The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-01-22

Il--s1fseed OF music
; readings and speeches, the keynote OF
which was pride in the achievement OF
: the order in the past and look for
ward into the future with confidence
!; and enthusiasm. The meeting was
presided over in happy manner by
w. l.. Crouch. The speeches of the
evening were made by Ed Waring and
4 Finley Monroe, warhorses in the ranks
of Emmett Odd Fellowship, and Mrs
/ Deloss Knox, prominent Rebekah
worker. Mr.. Waring made a splendid
talk. He gave a concise historical
sketch of the founding of Odd Fellow
ship, tracing it's development and good
works up to the present time.
The addresses of Mr.. Monroe and
Mrs. Knox dealt with the history of
the local history of the l. o. o. F. and
Rebekah lodges to large extent, and
for that reason are given in part be-
low:
Mr.. Monroe's Address.
This being the 29th anniversary of
the institution of EmmettsviUe lodge
No. IL, | have been requested by the
committee on arrangements of the
celebration of that event to prepare a
brief history of No. II from the time
of its organization to the present time
and to make short statement of the
trials and reverses, as well as the tri-
umphs, of the lodge.
Emmettsyille Lodge No. II was or
ganized on the 18th day of January.
1885, by Grand Master A. L. Simondi.
assisted by Judge George Little, grand
warden, Of Caldwell, and Grand Rep
resentative Monte B. Gwinn acting
as grand marshal.
The charter members were: Charles
Oakes, a past grand, William Welch.
K. U. Greer, Charles r. GiIlett, John
F. L. Basye, H. H. Fulton, past
grand, William M. Hammersley. Sam
uel R. Mitchell and Sidney F. King
man.
The first officers elected and in
stalled at the date of organization
We're: r. D. Greer, N. G.; j. F. T.
Basye, V. g.; Chas R. Giliett. secre-
tary; VIM. NJ. Hammersley, treasurer.
VI the charter members the only
ones surviving are Brothers Charles
Cakes. and j. F. I. Basye, still mem
bers of No. Il.
u those who joined in the years
1885 and 1886 there are but two that
nave held continuous membership. be-
ing Brother w. R. Adams and Finley
Monroe
The meetings of the lodge, and
where it was instituted, were held in
what is now the old G. A. R. hall on
Boise avenue, although the building
was then only about two-thirds of its
present length, being added to by the
G. A. r. after their purchase of it.
The room was rented of Brother JON
athan Moulton up to January, 1888,
when it was purchased for S275. This
continued to be the home of the lodge
until February, 1902, when the build
ing was sold to the g. A. r. for $500
and Martins hall on Washington ave
nue. was rented and the meetings held
there until December 19, 1903, when
the first meeting was held in this hall
and has been continued to be held to /
this time.
After organization, during the
years 1885 and 1888, although the
population of Emmettsville did not ex-
ceed probably so or rs people, the
membership was 20, but from that
time to the year 1895, period of
eight years, were the lean years of
No. IL The population of the town
and valley increased slowly, many of
our members moved away, taking
their withdrawal cards that they
might join the order elsewhere. Some |
died and others fell by the wayside, /
until our membership was reduced to (
only 12. Several fell sick and it re-
quired the remainder of the member
ship to watch with them; the lodge
treasury became depleted and we had
no money with which to pay benefits.
Those were the times that tried the
spirits of the members.
The membership being SO small and
widely scattered, frequently there was
no quorum to transact business, and
the question of giving up the charter
was agitated, but there were several
of the brothers who pledged them
selves and each other that come what
would the charter should not be sur
rendered and that No. II should live.
They had the bylaws changed so that
were to be held twice each
month instead of weekly. Times were
hard and the members poor, but in
order to pay benefits to brothers sick
and in distress they joined in exc
cutting their personal promissory note
in favor of one of the Caldwell banks
with interest at 18 per cent, and
pledged each other that they would
always be present at lodge meetings
in order to have quorum unless pre-
vented by sickness or some unavoid-
able circumstance.
Among the faithful few who could