The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-27
Memorial Address Delivered by III. ,.
= sMcGrade at the Joint Memorial
Services of the o. X. O.. and
y. l.. H., Of Montgomery.


-e--
The excellent address of II. J. Nc
Grade. delivered In honor OF the dead
OF the order Of the b. IL. Il. and the
O., K. c.. Is presented here in fall
Mr.. McGrade said:
haIi this beautiful Sabbath afternoon.
In accordance with an established and
time honored custom of the b. of l.. h.
to pay tribute to the memory of the
members of our sub divisions and also
to the memory of our grand officers.
who have departed this life. A menu
ORAL service Is one that is recognized
and approved by all religious denomin-
atoms in all religious communities.
Holy Scripture teaches US thai II Is
holy and wholesome thought TO remem-
Der the dead. Therefore. my friends,
we have assembled as 1t were to place
fresh flowers IN the wreaths of mem-
cries OF our departetd brothers, who.
having performed well the duties OF
this life. have answered to the last
cali, have taken that last long jour-
ney, have gone to their eternal reward.
A few brief remarks relative to the ear
~ history OF this order would be APP
propriate Just here. In the early days
AZ railroading In this country. or I
might say when raifroading was In
its infancy. the pioneer engineer early
saw and understood that IL the engi-
neer was to occupy the position he was
entitled to in the financial world. that
is. IL he would occupy position where
he could command his pro rata OK the
earnings that must accrue from the
manipulation OF the railway properties.
Of which his labor forms an essential
and important factor. 1t would sue
cessfuliy have to be accomplished by
organization. for as an individual no
could never accomplish this. be his
Ia - A1rA 81
So It Il, we are told. that twelve vet
eran engineers, the great majority OF
whom have long since passed into the
great unknown, assembled beneath the
spreading branches of the trees and at
ter discussing this country's future and
then known as the Brotherhood of the
Footboard, and formed laws for its
maintenance and future guidance. But
little was accomplished to benefit the
condition Of the engineers until after
the election Of Brother P. M Arthur,
as Grand Chief. He was that grand
iy thirty years at the helm, of
this organization and guided II through
all Of It's early struggles ana was In
syrumental In making It the great sue
cess It IL today. This little band OF
men had become dissatisfied. had begun
10 lose interest in the order.
why? Because they had not been as
successful as they had hoped to be in
forming contracts and schedules OF pay
with the railway arrangements. Bro
Their Arthur. understanding the condi-
tions as existed. adopted as the motto
OF this order the Golden Rule, and be-
gan to instill into the hearts and minds
Of his followers the necessity OF mixing
freely with their daily life the Golden
Rule. That is, to be ever ready to
concede to your fellow man and TO
brother. under all circumstances, exact
~ what you would expect him to con-
stances. And the fruit of his good
work was soon made manifest by sub
divisions springing up here and there
throughout these United States. Cam
ada and Mexico. until today we have
7s2 well organized divisions, and q
membership OF nearly $4,000 men. When
Brother Arthur was elected Grand
Chief, It was his hope that he might
live to see this organization placed up
on a substantial foundation. It was his
ambition that its members might be
men who would prove Themselves equal
TO every trust and call: y was his de-
aixa that we might enjoy the confidence
and respect oflDpr employers and the
good Will and esteem of our Fellow
workmen God blessed him with a ripe
old age that he might live to see the
fruits Of his HES 1abcrs. He saw this
a
tial, and I might say indestructible
foundation. with the beautiful words
of Sobriety, Truth, Justice and Moral.
ity for its tenetg and fundamental
principles. He saw the day when over
10000 men declared their allegiance to
the fair banner that bore these mot
toes. He saw the day Whenever 40.-
O00 men under sworn obligation vowed
they would ever live true to the teach
inEs and loyal and obedlent to the laws
that govern this organization, and last
but not least he saw ths day when the
members of the b. of l. E. by proving
themselves equal to every trust and
call. capable and efficient in the dis
charge Of their duties as engineers. CIV
ing an honest days work for compen-
sation received have obtained and do
enjoy the utmost confidence and respect
of our employers ana the admiration OF
the entire labor world. On the eve of
our never to be forgotten
union meeting in June 1908,
prior to the death Of Bro. Arthur.
was told that he. in company with Bro.
Deloss Everett, had arrived in Mont
gomery and were then in his room in
the Exchange Hotel.
FASTENED there, and after being
presented to our grand officers, l sat
there in company with engineers rep
center in our beautiful Capital City,
and gazed with admiration upon one
whom I had long desired to see, and
as listened intently to his words of
advice. that he so freely gave as a
father might to his sons. and when,
among other things, he said:
"Boys, have never done to any man
what / could not have had that man
do TO me ;"
When I heard those words emanating
from those lips that are now silent,
as I gazed into those eyes that are
now forever closed on the things OF
this world and saw and understood
with what sincerity and truth those
words were spoken, 1 thought it the
grandest thing ! had ever heard. 1t
was wonderful that a man might be
allowed to live to the ripe old age of
our departed and beloved Grand chief
and then be able to stand among his
fellow men, without hesitation of fear
of contradiction, say he had ever and
always been upright. honest and truth
fisl in his dealing with men. Bro Ar
thurs life was that OF a Christian gen.
tleman, law-abiding and progressive
citizen, and IT will be pointed to as an
example by fathers to their sons for