USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 133
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2. To give all moral and material aid in its power to its members and those dependent upon them.
3. To educate its members socially, morally and intellectually; also, to assist the widows and orphans of deceased members.
4. To establish a fund for the relief of sick and distressed members.
5. To establish a Widows' and Orphans' Ben- efit Fund, from which, upon the satisfactory evi- dence of the death of a member of the order, who has complied with all its lawful require- ments, a sum not exceeding $3,000 shall be paid to his family or those dependent upon him, as he may direct.
It will be seen upon a careful reading of the above enumerated objects of the order, that a perfect fraternal union, a cemented brotherhood, a united social order has been outlined. One feature is so vital, so characteristically unsel- fish, that it must claim the attention and re- ceive the plaudits of men, thinking, sober men; the absolutely untrammeled benevolence to the living, suffering brother, the unselfish Christian charity bestowed upon the widow and orphans. The government of the order is under the con- trol of a supreme council, grand council and the local subordinate councils, scattered, as other societies are, wherever they are organized. The supreme council is composed of members elected by State or grand councils. The grand
948
HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
councils, or State councils, are composed of members elected by the local councils; each member of the grand council must be a past regent of a subordinate council.
The order has but one degree, having prop- erly received this, the brother is entitled to all the benefits and emoluments enumerated in constitution and by laws.
We now call attention to and ask a careful consideration of the following condensed table containing the rates for the Widows and Or- phans Benefit Fund. It will be perceived that the ages between twenty-one and fifty-five years are given, and the assessments upon members joining, having attained to the specified year of age:
Between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two, $1.00. Between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-three, $1.04. Between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-four, $1.08. Between the ages of twenty-four and twenty-five, $1 12.
Between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-six, $1.16 Between the ages of twenty-six and twenty-seven, $1.20. Between the ages of twenty-seven and twenty-eight, $1.24.
Between the ages of twenty-eight and twenty-nine, $1.28.
Between the ages of twenty-nine and thirty, $1.32. Between the ages of thirty and thirty-one, $1.38. Between the ages of thirty one and thirty . two, $1.44. Between the ages of thirty-two and thirty-three, $1 50.
Between the ages of thirty-three and thirty-four, $1.56.
Between the ages of thirty-four and thirty -five, $1.62. Between the ages of thirty-five and thirty-six, $1.68. Between the ages of thirty-six and thirty-seven, $1.74.
Between the ages of thirty-seven and thirty-eight. $1.80.
Between the ages of thirty-eight and thirty-nine. $1.86.
Between the ages of thirty-nine and forty, $1.96. Between the ages of forty and forty-one, $2.06.
Between the ages of forty one and forty-two, $2.16. Between the ages of forty-two and forty three, $2.26. Between the ages of forty-three and forty-four, $2 36. Between the ages of forty-four and forty five, $2.46. Between the ages of forty-five and forty-six, $2.58. Between the ages of forty-six and forty-seven, $2. 70, Between the ages of forty-seven and forty-eight, $2 82.
Between the ages of forty-eight and forty-nine, $2 96.
Between the ages of forty-nine and fifty, $3.10.
Between the ages of fifty and fifty one, $3.26. Between the ages of fifty one and fifty-two, $3 42. Between the ages of fifty-two and fifty-three, $3.60. . Between the ages of fifty-three and fifty four, $3, 80. Between the ages of fifty-four and fifty-five, $4.00.
The explanation of the above table is easy: A man at twenty-one years old, not having reached his twenty-second year, will pay an as- sessment of $1, and receive a benefit certificate for $3,000, or by paying fifty cents per assess- ment, will receive a benefit certificate for $1,500 to be paid in either ease, to widow, orphans, or to whomsoever he may direct, provided always that the one receiving the benefit is a depend- ent upon the deceased brother, thus cutting off all speculation.
COST OF JOINING THE ORDER.
