Until July 1st, 1899. Terms, $81.00 a Year, in Advance. Bellefonte, Pa., April 28,1899. P. GRAY MEEK, - - - EbpiToR. The Watchman Still to Be Had for $1.00 a Year. Out of respect for the earnest solicita- tion of a number of the leading Demo- crats of Centre county and with the hope of making the WATCHMAN the family paper of every household in this section it has been determined to continue the present low rate of $1 a year until July 1st, 1899. The reduction in price made last De- cember has resulted in an unprecedented increase of subscribers, but we know there are still more who will be anxious to take advantage of this low rate propo- sition. : There is one thing, however, that we desire to impress upon the minds of our old subscribers. This rate of $1 per year is POSITIVELY only for those who pay in advance. All have an equal opportunity to take advantage of it and if you do not do it you need not expect to settle at any other than the rate of $2 per year. The WATCHMAN has never deviated from its rule of fair and impartial treat- ment to all, consequently the paper will be given to no one for a dollar who does not settle up all arrearages and pay one year in advance. Don’t expect to have a reduction from the old price of $2 made for you unless you are an advance sub- scriber, for you will be disappointed if you do. oer— The Meeting of the County Committee. If an enthusiastic well attended meeting of political leaders from all over the county can be taken as a fair index of the interest that will be shown in the coming campaign in Centre county then the contest this fall will certainly be a vigorous one and a vigorous contest means a glorious victory for Democracy, for the meeting of the coun- ty committee held in Democratic head- quarters, last Monday night, was both en- thusiastic and well attended. In response to chairman JOHNSTON’S call forty-two of the fifty-six precincts in the county were represented and the delegates manifested an interest and enthusiasm that betokens energy on their part. The special business of the meeting was to re-apportion the delegate representation of the precincts in the next county conven- tion. It was done on the basis of the vote cast for GEO. A. JENKS, for Governor, at the last general election and has already been published in the WATCHMAN. The vote for JENKS, last fall, having been only 4,241, there can be but 85 delegates in the convention to be held in June, a decrease of 4 in the number entitled to seats in the last convention. Some of the precincts gain while others lose votes. The North ward of Bellefonte, State College borough and Howard township each gain one vote and Harris township gains one-half a vote. There will be a loss of one vote in each of the following precincts: north Benner, west Boggs, west Gregg, west Haines, Liberty, south Potter and east Snow Shoe, while the south ward of Bellefonte loses one-half a vote. With the new apportionment settled mis- cellaneous business was taken up and the following resolutions, presented by D. F. FoRTNEY were adopted: Resolved, by the Democratic committee of Cen- tre county in regular session met that we endorse the course of the Hon. William C. Heinle, and the Hon. J. H. Wetzel and Hon. Robert M. Foster, Senator from the 34th Senatorial District of Penn- sylvania, and Representatives from Centre coun- ty, respectively, in the late General Assembly of Pennsylvania, and congratulate each of them on their faithful and efficient service and their re- turn home with clean records from an Assembly dominated by the ‘“Boss” and covered with the stain and slime of corruption. Resolved, that the Democratic committee of Centre county in regular session met, present to the Democratic party of the State the Hon. Calvin M. Bower as the candidate of the Democracy of Centre couny for judge of the Supreme court. A long and faithful service at the bar, engaged in a varied and extensive practice in very branch of the law has more than qualified him to grace, with dignity and honor, a seat in the highest court of the State. His devotion to pure political principles, his fealty to the Democratic party, his onesty and honor, his capacity and courage, his ability, integrity and faithful labors have merited and won for him the confidence and united sup- Dots of the Democracy of the countyand entitles im to the consideration and support of the entire party of the State. After the adoption of the resolutions a number of speeches were made. Col. JACK- SON L. SPANGLER started with one of his characteristically encouraging talks on the situation in the State. He was followed by Senator HEINLE, who spoke of the Democratic course at Harrisburg and gave the people some insight into the crooked work that Democrats were at least able to