Year: 1869

United States dates from the orcaniza-


ton of the Washington Lodge No /, on
the Goth day of April, 1910, in the city
of Baltimore. 1t Is not our purpose to
state by whom that lodge was organized,
bat simply to give a fair aud unbiased
statement of tie principles of the order,
and the general object aud aim of the
association. Whatever might have been
the object Of ancient Odd Fellowship, as
it exists in despotic Europe, is nothing
to us. The question is simply the his
tory of Odd Fellowship from the time of
its organization in the United States
down to the present time.


The design Of the order was for the
purpose of associating together individ-
uals Of various creeds and IDEAS, whose
business it should be, not only to al!evi-
ate each Others troubles IN case of ne
cessity, but to cement themselves in the
unity of Friendship, Love and Truth,
This vas not from mere pecuniary ad-
vantage, as many unfortunately under
stood it to be, but its doctrines teach US
that in sll circumstances of life In which
brother may be placed, he is to receive
tie aid, the council or the protection of
his fellow member, not as .fauor, but as
a riyht-a right that ought to be held
sacred By all, and dates from the time Of
his membership with the Brotherhood


Men arc not always what they seem.
We should, therefore, judge men by
their conduct, not by their appearance or
profession. He who ssesses humane
benevolent heart, who closes not his
hand against his brother in his dark days
of adyersity, is true man, be his situa-
ton in lie ever SO humble That man
is to be pitied who can trust to self, and
refuse his kindly Offices to his brothers,
for without that brother what would lie
be


There are several classes of persons
that become members of this most praise
worthy and popular association. First
We have such men as Thomas Wildey,
the great founder of American Odd Eel
lowship, whose great heart was filed with
Friendship and true brotherly love for
all mank ind, and whose constant aim and
intense desire was to do good, not only
to the members of his association, but to
all men. He recognized himself as a
constituent Of one universal brotherhood,
having come from the hand of a COM
mon Parent; and he seemed to accept
the trust delegated to him by that Par
cnt, for he was ever seeking to relieve
the distressed and unfortunate, and to
elevate aud ennoble his fellow man and
educate him to a higher degree Of man
hood


There is another class of men who, /
am sorry to say, are by far the most nu-
merous, who look upon the institution as
the proper vehicle for their advancement
in the social as we'll as business relations
with the world. They count the costs
with scrupulous accuracy, in dollars and
cents, and the various advantages to be
gained personally by being associated
with the benevolent and charitable men
Of the world. Business he thinks, will
be better by reason of his fraternal ties.
Or peradventure disease my PROSTATE
him in that case he will receive the
kind care and attention Of his brother,
besides a weekly benef. of a few dollars.
In case of death, the widow will be
cared for and the orphans educated.
Aud thus it is that thousands become
members IF the institution, not that
they may benefit their fellow-mcn, but
that they may be benefited, and that
their egregious selfishness may slip
through the world under the garb of Be-
nevolence and Charity. Many times in
the course of life true and false Odd
Fellowship is severely tried by demands
upon them for the relief of unfortunate
or distressed brcthercn The true Odd
Fellows purse strings are ever loose to
the calls of a needy brother, and he
gives readily to the full extent of his
means, and wishes sincerely that he were
able to do more for him while the false
Odd Fellow, with many protestations,
pleads his own poverty and gives with
reluctance the scantiest pittance his well
filed purse may contain. "Am I my
brothers keeper p he says. If circum-
stances have reduced him to poverty it
is his own fault; why should I be re-