The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-07-19

Deled it the "Woodmen of the World"
A new star was seen in the fraternal
armament, the star that all wise men
see and follow, and it has proven to
be the great sun around which all
lesser lights revolve.
Achievements.
The order started with only nine
teen members and without a dollar.
1t is among the youngest of fraternal
orders, yet it today ranks third in nu-
mericai strength and first in financial
strength. In only twenty-four years
it has grown from nineteen members
to over a million Tin all jurisdictions).
Wonderful! Starting without dol
lar, in twentyfour years it has paid
out to beneficiaries of it's deceased
members the enormous sum of over
one hundred million dollars. Oh,
shades of Croesus! = has erected as
token of esteem and tender remem-
brance over the graves of its deceased
mmbers (no Woodman fills a pau
per's grave or sleeps beneath an I'M
marked or unkept sod) Over fifty
thousand monuments at a cost of one
hundred dollars each-tOtal over one
million dollars; it has paid out to the
old men among its members approx
mately five million dollars; it has
erected its own magnificent home in
the city Of Omaha, Neb., at a cost of
approximately two million dollars, and
this, too, without one extra penny
from its membership; it is now pay
about seven hundred thousand dollars
or $16.7O per minute, day and night
solid time. 1t has today in the Sow
ereign Jurisdiction an emergency sur
plus of twenty-five million dollars, a
total net asset in all jurisdictions of
about thirty-seven million dollars. The
surplus of the Sovereign Jurisdiction
$25 ,000,000) is invested with it's con-
slant accumulations at an average of
IL per cent compound interest an
nually. Its annual income from all
sources approximate sixteen million
dollars, or over one million three hun
dred thousand dollars per month. Its
surplus increases about four million
dollars annually. 1t invests it's SUI
plus in Notwithstanding securities
only, such as government bonds, state
school and municipal bonds, and
these must be known to be absolutely
gilt edge" The order takes no
chances with the sacred funds of its
membership. 1t has now in force al
most one billion dollars in insurance
in the Sovereign Jurisdiction only. OF
the more than one hundred million
dollars paid out at least sixty per cent
Of this has gone to the poor mans
home who did not have a dollar of his
own when death called him. Think
what this means to human society
pause and think!
The above figures do not include
special beneticiaries" paid to dis
tressed communities like the Calves
ton flood, San Francisco earthquake
and the other cursed districts of Ohio
and other states. These sums run up
into thousands of dollars.
1t is we'll to state that the achieve
.ments of Perfected Woodcraft is, not
altogether confined to the realm OF
finance, for as a great fraternal and
social order, apart from its beneficiary
feature, it's vast achievements can
not be estimated by any standard
known to man.
Many a man has been reclaimed
from the downward road Of vice, in
temperance and shame, given back to
his loved ones a decent fellow. Many
young man has been restraind from
indulging in the grosser evils by the
strong tie of his Woodman's oath
Many a good name and reputation has
been preserved and protected from
the vile lashes of the gossipers