prevent there during the last session of the Legislature. Hon. J. H. WETZEL was next introduced and continued the line taken up by the previous speaker, showing how the State had gained by the bold stand taken by the Legislature to prevent the vic- ious legislation that would certainly have been imposed upon the people had they ac- cepted any of the propositions by the stal- warts or the insurgent Republicans to combine with them. Col. FORTNEY, CHARLES R. KURTZ, Capt. HUGH 8. TAY- LOR and GEO. R. MEEK were the other speakers before chairman JOHNSTON took the floor to urge constant work on the part of his committeemen. He gave them an idea of the campaign that he hopes to con- duct and earnestly asked their co-operation to make it a faithful one. The committeemen or substitutes who were present were: J. L. Spangler, D. F. Fortney, W. H. Walker, J. G. Dauberman, H. A. Moore, Cyrus Brungart, Ira B. Howe, Reuben Glenn, a Mechtley, Henry Heaton, Lewis Aikey, William Hipple, J. A. Williams, Chas. Ream, Ww. H. Fry, Samuel Harpster Jr., Geo. F. Weaver, Green Decker, Geo. Keister, J. H. Griffen, 0. W. Sto- ver, Henry Hale, J. W. Orr, W. J. Carlin, C. J. Crouse, Ellis Shafer, Thos. M. Huey, J. F. Garth- off, G. L. Goodhart, Geo. H. Emerick, Guion Free- man, John J. Wayne, J. T. Lucas, J. 'W. Hepburn, Adam Hasel, Bruce Garbrick, jo A Peck, D. M. Whitman, W. M. Cronister. A GREAT DAY FOR ODD FELLOWS. THE EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDER IN AMERICA CELEBRA- TED IN SPLENDID STYLE IN BELLEFONTE. Even a Hail Storm Couldn’t Spoil It. Bellefonte Thronged with Thousands of Strangers to Witness the Parade of the Central Pennsylvania Odd Fellows—Encampments, Lodges and Cantons from Many Counties Here to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Order in America—Bellefonte Never Looked Gayer—A Good Natured, Well Ordered Crowd and a Grand Parade. Not since the days of her centennial cel- ebration in June, 1895, has Bellefonte looked more gorgeous under the touch of professional decorators or been visited by more people than she was on Wednesday. The Odd Fellows of Central Pennsylvania district, embracing nineteen counties, were here to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of their order in Ameri- ca and they did it by such an out pouring of people and a parade of such splendor as could not but impress on the minds of everyone the strength of the society and the reputable character of its member- ship. : Bellefonte had been preparing for weeks for the event and when the anniversary day dawned nearly every business block in the town and all of the public buildings were replendent in holiday draperies. The Bush house, the WATCHMAN office, the Arcade, Odd Fellows hall, the Exchange, First national bank, the Jackson, Hastings & Co. bank, the Garman house, the court house, the Brockerhoff house, Temple court, the Lyon block and Naginey’s build- ing had all been dressed by professional decorators, while nearly all of the other principal places in the town were effective- ly draped with buntingand appropriate in- signia. Two imposing arches, emblematical of 0dd Fellowship and in imitation of white marble spanned High street. One at the intersection of Water and the other just at the entrance to the Diamond from east High. By many the decorations were be- lieved to have been far more elaborate than they were for the centennial celebration. THE CROWDED TRAINS ARRIVING. The crowds began to arrive early from the surrounding country, but it was not until the morning trains came in that the | guests of honor and the bands were in evi- dence. The first to arrive was over the Bellefonte Central, bringing seven coaches crowded with the Odd Fellows from State College and Pine Grove and the State Col- lege band. Nexs came the morning train over the L. and T., with Lemont, Boals- burg, Centre Hall, Millheim and Rebers- burg lodges; five coaches full. Following it the train east on the B. E. V. brought six coaches of representatives from Storms- town, Tyrone, Bellwood and Altoona and the Bellwood band. Then the train west arrived soon after with the Blanchard, Lick Run, Howard, Milesburg and Renovo lodges. The crowds already arrived had scarcely been escorted to quarters ere the first section over the Central R. R. of Pa. came in. It was two hours late, owing to a freight wreck that had delayed it at Jer- sey Shore. It was a special through from Williamsport of eight coaches carrying the grand lodge officers and cantons and lodges from that city, Jersey Shore and Lock Haven. Ten minutes later the regular train pulled into the station at the foot of Lamb street packed with Nittany valley’s turnout. A STORM DELAYED PARADE. The parade had been scheduled for 2 o’clock and had almost been marshalled