The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-31

how many people there are In Fargo
who belong to lodges, but from ap-t
pearances it is evident that fully one
half OF the population are members
In good standing of some fraternity.
Some, while living in the city hold
their membership in other towns and
states and consequently no record
being made Of them here they cannot
be accurately enumerated. II is all
but impossible to find a single nan in
Fargo who is not lodge member.
II Is a known fact that the better
class OF people belong to the lodges
represented in Fargo and to a cer-
tain extent the morals OF the city can
be measured by this. Lodges are also
to certain extent a means of flnan-
cial measurement Fargo shows up
splendidly in both equations.
Three Glasses Of Lodges.
There are represented in this com
munity three different classes of
lodges-purely fraternal, purely In
surance and combination OF the two.
Probably the larger number OF the
lodges are of the latter class-at once
holding out the social and brother
hood side to it's members as well as
the advantage OF life or accident and
health insurance.
However there are others which
simply offer the fraternal advantages
and still others which seem to be or
ganized solely for the purpose of pro-
yiding its members with life insur-
ance. 1t can be truthfully said that
in their respective classes all are good
and are a credit to the city.
In Fargo the lodges play an impor-
tant part in the social life of the city.
During the long winter months con-
siderable pleasure is afforded their
members by enjoyable events. Little
of this kind is undertaken in the sum
mer. During the cold months hardly
week passes that does not witness
several enjoyable occasions partici-
pated in by some OF the fraternities.
Dances, card parties and banquets
make fraternal membership in Fargo
very attractive. During the winter
most of the lodges are actively en-
gagged in securing new members and
the initiation Of classes into the mys-
teries Of one of the orders usually calls
forth banquet or other pieasurable
event as fitting close to the work.
State wide meetings are also OF COM
mon occurrence in the city. Sometimes
these meetings are still more extensive
and bring into the city delegations
from every state in the northwest
This is especially true of the big an
nual meetings of the Masonic bodies,
the Workmen, Woodmen, Knights of
Pythias, Odd Fellows and knights Of
Columbus.
The spirit of fellowship is rife in
Fargo and there is little doubt but that
this is largely due to the teachings of
the lodges which without exception
are lessons on the brotherhood of man.
Charity to all mankind and especially
to brother lodgemen is well taught in
Fargo to the everlasting benefit of
the entire population Of the city.
Insurance an Attraction.
However it is probable that one Of
the main things which in this day and
age lead men to join organizations of
this kind is the insurance feature. It
is indeed an "old fogie" who now days
does not believe in protecting those
dependent upon him by taking out
some form of life insurance. One OF
the principal ways this necessity is
secured is through the fraternities. In
some OF the lodges this department is
paid particular attention to and 1t is