Each member at initiation must pay to the collector as follows:
An initiation fee, at least. $5 00
For medical examination, including both local and State examinations. . 2 50
One quarter's dues, in advance. 1 00
For Benefit Certificate. 1 00
One assessment, in advance, if 21 years old 1 00
Total cost to members at 21. $10 50
This will be found to vary somewhat. The initiation must be $5, at least-may be more. The dues may be more or less than $4 per an- num, governed entirely by the expenses in- curred by running the local council. As there is but one degree, but two medical examinations and one benefit certificate, the expense-$8.50- will never reeur, but dues and assessments must necessarily recur; dues either quarterly, semi-annually or annually, entirely at the op- tion of the local council. The assessment re- curs, not at regular intervals, and yet it may be looked for quite regular, at least from seven to ten times per year; the brother has forty days in which to pay the assessment.
Suppose a man joins who is between forty and forty-one, please note the cost to him the first year, on the supposition that ten assess- ments are called to the supreme treasury :
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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
Initiation $5 00
Medical examination 2 50 1 00
Benefit Certifieate.
Dues in advance. . 4 00
Ten assessments, $2.06 each. 20 60
Total cost of first year. $33 10
Deduct initiation, medical examinations, Bene-
fit Certificate, as these will not be repeated ... 8 50
Total cost each year. $24 60
This is the total cost each year on a benefit certificate of $3,000, or $12.30 on a benefit cer- tificate of $1,500, payable in either case to his widow and orphans at his death, within thirty days. We are aware that this unselfish benevo- lence, this Christian charity of this noble order, has caused insurance companies to reduce their rates; has invited, or rather called into being, other kindred orders, yet not one of them can present a claim to higher standing as a purely beneficent order, not one of them pays as large a benefit as the Royal Arcanum. Each brother that dies in the order costs the one who joins at twenty-one years of age about two cents. There have died since the organization of the order, in 1877, 1,014 members in good standing, the widows and orphans of whom have re- ceived the amount of their benefit certificates, if full benefit, $3,000, if one-half benefit, $1,500 each; 1,014 deaths at two cents each amount to $20.28! Again: Each member that dies in good standing costs the man who joins at forty years of age about six cents. The 1,014 deaths at six cents each amount to $60.84! To resume: The one joining at twenty-one years of age in 1877, at the time of the organization of the or- der, would now hold receipts showing that he has paid, for the benefit of the widows and or- phans of deceased brothers, $20.28, and holds his benefit certificate for $3,000, which will be paid to his heirs or devisees within thirty days after his death. Similarly, the man joining at forty years of age would hold receipts showing that he had paid $60.84 for the relief of wid- ows and orphans of deceased brothers, and also his benefit certificate, securing to his widow and orphans, or devisees, $3,000, within thirty days
after his death. Since the organization of the order fifty-seven assessments have been called to the supreme treasury, and an order issued to collectors to collect assessment fifty-eight by June 11, 1884.
We desire to call attention to this last call for members to pay another assessment. I will say right here these calls include about thirty- five deaths each; the present one, number fifty- eight, includes the number of deaths from Feb. 27, 1884, to April 10, 1884, a period of forty- three days. The order has about 70,000 mem- bers at present, hence the death rate is about five members to each 10,000 for the forty-three days. The principal cause for this low rate is the extreme rigidity of the medical examina- tions. The thirty-five members whose deaths make up the last call paid into the supreme treasury the sum of $1,497.32. Their widows and orphans, or devisees, drew from the supreme treasury, on the benefit certificates held by themselves, $103,500! Kind reader, consider the virtue, mercy, charity of the noble order. Well may it claim for itself leadership in the attempt to establish and maintain an order purely beneficiary. The youngest in this death list of thirty-five was twenty-three when initi- ated in 1879. As he died March 1, 1884, he had paid $48.60 into the supreme treasury-his heirs have received ere this the $3,000 from the supreme treasury. The oldest in the above list was initiated at fifty-five July 16, 1879, dying Feb. 24, 1884. He had paid into the supreme treasury $180.60-his heirs have received before this time, May, 1884, the full amount of his benefit certificate, $3,000, from the supreme treasury. When the order was organized the applicant for membership must be between twenty-one and sixty years of age. The require- ment now limits the superior number to fifty- five. The average age in the above death list at initiation was less than forty years, being thirty-nine years and a fraction. Now that we have given the order in general a brief notice, we invite the attention of the reader to the sub-
950
HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
ordinate council at Monroe, being the only council in Green county. In the summer of 1881 several citizens of Monroe became inter- ested in the Royal Arcanum, and after some weeks consultation, asked Pau! Binner, of Ocei- dent Council, Milwaukee, Wis., to come and institute a council at Monroe. Accordingly, on Aug. 30, 1881, Perseverance Council, No. 613, Monroe, Green Co., Wis., was organized, em- bracing some of the most public spirited and in- telligent men of the city, eighteen in all. The following is a list of the charter members: N. A. Loofbourow, M. D., E. H, Austin, Charles Ball, S. C. Cheney, William S. Davenport, J. W. Edelman, J. W. Faubell, S. E. Gardner, A. F. Glascott, W. G. Koken, R. F. Lund, Robert Start, A. C. Stuntz, Frank Turner, R. C. Whit- comb, William Zilmer and N. C. Twining. The following officers were elected for the year end- ing Dec. 31, 1881: N. C. Twining, regent; A. F. Glascott, vice-regent; A. C. Stuntz, past re- gent; W. S. Davenport, secretary; R. F. Lund, collector; W. C. Whitcomb, treasurer; Robert Start, chaplain; E. H. Austin, guide; Frank Turner, warden; W. G. Koken, sentinel.
