The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-19
MANY ODD FELLOWS POUR INTO ATLANTA City Arrayed in Gala Attire for
 Reception RAISE RAILROAD RATES No Independent Candidate Has Ap- peared and Hoke Smith will Prob ably Have No Opposition In
 Gubernatorial Race
RAISE RAILROAD RATES

Atlanta, September 1S.--tSpecial.)- Delegates and visitors for the gather ing of the sovereign grand lodge, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, be- gan pouring into the city today, and from the scenes on the streets it looked as if the sessions had' already begun.
 Many of the visitors came in from day to day all during the week, some of them officials, and particularly the committee on appeals which has been in session at the Piedmont for several days getting the matters before it in shape for presentation to the grand lodge.
 The first event on the programme for the gathering took place yesterday when a large party composed of rep resentatives to the grand lodge, officers and others were taken in special cars on the Atlanta and Northern Electric railway to Marietta near which place they were shown a cotton field and given a picnic luncheon Many of them had never before seen growing cotton. and 1t is sight which always in- terests the visitor who comes for the first time from the north and the north- west.
 Atlanta Is in gala attire. for the re- ception of the Odd Fellows. Chair man J A. Hynds of the executive com mittee on entertainment stated today he felt his prediction with regard to the attendance would be more than borne out, and that the number of visitors will go considerably over S0.000. Many pub lie buildings and stores are covered with flags and bunting; signs of wei come, covered with a profusion of elee- tric lights, are stretched across the streets and upon the Whitehall street viaduct in the immediate center of the city; everywhere there seems already the spirit of gayety which usually char acterizes such vast gatherings.
 The regular sessions of the grand lodge will begin tomorrow morning at g o'clock in the hall of the house or representatives at the state capitol. The exercises will open with addresses of welcome by Gov. Joseph M. Brown, Mayor Robert F. Maddox and Judge k. T. Daniel of Griffin. Grand Sire w. l.. Kuykendall of Wyoming will make the response on behalf of the grand lodge.
 Other meetings of various branches of the order will be held during the day. Among others the Reb ekahs the fem mine branch of the Odd Fellows, will assemble also, for their annual gath ering concurrently with the grand lodge and several thousand members of this auxiliary organization will be there. Mrs L. Helen Lohr of Augusta Is the head of the Georgia branch of the Re-
 bekahs. and will be here with good | delegation to help look after the Vis- itors Mrs M c. Strickland of At | lanta Is chairman of the special com | mittee which will look after the recep- | ton and entertainment or the Re- | bekahs They have prepared an elabor- ate programme for the week, beginning
 Tuesday and extending through Friday. The election of grand officers will come along the latter part of the
 week. and it is stated that the present deputy grand sire, John B. 'Cockrum | of Ellwood, Ind, will be elevated to the office of grand sire, the foremost posi- tion in the order. It Is usual with the Odd Fellows to elevate the deputy crand sire to the higher office, and 1t is stated the rule will not be deviated from at this session.
 Then comes the question of new deputy grand sire who, of course, Will stand in line for similar promotion in 1o11. The Georgia Odd Fellows have decided to urge for this office Judge Robert T. Daniel of Griffin, one of the leading Odd Fellows in the state and one who was most instrumental In bringing the grand lodge this year to Atlanta It is reported, however, that there will be some opposition for this office, though 1t has not as yet fully developed The Georgia Odd Feilows will have strong support back of Judge Daniel, and they express the pellel that he will be elected.
 John R Goodwin, a former Atlantan, and at one time mayor of this city, ia considered a fixture as grand sec retary of the order. He was elected to the position several years ago, and moved to Baltimore, where his head qua rters are located. He has since held the positon with eminent satisfaction, and will doubtless retain it for several wears to come. It is expected also that most of the other officers of the grand lodge will be reelected.
 Great interest is maintained in the degree work and in the Canton drills which will take place during the week, the former in the lodge rooms and at tended only by members of the organi- zation and the latter in the auditorium armory and open to the public. The prizes will be delivered at the audi | torium Wednesday night following the | completion of the contests in which warm competition will be manifested Wednesday evenings exercises will close with a grand ball for the visit ing Odd Fellows. Other entertainment 1 features will, however, precedc this, | Including a reception at the Piedmont
 Driving club tomorrow afternoon ard
 A barbecue Tuesday. Entertainment | features have been planned for every day in the week, and there will be
 plcnty to keep all the visitors busy
 whether they are grand representatives
 to the grand lodge or merely visitors
 who come to do homage at the shrine of
 odd Fellowship.
 The local lodges have been hard al
 work for the last two months getting things in shape for this gathering. They
 have determined to surpass themselves
 and everything else in their prepara-
 lions for the meeting. There Is an
 executive committee on reception and
 entertainment composed of 50 of the most prominent Odd Fellows in the | state Many of those living at other
 points have spent much of their time here in order to assist in the prepara-