The Greeley tribune., 1908-12-16
GREELEY ODDFELLOWS EAT AND
TALK.
OLD DEBT IS WIPED OUT
Friday Evening Was Ono Long 10 BE
Remembered BY Poudre Valley
Lodge No. II, I. o. O. L.
A Great Event Fitting
" Celebrated.

Friday nights Odd Fellows ban
y auet was hummer. Nothing less
Two hundred members of Poudr
\ Valley Lodge No. 12 brought the
, appetites with them, and Toasted an,
toasted and other things till III,
night marshal threatened to run tn,
whole gang in If they were too fu
(of turkey to go home.
Business began q little after hall
past six, when the boys sat down tc
as fine dinner as ever graced a
table, prepared by the ladies of the
First Presbyterian church. 1t touf
about an hour to clear away the
spread. and half an hour longer to
move out the portable tables from
the lodge room. After a vote OF
thanks to the Ladies' Society for
the Prevention of Famine" Noble
Grand ]. C. Alderman introduced
the POSTMASTER OF the evening,
Professor @. e. Carter. who, in a few
remarks, said that the spirit OF odd
fellowship is that each shall labor
for the good OF the other. The his
tory of Oddfellowship Ia 4 struggle.
because they perform the duty OF
beneftting humanity. The order has
expended the enormous sum OF $685.
100000 to aid the widow and the
orphan, and it is helpful in its broad
est sense. Then he told q story of
the old coon porter in q fourth-rate
southern hotel, who took the old
fashioned hand-bell out to ring for
dinner. AT each stroke Of the clap
per an old dog that lay ON the steps
would lift up his voice in howl
that nearly raised the roof. Finally
the darky could stand it no longer
Turning to the dog. he said, "Yo
shut up. Yo' don't have to eat dis
dinner"
Senator Clayton then spoke on
Our Struggle. or the Event We Gel
ebrate." Mr.. Clayton said that when
they put him ON for . speech they
told him that he should NOT saik pol
itics. AS that was the only thing he
could talk, he had persuaded Bro.
Durham to write speech for him.
The speech that Bro. Durham is al
legged to have written under duress
told OF the early struggles of the
lodge. from the time it had but four
teen members, and the Noble Grand
had to 90 out on the street to rustic
enough attendance to hold down the
chairs. upto the time when they were
almost swamped with debt. then
their steady growth and continued
prosperity until they were free from
debt, with a membership exceeded by
only one lodge in the state
George NJ. Houston followed with
Our Absentees." Like Daniel Web
ster. who. when defending . suit
over the possession Of some cart
wheels. brought them into court that
they might speak for themselves, Mr..
Houston, pointing to the ESQ MEM
bers before him, insisted that "Our
absentees are here: they speak for
themselves. He. said. in part. that
OF all our institutions, the home 10
greatest. He is not the greatest pat
riot who goes oftsnest to Washiog-
ton; he is not the best citizen Who
spends most Of his time with the
sheriff. but that he who spent sosue
of his time at home. and paid his
taxes. and kept up his lodge dues.
might sometimes be doing hin duty
in the best possible way. Men were
frequently worn out with the daily
grind. and home seemed the Mac.
that called loudest
Ex-Judge John C. Nixon wa. then
introduced as the lawyer-poet by the
toastmaster. with an alleged selec-
tfon from the judges lates, oRusion.
which. out Of regard to his innate
modesty. the Tribune supnre.ses.
Judge Nixon has been a member Of
No. IL since he was of age, and made
the most polished speech Of the
evening. in which he Commended tho
work of Oddfellowship and advised
young men OF good character to foiu.
and admonished all new mambers 4,
learn to be considerate TO brother
members and to others.
The work OF the lodge ia supp,o-
mental to that of the church which
appeals to the spiritual and aesthetic. |
while the lodge is the practical an
piication OF the divine conception.
Editor J. e. Shook spoke on "The
hebekahs," and their relation .s a
part Of oddfellowship, and
gave brief history of that branch
advocating membership therein an
tending to add to the Social life of
the order.
Judge G.. A. Bennett