The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-27
By Former State Senator Sam
ueI B. Montgomery in Ad-
dress at KingWoOd.

EINGWoOD. April Members
OF the independent Order OF odd Eel
lows. Of Preston county, under the
auspices of Kingwood Lodge NO. w
assembled last evening in the Metho-
dist Episcopal church to observe the
ninety-fffth anniversary of the found
ing of the order in America. Senator
Samuel B. MONTGOMERY delivered the
address, which was in part as follows:
Every member in Odd Fellowship
should know the history of the sec
ond oldest fraternaI institution IN me
world, in order that he may be able
to inform the public of the character,
objects and importance of an instr
tuition but little known to them, and
could be no more appropriate time TO
review the history of this institution
than on this occasion.
Sovereign Grand Lodge.
The legal title Of the present oody
is the Sovereign Grand Lodge Oh the
independent order of Odd Fellows,
and as such we are incorporated un-
der the laws of the state of Maryland.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge is the
source of all true and legitimate ODD
Fellowship in the United states OF
America, and possesses such powers
and jurisdiction over the .Wnole
brotherhood as are provided In the
constitution and ritual of the order.
The grand lodges OF Germany, Aus.
tralia. DENIM ark, sweden, Switzerland
and South America, while indepen-
dent. yet are governed by the SOW
erign Grand Lodge which retains. the
power to guide, control ana Keep All
laws. usages and customs OF. the or
der uniform throughout the globe
EARLY History OF the OrdeI'-1ireat
Britain.
The order has been in existence
but a few years, not exceeding Two
hundred at most Its birth was in
Great Britain early in the eighteenth
cen fury. Laboring men from the
mills, factories, mines and quarrrless
banded together for social intercourse
n, helm one another secure employ
ment and to extend the hand of chart
ty when in need. 80.
Owing to political conditions then,
aecret societies were not viewed
with favor by the government ana
this caused the closing or many lodg-
es. while all the members We're COM
pelledi to conceal their lodge addi4a-
tons.
However In 1913 a remnant of the
faithful Icnned- what is known as
the Manchester Unity, which is the
naTent body of the American order.
American Order.
ON the 27th day of March 1879, the
following advertisement appeared IN
the Baltimore American -
NOTICE TO ODD FELLOWS
"A few members Of the Society OF
odd Fellows will be glad to meet
their brethren for the purpose OF
forming q lodge, on Friday evening,
April End, at the Seven stars, Seconu
street, at the hour of seven z. M
serted was Thomas Wildey, and on
the 26th of April, 1919, five broth
ers seIf-instituted washington Lodge.
and the frailt bark of Am ericans Odd'
FeIlowsla was thus Launched.
The frst charter was issued from
the Duke OF sYork's Lodge. England
a few months later, which cnarter
the first grand lodge and the Sover-
eiRu grand lodge.
90 Membership Today.
The report for the fiscal year, OF
1871 3 sH6v ed a grand total of 1,645,-
$50, not including 231,S6 So members
Of encampments, and 71l,S1S mem
bers OF Rebekah. In our own state
the last annual report shows MEM
bers4lip OF IS.
The total revenue of the Sovereign
grand lodge for the year just closed
was SIS. 1887 8.3S-
The total'expen dttures for the same
period were IS, 917, 32S.15, thus leay-
ing surplus of thirteen million dol
lars. go,
The brothers sueeored numbered
14S, sol, and the families of deceased
brothers, mum bering 7,063s shared IN
the distribution OF S3,901sO0O.
The total invested funds of the or
der have reached the enormous sum
OF sixty-three and one-half millions
u ~ g'a[ .fos3ns sana46r Nontgomsfi-y,