Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1897 — ODD FELLOWS AT SPRINGFIELD. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ODD FELLOWS AT SPRINGFIELD.

Sovereign Body of the Order Meets In Illinois Capital. The opening session of the sovereign grand: lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was held Monday morning in Representatives’ Hall, Springfield, 111., and was introduced with appropriate ceremonies, taking the form of a public reception, in which the hospitalities of the State, city and the grand bodies of Odd Fellows of Illinois were extended by their proper representatives. Gen. Alfred Orendorff, past grand representative of Illinois, called the meeting to order. Seated upon the speakers’ platform were Gov. Tanner, Mayor Wheeler, Grand Representative J. Otis Humphrey, Grand Sire Fred Carleton of Austin, Texas; Grand Master George C. Rankin of Monmouth, Ill.; Grand Patriarch J. D. Murphy of Bushnell; and Mrs. May D. Stone of Vandalia, President of the Illinois Rebekah assembly. Gov. Tanner was the first speaker. He spoke in the highest praise of Odd-Fel-lowship and bade the visitors a hearty welcome to the city and State. Mayor Wheeler spoke briefly, extending a hearty welcome on behalf of the city, and Grand

Patriarch J. D. Murphy followed. Grand Master George C. Rankin spoke for the Odd Fellows of Illinois and Mrs. May D. Stone gave welcome in the name of the Rebekahs. Response to these was made by Grand Sire Fred Carleton, who paid tribute to the State of Illinois, its greatness as a producer of wealth, a center of population, education and the banner State of Odd-Fellow,ship. He named the great men who had made the State illustrious. The genius of Odd-Fellowship is that it binds all races and creeds together. The Grand Sire said that this was not the first time this body had been welcomed by the Governor of a State, but it was the first time it had been welcomed by a Governor as a brother Odd Fellow. The regular session of the sovereign grand lodge was then convened by Grand Sire Carleton. The appointive officers and committees were named and a large number of resolutions presented and referred without reading. In the afternoon the local Rebekah lodges gave a very largely attended reception in honor ofthe visiting Rebekah degree members and the sovereign grand lodge. Tuesday afternoon a fine parade of Odd Fellows was given under command of General J. P. Ellacott of Chicago, commander in chief of the Patriarchs Militant, and consisting of the Illinois National Guard, commands, cantons of Patriarchs Militant and subordinate encampments and lodges escorting the representatives to the sovereign grand lodge. Following this wis a prize drill of Patriarchs Militant. Canton Muncie, No. 4, of Muncie, Ind., won the first prize, S3OO, in class A, and Canton McKeen, No. 28, of Terre Haute, Ind., won’ the first prize, $l5O, in class B. They had no competitors. At night the past grand representatives held a reunion in the First Methodist Episcopal Church, at which addresses were made by Grand Representatives W. G. Nye, of Minneapolis; Lucius H. Fuller, of Putnam, Conn.; and Stillwell H. Russell, of Dallas. Texas.

ODDFELLOWS’ BUILDING, SPRINGFIELD.