Weekly journal-miner., 1918-07-17

you. .AnQ our welcome IS 10 you ln- dividually as brothers, and collective ly as the highest authority of our noble order in the State. It would i'll become me to boast, but to those of you who are here for the first time, and who do not know Arizona Lodge,
 l may say that the hospitality of
 Prescott and of Arizona Lodge is almost proverbial. Of Arizona Lodge it should be written that what she starts to do, she does We hope you will enjoy yourselves while with us, that your stay among us may be pleasant memories of your official visit and kind personal recollections of the sisters and brothers who are SO pleased to have you here.
 Your coming here at this time, in addition to being your annual gather ing to review the work of the Or der in our state and to legislatc for the future is intended to mark and honor the introduction of Odd Eel
 lowship into Arizona and so it will not be inappropriate if 1 dwell brief ly upon that event.
 Fifty years ago today, six broth CTS of the Order met in Prescott and instituted this lodge. While the minu- tes of the Lodge from that day to this are intact and carefully preserv- ed, they arc not always very full or complete. Brother Darling who was the first Secretary, did not realize how much we. would today appre- ciate the many small details, which he failed to set down. There is noth- ing to tell us where these six broth CTS came from, nothing to show where they held their preliminary meetings, nothing tells whence came their authority. Nothing tells who
 made Brother F. ]. Cook District Deputy Grand Sire, nor in what hall they organized the lodge. Did they have dispensation, or did they have a charter, who of you can tell, and who would not like to know? A few of us have some faint recollection of these details, but as to knowledge or proof we have as little as we have of where the six have gone to. Be- cause they have all passed on through the Valley of the Shadow to the un- known land When l was asked to welcome you studied what subject | should address you on Or Odd Eel lowship, you know more than do, so I discarded it. Of things that to- day fill speakers mouths if not their minds, the War, the Red Cross, the Y. NJ. C. A.. the Army, the Navy, the indescribablc Hun, I thought you had had surfcit and I finally con cluded that 1 would speak only of Arizona Lodge and of Odd Fellow ship in Arizona. But when looked at the task, was appalled, at its mag nitude. From the day when in 1868,
 the Lodge buried Brother Josiah Whitcomb. slain by the comparative ly mcrciful Apaches, there is a rec ord of interesting events which prop erly detailed would keep you here willing listncrs until the break oi day. To sum up the charity disburs- ed by Arizona Lodge. alone, would require an adding machine. Only a pen such as wrote 'Abou Ben Adhcm could tell she has relieved the dis tresscd. comfortcd the sorrowing, brought peace to the troubled mind and in a thousand ways exempliiied the teachings of the Order. Some day brother possessed of time. pat fence and ability will be found. who in letters of gold, will write the his tory of Arizona Lodge. After for many years trailing with other lod- gcs and societies, the Lodge began to think of having home Of its own and in 1886 the present site was bought for the sum of $450. There was a story and half frame build ing on the lot, and the upper half or attic was fitted up and used as a Lodge hall and instead of paying rent, the lodge began to collect rent from others. In 1902 induced by its Board of Trustees, who were Broth CTS George s. Henry, C. F. Avery and Past Grand Master Henry ]. 1 Sudcr the Lodge decided to build, and borrowed from the Commercial Trust Co, $20,00000 and erected the build | ing in which WIG now arc meeting. i From time to time as our city grew and as our membership increased en- couragcd and aided by the Daughters of Rcbckah, and by the practice ol ! thrift and economy slowly but surely | the debt was lcsscncd until in April | of the present year it was entirely | paid and the mortgage cancelled.
 Tonight we come and we ask you to join Us not to mourn with those who mourn, but we bid you to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to help us celebrate our freedom from debt.
 Representing the Commercial Trust Co. it gives me much pleasure toil hand this cancelled mortgage to Brother Moore, our Secretary, who assisted by Miss Henry and Master