into order for movement when a terrific thunder storm sent the assemblying march- ers skurrying for shelter. It seemed as though all the hose in the firmament had bursted for a few moments and hail-stones pelted down violently to add to the dis- comfort of those who couldn’t find cover. It was scarcely an instant after the storm broke that High street, previously a sea of people, became a regular torrent of running water. The Odd Fellows took it good nat- uredly and some of them became more odd than ever by the ducking they got. The Repasz band that had been escorting the Williamsport Patriarchs Militant, took shelter under the awnings at the Bush house and gave their feelings vent in such selections as ‘“‘How Dry I Am’’ and ‘‘Wait Till the Clouds Roll by Jennie.” The third division, that was resting on north Water street, climbed into the cars on the Central sidings and were as dry as punk, while the first and second divisions took to the porches on north and south Thomas streets. The storm lasted about half an hour, then it cleared up and looked as though a bright afternoon was to follow, but grand marshal Taylor had scarcely called the men into line again, ere another shower floated along; this time catching the gayly uniformed 4th regimentand wetting it con- siderably before Col. Long decided to send his men to cover again. Co. M, 21st Reg. N. G. P., the military escort of the parade, stuck to its position ’til the last, but as the drops began to get larger and the clouds blacker Capt. Mullen double quicked his men into the Pennsyl- vania passenger station. The streets were again deserted and remained so for twenty minutes more, then a streak of sunshine gleamed forth and before any more clouds haa a chance to obscure it the parade was off. The line moved east on High street in the following order: 1st Division. Capt. Hugh S. Maylor, Chief Marshal. Mounted Aids J. Sweisfort, Danville; H. K. Hoy, Altoona; John L. Miller, Sunbury; F. E. Naginey J. W. Conley, S. D. Gettig, R. A. Beck bugler. Undine Band, Bellefonte. Co. M, 21st Reg. N. G. P. Col. H. E. Long and staff of the 4th Reg. Patriarchs Militant. Repasz band, Williamsport. Fourth Regiment, Patriarchs Militant. Canton Ridgley, Williamsport; Canton, Altoona; Canton Renovo; Canton Jersey Shore. Grand Lodge Officers in carriage. 2ND Division. Marshal, W. M. Cronister; Aids, H. A. Moore, Howard; S. 8S. McCormick, Hublersburg. Coleville Band. Altoona Encampment. Renovo Encampment. Bellwood Band. Bellwood Lodge, No. 819. 3rp Division. John G. Dubbs, Marshal. State College Band. State College Lodge, Pine Grove Mills Lodge. State College Encampment, No. 74. Centre Hall Lodge. Lemont Lodge. Zion Band. Nittany Valley Lodge. Milesburg K. G. E. Band. Milesburg Lodge. Blanchard Lodge. Lick Run Lodge, No. 311, Half Moon Lodge, No. 345. Renovo Band. Renovo Lodge. Exeter Encampment, of Renovo. Rebersburg Lodge The parade moved east on High to Spring, to Curtin, to Armor, to Linn, to Allegheny, to Bishop, to Ridge and count- ermarch to Spring, to High to the Diamond, making a route 24 miles long. After the line had been formed it moved in good order, the streets had dried fairly well and the spectacle was really imposing. The bright regalia of the grand lodge officers and the plumed chap- eaus of the Patriarchs Militant, their guilt lace ornaments and glittering brought forth rounds of applause as they executed all sorts of difficult evolutions Then the less preten- tious paraphernalia of the lodges lent a va- riety to the appearance of the paraders that added to its interest. thousand men while on the march. There were about a but there were nearly as many more on the streets who had either not intended to join or lost their places during the storm. On the whole it was certainly a credita- ble turn out, the like of which has not been equalled by any secret society demon- Bellefonte since the masonic conclave here years ago. The parade was dismissed in the Diamond and an open session was held there imme- From the speaker’s stand the visitors were welcomed to Bellefonte, then addresses on Odd Fellowship and sug- gestions for the good of the order were made by Wm. H. Keiss, president of Pa. Odd Fellows anniversary Asso; Samuel diately after. From an historical point of view No. 153 is one of the most interesting of the many secret fraternal organizatious in Bellefonte. It was instituted Feb. 23rd, 1846, in the old building at ‘the corner of High and Penn streets, once known as the Masonic temple. The early days of the order here ' were fraught with varied successes and , vicissitudes. In 1856 the lodge had become so weakened that the charter was surren- ‘ dered, rather than to keep it alive by initiat- ing undesirable brothers. The spark of fidelity, love and truth