lower floor
has long been occupied by the ]. w.
Pheneeie dry goods house, and the
upper floor was for long time the
largest general assembly room in
town In the carly days, the Kemp
ton Comedy Co., which last week
held the boards at the Grand for a
whole weeks run, used to do their
tragic stunts on sixteen foot stage
In the west end OF this same Odd
Fellows hall. II was there that King
Richard first consigned his royal riv-
al to the bottomlcss pit as he skcwcr-
ed him on a sharpcned lath. There
It was that Romeo in silk hat and
a dress coat met his Juliet in the bal
cony scene, as she perched on one
of Phenccie's biggest dry goods box
es. There It was that Sample Switch.
el did the funny business in "Ten
Nights in q Barroom" jamborcc that