Year: 1861

highest position in The gift of our institution ;
his place was never afterwards vacant in his
Lodge. At the session of the Grand Lodge OF
the United States, held six weeks ago at the city
of his home Baltimore, the old members missed
Father Wildey from the scat that be had occupied
for forty years, They went down TO ms dWeIiihg
they found him vigorous in INTELLECT, though
weak and inirm of body, and unable to walk
He EXPRESSED desire once more to occupy his
nlace in the Grand Lodge OF the United states.
They made him sedan chair and carried him
tenderly but trumphantly, for the last time, to
bis old seat. He gave last look, ne gave
final parting farewell, and in a few days more
was ushered into the land of spirits, where the
weary are at rest


The Independent Order Of Odd Fellows in
the United States will erect monument to his
memory as enduring as brass and marble can bf
made and every one of its four hundred thcd-
sand members will contribute his mite towards
its erection. But he has a monument IN The
hearts of the brethern more enduring thoi either
brass or morble for so long as the prhcples OF
Friendship, Love and Truth are recognized
among mankind, the name of Thomas w Wlldey
will rank high among the beteiactors oil his
race


Finally. Change once rore the scene and
glance at the great futare Fiity years from
the present moment bAs rolled on the cycle of
time we stand on an elevated spot where the
echoing surge of tle Pacific Ocean Is seen and
heard The hand of industry and art has brought
the mountains streams into our heretofore dry
and sterile plains and valleys everywhere is
heard the hum of busy industry; and stately
cities send their lofty spires and domes far
toward the clouds; a teeming population OF
l00,000,000 of the Anglo Saxon race populate
this western slope of the Sirra Nevadas In the
center, covering almost the entire peninsula
which separates our bay from the Pacific Ocean,
stands our city of San Francisco, with its million
of inhabitants-its harbor gay with the flags
and pennants of all the nations OF the earth :;
the Pacific Railroad binding it with links Of iron
to our New York of the East the Pacific sub
marine telegraph, and its ocean steam palaces
connecting it with the West


The noise of the machinery Of the mechanic,
the hum of busy commerce, the halls of science,
and its stately commercial palaces, all bear tes
timony that you stand in the great center of the
commercial world-the richest, proudest city Of
the earth. Near the center Of this great metrop-
oils you see an edifce towering above all the
rest, with its hospitals, schools, colleges halls Of
science, and vast libraries-the richest and most
costly structure Of this great city. 1t is the Odd
Fellows' Hall. The Grand Lodge OF the assem-
bled nations of the earth are there a hundred
thousand of the brethren are there. Ii is great
occasion-tbe centennial anniversary Of our Or
der-a future generation is doing homage to the
memory Of Thomas Wildey and amid salvos Of
artillery, and shouts Of admiration from that vast
throng, canopy rises slowly from the center of
that vast arena and dscloses the well known form
of our deceased founder, perpetuated in mar
ble"