The officers elect were duly installed, and the council was declared legally instituted, and pos- sessing the powers of a subordinate council of the Royal Arcanum under the jurisdiction of the grand council of the State of Wisconsin. Brothers S. E. Gardner, Charles Ball and Wil- liam Zilner were elected trustees. Dr. N. A. Loofbourow was elected local examiner, or ex- amining physician, which responsible position he has filled with great credit to himself and advantage to the council ever since. From the very day of its birth, this local council at Mon- roe, has prospered; the more its members know of it, the more they are attached to it; perhaps it is enough to say, the ladies regard it with high favor; well they may, for it aims at the welfare, and also at the well-being of their in- fant and dependent children. Although Perse- verance Council has met with no loss by death among its members, it has contributed with a
willing grace to emancipate 940 bereaved homes from immediate want. The council cares for its own siek; helps the families of sick or dis- abled brothers, when necessary; looks after the moral welfare of its members also. At the close of the year, Dec. 31, 1881, Bro. A. F. Glascott was elected regent, and Bros. W. S. Davenport and R. C. Whitcomb were re-elected to their respective offices; Bro. J. J. Tschudy, Jr., was elected collector. Past Regent, N. C. Twining, was sent as representative to grand conncil held at Milwaukee; Sr. Past Regent, A. C. Stuntz was chosen as alternate; both of whom were in attendance at the grand council. Several members were added during the years 1881 and 1882 to the chartered list. The close of the year Dec. 31, 1882, brought but little change except increased membership, and a steady growth of fraternal feeling. Bro. W. S. Davenport was elected regent, and Bro. N. C. Twining, secretary for the year of 1883. The council sent as its representatives to grand council this year, held as before, Bro. N. C. Twining and A. F. Glascott, both of whom attended the session in Milwaukee. For the year, 1884, the officers are as follows: N. C. Twining, regent; A. C. Stuntz, vice regent; W. S. Davenport, past regent; Ferd Grunert, secretary; D. S. Young, orator; James Faubell, guide; B. T. Hoyland, chaplain; J. J. Tschudy, collector; R. C. Whitcomb, treasurer; Samuel Schuler, Jr., warden; Charles Ball, sentinel; N. A. Loofbourow, M. D. exami- ner; Jacob Steinman, Robert Start and J. K. Symonds, trustees. The representatives to the grand council held at Oshkosh, were Bro. A. F. Glascott; Bro. W. S. Davenport, alternate.
EDUCATIONAL.
In the spring of 1866 the Union school dis- trict No. 1, of the village of Monroe, was or- ganized, and the first election was held July 9, of that year. The following board of educa- tion was chosen: Director, E. E. Bryant; clerk, C. S. Foster; treasurer, B. Dunwiddie ; assist-
951
HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
ant directors, J. V. Richardson, H. Medberry, George H. King and E. T. Gardner. The first set of teachers employed by this board was composed of the following named : Miss Churchill, Mrs. Farnham, Miss Ritten, Miss Salley, Miss Fenton, Miss McFarland, Miss Matthews, Miss Prescott, Miss Bently and Miss Mc Wade.
