The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-12-26
SOCIETY OPPOSED TO /.
THE PROFANITY HABIT
Non Swearing Knights of America
is the Name of the Or
ganization.
National Headquarters Building
to be Erected at Minot,
North Dakota.

That swearing is in violation of the
laws of God, of the state and of good
society, and that the user Of pro-
family Is therefore neither a Christian
nor good citizen, is the sentiment
about which r. C. Wynn, conductor
on the Great Northern railway, who
has charge of the "daily-except-Sun-
day" local passenger train between
Minot and Sherwood, N. D., has built
up an order of more than 5000 mem
bers. From charter membership Of
three railway men Of Des Moines
Iowa, over % years ago, the organ
tzation, known as the Non-Swearing
Knights of America, has recently
taken new forward strides, largely
Through the work of one man, the
founder, Mr.. Wynn.
{ Every state in the union is repre-
sented in the movement. From far-ofr
Maine TO sunny California have come
letters from men who are interested
in the work Of discouraging the use
of profanity, and who have joined the
society With this nationwide in
terest it has been decided to construct
a, national headquarters building in
secured. Professor C. H. Mitchell OF
Omaha is the president of the order,
r. P. Smith Of Fort Smith, Texas,
is vice president, and r. c. Wynn, Of
Sherwood, N. D., is the secretary and
treasurer.
How 1t Was Started.
1T was like this said Mr.. Wynn
intelling Of the Non-swearing knights
of America. ION the afternoon Of
July II; 1885, as 1 stood on the plat
form Of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific railway station at Des M!oines,
directly in front of the ladies' waiting
rom a freight train crew 1ssassS engaged
In switching. AS each car Way in it's
turn cut off, one or the other of the
men would give voice to some vile
oath, calling down vengeance upon the
link and pin coupling, then in use,
and which we all know had it's faults
1T seemed to me that the ladies
and children in the waiting room and
on the platform, who were obliged to
listen to the men swearing, could not
have a very good opinion of railway
men in general. That was the birth
Of the movement. I believed that if
it were brought to the attention of the
men that swearing was an unneces-
sary evil, they would soon stop its
use. straightWay enrolled two others
with me, and we organized the orig
inal Non-Swearing knights Of Amer
lea. the two associated with me beins
Albert Dewolff, a conductor, and
Charles Wonderlick, a brakeman.
Spreads Beyond Original Plans.
AT the time is was not my inter-
ton to enroll more than thirty or forty
men in the society, but the idea
seemed to take with everyone who
heard Of it and consequently the move
ment got outside of the railway men
and soon members of other lines of
business became members. For many
yetars the movement gained ground
slowly, but it has lately taken squirt,
and the members have come in rapid
ly, in fact, so rapidly that I will soon
be obliged to have assistance in caring
for my mail.
THE objects Of the organization as
set forth in the constitution are to
abstain from the use of profanity, to
assist all worthy brothers and help
them to keep their obligation, and to
use every means In our power to help
promote the moral order of things in
general. The initiation fee is 5 cents.
ladies and clergymen being accepted
as honorary members
Former Governors on the Rolls.
There are many prominent men of
the United States enrolled in the Or
ganization, among them being two
former governors of Iowa, William
Larrabee of Des Moines, and S. J.
Kirkwood of Iowa City. Among other
prominent members are Bishop Will
liam Steven Perry of Davenport, Iowa;
Q. r. Swift, superintendent telegra oh ::
c. Drew, superintendent. car service;
c. S. Tewksbury, freight agent; J. D.
Marst, general baggage agent, and r.
c. Marshall, travelling auditor. all of
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
railway; G. H. Williams, superinten-
dent Of the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne
railway; J. M. Gruber, general man
ager; P. H. Parsons, auditor passen-
ger receipts; James Robinson, general
freight agent, and A. w. Douglas.
travelling auditor, all of the Great
Northern railway, and F. I. Whitney
Of st. Paul.