The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-26
PAID HONOR
 TO VISITORS Local Odd Fellows Enter
 tain Guests. GEN. RANEY A VISITOR He Delivered an Address on Odd
 Fellowship. He wa. AceompaBIed By Grand Patriarch Eekert And Colonel
 Mayne of the Patriarchs Militant. aA r4a i 5 Is

The ardor of the odd Fellows tri- umphed over the driving hard rain yes- terday in the entertainment of their distinguished visitors and the welcome will go down in history of that order as one of the most cordial ever ac- corded one of their brothers from the North.
 The chief visitors of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows yesterday was Manley A. Rainey. of Marengo. Iowa, General Commanding the Patriarchs Militant of Odd Fellowship. Accom- panying him to Montgomery were s. J. Eckert. of Birmingham, Grand Pa triarch of the Grand Encampment of Alabama. and Colonel James w. Mayne, of Ensley. commanding Department of Alabama, Patriarchs Militant.
 After the multiform entertainment extended these distinguished officers of the Odd Fellows. General Rainey will go today to Pensacola, Fla, and thence to following cities in the order named: Mobile. New Orleans and Fort Worth. It Is an ofiiciaI tour for him and he Is interesting Odd Fellows in the plan of establishing cantons of Patriarchs Militant in Alabama. and the other States to be visited.
 This morning Mir. Eckert, of Bir- mingham. and Colonel Mayne, of Ems ley. will return to their respective homes to tell their brother members of the enthusiastic joint meeting of the three lodges last night in the En- campment Branch Hall of the Odd Fel- lows on Madison avenue.
 The feature of the visit of these officers was the able address last night of General Rainey. He reviewed the and rapid strides through nearly a century of existence. He enlarged upon the importance of every branch and degree of the order, showing how interdependent they all are and how necessary they are in the graduation to full-fledged Fellowship.
 The members present of whom there seemed to be upwards of one hundred, were very much enlightened upon the extent of the order at home and abroad. The visiting ofEicer from the North told of the remarkable lodges Of Odd Fei- lows in Australia and Denmark, dwell ing on the great wealth of the order in that nation and their modes and customs in the works of the order. The benevolent achievements of the order jn Denmark were commented on by the speaker. The operation of Odd Fellows in all foreign countries came in for some comment from the versatile General Commanding of Patriarchs Militant.
 Coming down to Alabama, the speak CT pointed with pride to the steady progress of Odd Fellowship in this State, growing in the last few years from a total membership of 5000 to a present total of 10000 members. He predicted that this is but, a mite com pared with what is in future store for the enrolment of the lodges In this State.
 General Rainey drove the point home in his hearers mind last evening that there Is more per capita wealth in the custody of the Sovereign Grand Lodge to the credit of each Odd Fellow than belongs to any other order of a social class. This is due in part to the business Judgment of those officers who are charged with the investment of the funds at profitable rate of interest.
 At the close of his address, General JRainey gave an outline of what is ex- pected of Patriarchs Militant and the significance of this degree of Fellow ship. He set out the virtues taught in it's work and finally expressed his ear nest intention to increase the present number of five cantons in Alabama to many more. After adjournment num- erous members walked to the front and piled the speaker with questions relative to the forms and qualifications for admission to the degree. The joint session last night lasted about two hours.
 Yesterday afternoon the visiting Odd Fellows were in the hands of a special entertainment committee of the com bined lodges of the city composed of