A special meeting of the electors of district No. 1, village of Monroe, Wis., was held March 16, 1871, at which $15,000 was voted to build a school house. Shortly afterward the contract was let to J. M. Hinkley for $14,977. By the time the building was finished it had overrun this amount considerably.
At a school meeting held at the center school house on June 12, 1882, it was voted that a new school house be erected on the north side, to cost not more than $15,000. In February, 1883, the contract of building was let to Jacob Stimmon, for $12,100. The building was at once com- menced and was finished in 1884.
A PLEA FOR POPULAR EDUCATION.
]By Prof. W. C. Twining.]
God has destined man to be the prime agent on earth, to reign by means of the arts, and, as it were, to complete His work, by subduing, regulating, and co-operating with the powers of nature, by favoring the development of the various organizations, and by transforming, com- bining, and appropriating its productions to a multitude of uses. He has inspired this supe- rior agent, therefore, with an unbounded de- sire for action ; exciting him to both internal and external activity, the former consisting in the exertion of the will, the latter, in the full play of the physical organization. From these two sources of action, properly directed, may spring abundant external fruits, and the most delightful internal state. If, on the contrary, this fundamental, imperious desire is not satis- fied, if due precaution is not taken, or should it be satisfied blindly, we may fear all kinds of destruction and disorder without and within, every species of trouble, suffering, error.
The rightly directed exercise of activity is also the essential condition of the development of the faculties of the mind and heart ; it is necessary that it should mark the progress, prepare their application, and preserve habit- nal harmony among them. It is to the health of the soul, what activity is to the health of the body. It is of a good and wise civil government to prepare the means in the external world, for individual activity to take its regular course, and to divide the labor of life thus, even before those who are to perform it, are born.
The wisdom of such a government will con- sist, especially, in leaving all paths free ; in re- moving obstacles and extending impartial pro- tection to all men, not only living, but men of the future. Government not only exhibits marks of wisdom in building for the present, but in laying a broad and liberal foundation for the ages yet to come.
It is also the part of a good government to help its citizens, to regulate the activity of each individual, by pointing out the most useful career, by keeping him in it, and ordering the employment of all his faculties, in a manner the most likely to make him pass through this career profitably and with honor. Hence all legislation designed to aid in this direction, must be founded upon experience, and woven for the future. We cannot expect to monld the character of the adult, all we can do is to direct his energies. But the mind of the youth pre- sents itself, susceptible of most perfect and lasting impressions; it is upon this mind, like wax, clay, or putty, that we are to exercise our plastic art. A mind thus equipped with nought but God-gifted susceptibilities, is relegated to us with all the possibilities of the future before it. Recreant, indeed, would we be, were we deaf to its demands and necessities. When the child is born, he is surrounded by cireum- stances not of his own creation, often alien and repugnant to his tastes; he is often found to err
952
HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
from lack of proper guidance during his youth- ful days. One of the greatest and most weighty duties of any government, whether National, State or family,is to provide for the proper education of its future citizens; and there are but two lovers in the hands of the government with which to ac- complish this successfully: the educated public, and the educated parent. There is still another and most potent influence -the Church. But this is not an instrument or means in the hands of the government; individuals and communities must dircet its energies, according to their var- ious wants and necessities, while the general government is left to adjust and administer the functions of government that apply to the train- ing of intellect and the more general questions of moral action. There is not a little truth in the old saying that "most of the human passions are only the overflowing of an activity which has mistaken its true course." In this sense, and in this only, "the wicked man is a strong child;" or in other words, wickedness is a power unable to regulate, because it is ignorant of itself.
In the great trust bequeathed to the govern- ment, is the all important duty to teach its sub- jects self control which prevents and restrains all aberrations, merely products of the mind's ex- crescenses. It prepares for the study of self; we must be self-collected, before we can study our- selves; we must learn to measure our strength, before rushing upon the arena; we must employ all the authority we can obtain over ourselves, in order to oblige our heart to reform its desires, and our understanding, its judgment. A mind well-balanced, a nature rightly expanded, a cul- ture carefully and systematically obtained, leads us to repress those foolish inclinations which seek the impossible; to accommodate ourselves to the sometimes hard and severe exi- gencies of reality; to conquer the difficulties which can be overcome, how hard soever they may be; to stop before those which are insur- mountable; and to rise up courageously after falling into mistakes. It regulates the action
and measure of all our faculties, and prevents them from being wasted.