did not flicker out, however, and the zealous efforts of those who remained true to their principles were rewarded by a reorganization, which was effected in the hall at the east end of the old Arcade on the night of August 17th, 1867. The lodge seemed alive with new life and grew amazingly until more sump- tuous quarters were needed and the rooms were moved to the MeClain block, in 1870. There they remained until January, 1888, * when they were removed into the present handsome quarters in I. O. O. F. building, on the Diamond. The charter members and a few who joined soon after were: Instituted Feb. 23rd, 1846, by Henry Baker, N. G.; Charles H. Bressler, V. G.; P. Benner Wilson, Sec.; Wm. A. Baker, : Ass’t. Sec.; Sam. Welsh, treasurer; Ed- mund Graham, Geo. W. Tate, Daniel Ley- den, B. Rush Petriken, James Welsh, Robt. Durham. Wm. Wallace Hayes, Roland Curtin, John T. Hoover, A. G. Curtin, John M. McCoy, John H. Mor- rison, Bartram Galbraith, Mord. Wad- dle, John D. Lieb, Daniel McGinley, Dan- iel Irvin, Wm. S. Tripple, Wm. P. Harris, D. K. Tate, Jacob Schrom, Henry Twit- mire, Adam Hoy, J. Smith Barnhart, Huey Miller, H. H. Benner. Only two of the foregoing are still mem- bers of Centre lodge. They are H. H. Ben- ner, of Atlantic City, and Henry Twitmire, of Curwensville. The lodge to-day has a membership of 125 men, representing the town’s very best types. Their fineappearance in the parade was an earnest of the character of the men. Since 1870 they have paid more than $10,- 000 in reliefs, so that you will see that the benefits of being a secret society man must amount to something. those trodden by the lowly Nazarene, from whose Divine heart was emitted those rays of civilization and enlightenment which now illuminate the surface of the world. The question was asked during Hissojourn on this earth: ‘‘Can any good come out of Nazareth?” The reply was; ‘‘Come and see.” And to-day the nations not only see the marvelous effects of His example and teachings, but they revel in the enjoyment of the fruits of the seeds of eternal life which he sowed broadcast indiscriminately for the salvation of friend and foe. An analogous question might have been propounded when Wildey and his four compeers were laboring to construct a plan for the hetternient of man’s temporal con- dition. Can a secret fraternal organization accomplish any good for suffering human- ity? The answer rolls up from every city, town, hamlet, bill, valley, plain and mountain-top on this broad continent and re-echoes over the islands and the seas and through foreign lands: Come and see! and it will be observed that there are now 11,000 Odd Fellows’ Lodges, with 850,000 brothers, and 4,000 Rebekah Lodges, with 130,000 sisters, devoted to the work begun in the City of Baltimore, Md., on the twenty-sixth day of April, 1819. The fruits of the work, in which this great army is engaged, are reaped and enjoyed by the widowed, the fatherless, the aged and indigent, tenderly cared for in the homes and asylums erected by and main- tained under the auspices of tke Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows. Besides mak- ing ample provision for those, the duty of caring for whom is imposed by the laws of the Order in commanding the brethren to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan, this great fraternity has never failed ic-respond with unstinted liberality to every appeal for the relief of communities when they were suf- fering from the devastating effects of fire and flood, or when afflicted with famine or plague. The title, ‘Odd Fellow,’’ is now in use by various organizations in many different countries of the world. Where and when it originated is not known. The most au- thentic records indicate that it was used in England some time in the early part of the eighteenth century. Certain it is that THE PARADE MOVING OFF master of the grand lodge; Esau Loomis. deputy grand master; C. H. Coon, grand chaplain; James S. Montgomery, grand marshal; major gen- eral. Ed. C. Deans, grand representative to the sovereign grand lodge; John L. Mil- ler, president of the orphans’ home at Sun- the public exercises and the crowds scattered to all parts of the town to see and do as they pleased. MEETING OF THE ANNIVERSARY ASSOCIA- This concluded In the evening the anniversary associa- tion met in the hall of No. 153 for the reg- ular annual business X h been postponed from the morning, owing to the late arrival of the Central train car- All that they would make public was that Wi. Keiss, of Wil- liamsport, was re-elected president of the association; Jos. H. Mackey, of Williams- president; and H. C. Kramer. of It was decided meeting that had rying the officers. Williamsport, treasurer. to meet at Renovo next year. After the meeting of the