The Mankato free press., 1920-11-26

| OF Odd Fellowship in Mankato was
one of the special features of very
enjoyable social session of the Odd
Fellow and Rebekah Lodges held last
evening in the Odd Fellows Hall.
By special request Mr.. Benjamin D.
Pay, the only living charter member
of the Mankato Lodge No. Is. /. o.
/ o. F., had prepared paper giving
great deal Of interesting and little
| founding and early years of the lodge.
Mr.. Pay Joined the Odd Fellows Lodge
at Watertown, Wisconsin, IN Octo.
Odd Fellow in the State, IL not In the
| United States with sixty eight years
membership to his credit. His paper.
which Is given in another column,
was read by his son, Mr.. w. H. Pay.
| Following the reading Of Mr.. Pays
paper, Mr.. E. w. Healey, who pre-
sided. called upon a number OF the
Odd Fellows and Rebekahs for re-
marks Professor c. E. Ball express
ed the appreciation of the lodges for
the the work which Mr.. Pay had done
cock spoke of the remarkable
changes in living conditions and OF
the historical events which Mr.. Pay
has Witnessed and then expressed his
belief that the vitality of Odd Eel
/ lowship Is due to the fact that II
stresses the big things Of life,-friend-
ship love and truth. Mrs. w. e. Ed
wards read a humorous sketch en-
titled THE Initiation of Jerusha
| Jane Jinks." ..
Mrs. Mary Plymat related some
! "reminiscences OF early days in Man
/ kato, telling of lectures given In this
city in 1865 by Miss Susan B. An
thony the pioneer woman suffragist.
Unable to secure hall, she spoke
! from a wagon in the street.
! Mrs. A. M. Smith was introduced
as the oldest Rebekah in Minnesota,
and she and Mr.. Pay were escorted
to the platform.
Mr.. Albert Schippel referred to his
difficulties in riding the goat" Mr..
c. l.. Kennedy laid claim to being
the Oldest young Odd Fellow in the
lodge. Mr.. A. G.. Persons and Mr.. F.
E Morse spoke briefly.
= Follwing the meeting old and
young enjoyed a fried chicken sup
per. and an old fashioned square
dance closed the evenings entertain
ment
The paper read by B. D. Pay fol-
lows:
I'm 1886 the year following the close
|
more OF social affairs and brotherly
| love. the same as today. after the close
Of the World war. The Masons had an
organization ntisr. and nS. among n;,ng them were :
some other Ancient Odd Fellows got to-
| gether and Joined ST. Peter Lodge No
II. preparatory to organizing lodge in
Mankato.
ION November II. 1886. Grand Master
David Ramaley assisted by Grand Rep
resentatiye w. g. Dye. and members Of
the st. Peter lodge with Past Grand s.
Mankato Lodge No is. The work was
done in the Good Templars Lodge,
small hall and ante-room on the sec-
known as Higgins Hall. now the Gen.
I trel block.
"At about 10 p. m. we adjourned to the
| Clifton house to partake Of a banquet
proprietor. We had roast turkey and
all the good things that go with It. The
spread cost the lodge rs cents per plate.
sh;sssr n pSrae shsaan e the aaEs aar
ney. John william Hoerr. George Peter
Hoerr. Daniel Tyuer, Benjemtn d. Pay.
These had withdrawal cards from st:
Peter. Lodge No IL. Henry shaubut and
Joseph Titus were tTcen jr as Ancient
Odd Fellows. John G. Simpson and
| Fred Dittmen we initiated.
| officers Installed were: E. Y. d. Porter.
| noble grand: Sheldon F. Barnev. vice
erand: 3. d. Pay. treasurer: John G.
Simpson. scretsry; John w Hoerr.
Fred Dittman. outside guard
"CTark Keysor. joke Guenther, Adam
I Jefferson Barnard Kohler. were among
! 1--WE held our first n,,bIic rneetins on
I the anniversary. April 2e 1857 on tho
| Bird floor of the leach building. which
was then an unfinished roor- afterwards
Was tn,ehed and t-owr as Hiceins He'll.
| Our ladies nrovided the supper and
Brother Clark Fevsor gave the address
The lodge and their far1!lies and invited
membership steadily increasing.
January ] 1886. we moved TO the
third floor Of the new hank budding Of
Lewis shauhut. sot South Front
had lodge room with I'ttle ps rapher-
malta and ante room which we thought
| at that time. was some lodge room. We
sublet to other lodges and in that lodge
ksto were instituted.
"a little bit of personal account OF
| these early brothers may not be out of
place.
"E. B. d. Porter was an accountant
, He with j. r. Beatty opened business
college in Mankato, which was too prev
| tor and a man who was greatly respect
| ed by the community and ended his
| days In Washington, D. c., as an EN-
ploye OF the United States.
at-law, OF the firm OF Willard & Barney,
| who became very prominent in local af-
| fairs. He held several positions of trust
| and was a. staunch leader in the local
democratic party. . ".
| "John William Hoerr. the proprietor of
| the American house. He operated Il for
a number Of years: wss very active
citizen and accumulated considerable
| amount OF property. He was the father
| Of W. c.. Hoerr.
George Peter Hoerr was stockman
and a speculator. He acquired a num-
1 ber Of farms. He was associated In the
F, stock business with Collin Macbeth.
! George Peter and J. W. Hoerr were
/ brothers and many members OF their
families are now living IN Mankato
daniel II. Tyner was the sheriff of
Blue Earth county at the time of the
| execution OF the Sioux Indians. He was
| a lively man whom I was associated
| with and later succeeded. I. was deputy
sheriff under Mr.. Tynei.
Joseph Titus was a carpenter, 1eav-
/ ing Mankato in the the early days
| "John q. Simpson. our first initiate and
| secretary was initiated and installed at
| the first meeting. He was the Stage and
Northwestern express agent and on the
arrival OF the Valley railway became
the American express agent. He remain
ed in their employ residing here in
Mantato. and was a member Of No. Is
at the time of his death.
| Tired Dittman WAS quiet man and
/ a farmer. His wife conducted a millin-
cry store here in Mankato for a num-
ber Of years. He was the father OF