Beside choice and unity of purpose, two special conditions are necessary to prevent ac- tivity from being destructive, and to make it fruitful; these are perseverance and method, which, when united, compose conduct; but which, even separate, are rarely well observed, and whose union is rarer still.
A good internal government, that is, self control, contributes very much to fulfill thesc con- ditions. The child left to grow up subject only to his own will and inclinations, his mind untrained, unpruned, has his career marked out more by the result of chance and circumstance, than by cultured calculation; his most mature delibera- tions are not guided by an intelligent will, al- though they are to exert a most important influ- ence over his destiny; he may be likened to the seaman guiding his bark through the track- less ocean, trusting to an imperfect compass. He then moves on, not knowing whether the rocks of Scilly, the Charygbdis or Maelstrom, shall seal his fate! He cannot resist any occa- sion that solicits him. He does not even choose, but merely accepts. He alone chooses, who commands; but he can only command himself, not events.
When the child grows up, not knowing what circumstances depend upon himself, and what absolutely resist him, he must struggle against the inevitable, and consequently neglect the possible. He is unable to create a condition con- formable to his character, nor can he conform his character to inevitable conditions among which he must, especially, include those arising from so- cial institutions and conventional arrangements. Hence proceed so many false and incomplete situations in the world, and the uneasiness which is the legitimate consequence of them; and hence constraint, uncertainty, confusion and suffering, in the exercise of activity. It will be seen that a man's action thus guided by chance, whose every act is determined by an uneducated mind, is unconnected, and is not
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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.
constructed from parts of the same plan; it has no relation to anything. His life is not formed of a single tissue, but is composed of inlaid work, joined, and not woven together.
On the other hand, where all human action is energized by the free act of an intelligent will, unity of purpose economizes the faculties, re- doubles their energy by concentrating them, and makes them conspire together to lend each other mutual aid. But there can be this unity only where there is law which assigns and preserves to each thing its rank; in society, this is administered by public authority; in the arts, by genius; by reason, in the sciences, and in the conduct of life, by self control; but by self control, only so far as it is the minister of virtue.
Again : Education is the handmaid of inspi- ration, which makes men of talent, while ex- perience, men of skill ; the first conceive, the second execute. These observations do not apply merely to works of art, and the man- agement of affairs ; they apply equally to the general plan of our conduct, in which our morality and happiness are involved. Here the application seems less evident ; manifestly the State should have nothing to do with the re- ligious training of its youth, only so far as a common and highly acceptable code of morals is concerned ; and yet the child must be cared for to a greater degree than the parent or guard- ian is able to reach, or else that fabric of edu- cation founded by our fathers, though broad, philanthropic and intensive, must yield to the inevitable and fail of its most important result, namely, to educate the child wholly, symmetri- cally. Is it not a deplorable fact, that those minds whom nature has endowed with eminent power, and treated with especial favor, and which at the same time have grown up without training, are lamentably deficient in perse- verance ? We can almost assert that persever- ance is a compensation granted to mediocrity. Not unfrequently, distinguished minds have
sentiments superior to their station, and views more extensive than the sphere in which they are placed. They contain mysterious things within themselves, for which they cannot ac- count, and which being developed, modify their dispositions. Let nature's sunshine of genins enter the soul of the uneducated child, let him grow to man's estate, and he will be exposed to be diverted from, and to mistake, the course which is suitable for him and to be dissatisfied with whatever he has begun, he seems to struggle with destiny; nature is full of problems of vast promise, but he has no key to their solution. Moreover, he is unable to guide himself by his experience, for it has been nothing but disaster, disappointment he can- not penetrate into unexplored regions, as they rise higher and higher, he can find no well beaten track, he gets entangled in the midst of trackless, wild woods, and yawning precipices, he is always forced to retrace every advance, to abandon every enterprise, however munifi- cently it may reward his educated brother. He is thus driven to abandon all that his sen- tient soul prompts ; moved by his heterogene- ous impulses, he is drifted by cruel, luckless, hapless chance.
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