anniversary as- sociation there was a special session of the grand lodge with a school of instruction for With this concluded the most of the visitors left on the night trains en route for their homes. All were impressed with the effort that Bellefonte had made to receive and enter- tain them in a fitting manner and spoke enthusiastically of their enjoyment of the Odd Fellows. The local organization did itself proud by the manner in which so large an event was handled and the generally successful result of the day. The following are the committees that arranged all but those inopportune showers: John G. Dubbs, Finance:—A. C. Mingle, chairman; John Ole- wine, J. C. Meyer. Decoration:—J W. Conley, chairman; W. Derstine, W. H. Miller, W. H. Kochler, C. K. Entertainment:—J. C. Meyer, chairman; H. B, Pontius, C. T. Gerberich, Harry Eberhart. Reception:—W. B. Rankin, chairman; Geo. L. VanTries, J. H. Eberhart, J. 8. Carson. D. O. Et- ters, James Schofield, J. P. Smith, J. F. Harrison, H. Shaffer, W. H. Kochler, J. M. Keichline, Thomas W. Moore, John I. Ole- wine, Jas, D. Seibert, J. Walker, W. G. Runkle, George H. Knisely, John A. Lukenbach, B. R. Cole, W. Harrison ic:—H. B. Pontius, chairman; A. Luken- Printing:—J. M. Keichline, chairman, W. Har- A PROUD DAY FOR CENTRE LODGE. Centre lodge No. 153, I. O. O. F. has reason to felicitate itself over the exception- al success of its big undertaking. The lo- «al order has a membership that includes many of our most representative business men and, in consequence, it is not to be wondered at that their plans were so thoroughly laid and every detail so faith- fully executed when the eventful day Officers of Grand Lodge and Visitors in Carriages. ON WEST HIGH STREET. From a Photograph for the Warcumax by Mallory & Taylor NOTES OF THE DAY. Chief bugler R. A. Beck made a fine ap- pearance on his admirably trained horse. Col. Long, of the 4th Reg. Patriarchs Militant, would have taken the prize had there been one for the handsomest looking man in line, but sheriff W. M. Cronister only needed the regalia of a Patriarch to have made him a sharer in the distinetion. Marshal John G. Dubbs, of the 3rd Div. sat on his horse as if he had heen part of it and reigned supreme at the head of a fine hody of men. Chief marshal Taylor has received many compliments on the appearance of himself and staff and the prompt manner in which he got the parade in line. All the bands that were here played in fine style and there was no dearth of music during the afternoon. In the evening the Bellwood and Renovo bands consolidated, the State College band and the Repasz band gave concerts in the various parts of the town. The Repasz band, under director Woods, played on the stand in the Diamond from 7:30 until 9:30 and a great crowd of people enjoyed the concert. The town was exceptionally orderly. There were very few disturbances and it was not necessary to make a single arrest. The Origin and Progress of the Order. The early history of the Order of Odd Fellows, recounting the difficulties which environed its humble architects in their persistent labors to secure a firm founda- tion on American soil, upon which to base the column that was designed to symbolize their great works for God and humanity, is pregnant with incidents profoundly in- teresting to every member of the great brotherhood, as well as to all others in- spired with a spirit of pure philanthropy. The founders of the Order were working- men, mechanics and artisans of humble birth, who iu their youthful days were de- nied the opportunities of acquiring even a knowledge of the elementary principles of learning; hence the surprise that they should have been instrumental in inaugu- rating a system for the promotion of the happiness and the welfare of a common hu- manity, which in less than three quarters of a century should extend all over free America, penetrate every civilized commu- nity in both hemispheres and excite the wonder and admiration and enlist the ap- probation of men and women, uninfluenced by bigotry or fanaticism, all around the globe. The secret of their successful enter- prise, if it can be attributed to any partic- ular merit, more than to any other possessed by them, was owing to the fact that, though they may have been men of a rough, unseemly exterior, they had good true hearts within, The walks of life in which they plodded were as humble as there was an Order of Odd Fellows in Eng- , land as far back as the year 1745, because the Odd Fellows’ Lodge is mentioned in the Gentlemen’s Magazine for that year as ‘‘a place where very pleasant recreative evenings are spent.’’ : It is also certain that these Odd Fellows’ Lodges were first instituted for social pur- poses, and aiding the brethren when out of work and assisting them to obtain employ- ment, and that the first Order of Odd Fel- lows was composed of workingmen. These men had been in the habit of assembling together at public houses for social enjoy- ment periodically, and tbe organization-—— originally chaotic in character—gradually drifted into form and substance and then lodges were organized, which, in turn, banded themselves together, and so came to form various societies. The first of these of which any record re- mains was known as ‘‘The Ancient Order of Odd Fellows,’”’ and another was formed soon after called ‘‘The Union Order of Odd Fellows.”” These two branches came to- gether in the early part of the present cen- tary aud organized ‘‘The Manchester Unity,’’ which soon became in a flourish- ing condition in Great Britain, and which still continues to exist at the present day, with a membership of about 750,000 and a well-filled treasury, Thomas Wildey, the father of the I. O. 0. F., was born in London on the fifteenth day of Jannary, 1782, and on attaining his majority was iniated into an Odd Fellows’ Lodge. At that time all the various lodges had united in any one organization, and the lodge to which Wildey belonged, ex- isted and worked according to the early mode of self-institution—that is to say, the lodge had been organized by Odd Fellows who had withdrawn from some other lodge solely upon their own motion and without the authority of any previously formed body or organization. Shortly after, Wildey, with others, start- ed a new lodge, known as ‘‘Morningstar Lodge, No. 38,” located in London, and in this and in other ways continued to work actively for the interests of Odd Fellowship, until the year 1817, when influenced by the reports received by him from his fel- low countrymen who had come to the United States, he decided to seek his fort- une here. On arriving in this country, he located in the City of Baltimore, and nat- urally sought to make the acquaintance of his fellow countrymen who had preceded him to that city. Thus he met and be- came acquainted with John Welch, an Odd Fellow, and their acquaintanceship grew and they spent much time in each others company. Naturally, they missed the pleasant associations which had sur- rounded them while attending the lodges in England, and a desire grew upon them to institute something of the kind here. The result was that they took measures to establish a lodge of Odd Fellows. Aeccord- ing to the traditions, five members were necessary in order to institute a lodge. Themselves making two of the number, it become necessary to find the other three, and for that purpose they advertised in the Baltimore American. In the issue of that paper of the 27th of March, 1819, appeared the following: — “Notice to Odd Fellows—A few mem- bers of the society of Odd Fellows will be glad to meet their brethren for the purpose of forming a lodge on Friday evening, 7th of April, at the ‘Seven Stars,” Second street, at hour of 7 p. m.”’ It was natural that they should select an inn for their place of meeting, because it had in the main been the place where they had held their meetings in England. The result of this advertising was that they be- came acquainted with Richard Rushworth, John Duncan and John Cheatham, all Odd Fellows, thus completing the necessary number of five. All had been iniated in the Order in Euogland, and so far their qualifications were correct, and. therefore, in accordance with ancient custom, they self-instituted themselves into a lodge, which they named ‘‘Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows,”’ on the twenty-sixth day of April, 1819. This date has come to be recognized as the birthday of the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, and the ‘‘Wash- ington Lodge of Odd Fellows’ to be the first-born member of that fraternity. This ‘““Washington Lodge’’ was solemnly insti- tuted with all the forms of which the five men possessed any knowledge. Thomas Wildey was installed noble grand and John Welch as vice grand. About the time Wildey came to America the different lodges in Great Britain had organized themselves into one society, viz. : ‘‘The Manchester Union,”’ as above men- tioned, and this organization was engaged in evolving order out of chaos and in con- structing a suitable ritual and a code of laws for its own regulation. But Wildey and his brethren were unaware of this fact, and as a consequence the work begun by them was not in harmony with that of the ‘‘Unity,’’ as they learned from a member who arrived in Baltimore shortly after the institution of the Washington Lodge. This member was a Henry M. Jackson, who had come to the United States with the object of introducing Odd Fellowship. He did not know that the Order already existed here, but finding Washington Lodge at the ‘‘Seven Stars’’ he gave the brethren such instructions as were necessary to set them aright, and placed them in possession of all the information which he had. In September, 1819, the Lodge number- ed nineteen members. They felt a desire to have more formal connection with the Manchester Unity, and this desire was strengthened by the visit to Baltimore of P. G. Crowder, of Preston, England. They laid their wishes before Brother Crowder, and he promised that on his return he would present to the proper authorities their petition for a charter and for future feHowship, which he did, with the result that ‘Duke of York Lodge,”’ held at Pres- ton, England, granted to ‘‘Washington Lodge’’ a charter, which was received on the 23rd of October, 1819, when it was ac- cepted, and the lodge was then considered to be legally established. Under this charter Washington Lodge claimed the sole right and authority to au- thorize the formation oflodges of the Or- der of Odd Fellows in any state of the Union. Apparently, Thomas Wildey and his confreres were far-sighted. Whether or not they looked far enough into the future to see the possibilities which have since come to be established facts, it is impossi- ble now to say, but certain it is that they immediately commenced to carry to com- pletion a plan of organization which has remained a solid foundation sufficient to uphold to this present time the entire fab- ric of American Odd Fellowship, immense as its proportions have grown to be. To illustrate this, these men, in 1820, in about a year after Washington Lodge had been originally organized, and before they had any others to act with them, formed a “Committee of Past Grands,”” which, in February 1821, constituted themselves in- to a Grand Lodge known as ‘‘The Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States,’ and Washington Lodge surrendered to said Grand Lodge the charter which it had re- ceived from the Duke of York Lodge, and thus surrendered to said Grand Lodge all the powers which Washington Lodge had received under it, and in return the newly organized Grand Lodge presented a charter issued by itself to said Washington Lodge. While all this had been going on, and even prior to the 26th of April, 1819, other 0dd Fellows’ lodges had been organized in some of the other States. As far back as the year 1806 a lodge known as ‘‘Shakespeare Lodge of Odd Fel- lows’? had been organized in the city of New York. It ceased active work in the year 1813, but was revived and reinstitu- ted on the 23rd of December 1818. Among the members of this Lodge was the poet George P. Morris. On the 27th of January, 1821, another lodge known as ‘‘Frauklin Lodge, No. 2,” was instituted. As in the Baltimore case, a Committee of Past Grands was organized, who took upon themselves the powers of a Grand Lodge. To them application was made to organize a lodge to be known as ‘‘Washington Lodge, No. 3.” Later on, on a similar application, a dis- pensation was issued for ‘‘Columbia Lodge, No. 4’ which was instituted in the city of Brooklyn on the 3rd of January, 1822. This Lodge, apparently not satisfied with the authority of the body which had given it its dispensation, applied to and re- ceived from an English lodge known as the “Loyal Beneficent Duke of Sussex Lodge’’ a charter. Under this, Columbia Lodge claimed superiority over the other lodges in New York, with the result that dissen- sions which had before that existed on other subjects were revived and strength- ened. In Massachusetts the first lodge was or- ganized on the self-institution principle on the 23th of March, 1820, and was known as ‘Massachusetts Lodge No. 1.” It contin- ued to work under the impression that it was the only lodge in America, until in February, 1822, when it learned of the ex- istence of the organization in Baltimore. Massachusetts Lodge immediately made application to the Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States, acknowl- edging it to be the supreme authority, and asking for a charter for a Grand Lodge, with authority to control all the lodges in Massachusetts. This request was com- plied with and the Grand Lodge of Massa- chusetts was instituted on the 11th of June, 1823. The first information we have of a lodge forming in Pennsylvania was in December 21st, 1821. A few individuals, who had heen members of the Order in England, as- sembled at the house of John Upton, No. 66, Dock street. in Philadelphia, then a promi- nent hotel in the busy centre of business, and formed themselves into a Lodge. John B. Robinson, them a member of Franklin Lodge No. 2 of New York, being in the city on business, in company with John Upton, invited a meeting of Odd Fel- ae
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers