"3-To promote the enactment of good and righteous laws in that territory, to uphold freedom, and to oppose slavery and oppression in every form."

The books were opened for stock subscriptions early in Feb., 1856, and by the end of the month enough subscriptions had been received to justify the company in beginning a settlement. The octagon plan contemplated the occupation of 16 square miles of land-four tracts each containing 4 square miles. In the center 584 acres were to be set apart for an agricultural college and model farm, and in the center of each of the four tracts a school house was to be established. Grouped around these educational institutions were the farms of the shareholders, each facing the center or one of the roads leading to the center. The advantages claimed for this plan were: 1-Every settler could enjoy the advantages of living in a village and at the same time be in the best possible position on his farm; 2-The proximity of neighbors would afford mutual aid and protection; 3-By this arrangement every family would be within easy reach of a school house, thus affording better educational advantages for the children; 4-Ease of association for social purposes, etc.

Lack of capital prevented the settlement from being established on this plan, but with a view to carrying it out later, a tract two miles square was selected in the southwestern part of the present Allen county, on the west bank of the Neosho river and immediately opposite. the Vegetarian Settlement company's colony. In fact the two companies were so closely united that they were practically one. They were conceived by the same mind, were started in the same manner, and they perished about the same time from bad management and inanition.

Odd Fellows.-The secret, benevolent society known as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows originated in England in the latter part of the 18th century, though the location of the first lodge and the exact date of its organization is unknown. For several years there was no central organization, the various lodges acting independently of each other. In 1812 delegates from the lodges in the vicinity of Manchester met in that city and formed the "Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows." Some six years prior to that time Solomon Chambers and his two sons, members of Westminster Lodge, England, came to the United States, and soon after their arrival in this country organized lodges in New York and Brooklyn, but both had been dissolved by 1810. The organization of the Manchester Unity gave strength to the order in the mother country, and when Thomas Wildey and another Odd Fellow came from England and located at Baltimore, Md., in 1818, they found conditions more favorable for the introduction of Odd Fellowship than had Mr. Chambers and his sons in New York. In 1819 a lodge was organized in Baltimore, which on Feb. 1, 1820, received a charter from the Manchester Unity, under the name of "Washington Lodge and Grand Lodge of Maryland and the United States of America." This lodge is recognized in the history of the order.

as the first in the United States. Its charter was afterward surrendered and it became merely a local or subordinate lodge. After a few years the American lodges severed their allegiance to the Manchester Unity, and in 1879 the grand lodge in the United States adopted the name of "Sovereign Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows." It is from this supreme body that all the state grand lodges receive their authority.

The order is composed of the sovereign grand lodge, the grand lodges of the several states and territories, encampments and cantons, the last named being made up of the "Patriarchs Militant," a uniformed, semimilitary organization, something like the Knights Templars of Masonry, or the uniform rank of the Knights of Pythias. The first encampment was established at Baltimore-which city might be aptly termed the mother of American Odd Fellowship-in 1831, and the patriarchs militant degree was founded in 1884. In addition to these bodies, there is also a ladies' degree called the Daughters of Rebekah, which was established in 1851. To this degree the wives, mothers and daughters of Odd Fellows are eligible, and it is an auxiliary to the order in charitable work, etc.

The first Odd Fellows' lodge in Kansas was organized at Tecumseh on March 2, 1857, under a charter received from the sovereign grand lodge of the United States at Baltimore, Md. It was known as Shawnee Lodge, No. 1, and was followed during the next twelve months by Leavenworth Lodge, No. 2, at Leavenworth; Summunduwot Lodge, No. 3, at Wyandotte; Lawrence Lodge, No. 4, at Lawrence; and Friendship Lodge, No. 5, at Atchison. On June 2, 1858, representatives of these five lodges met in the hall of Shawnee Lodge at Tecumseh and organized the Kansas grand lodge, with John Collins as the first grand master and George W. Brown as the first grand secretary. For the first few years, owing to the transition from territory to state and the Civil war, the growth of the order was comparatively slow. After the war new members began to come in, and from that time to 1911 the progress of Kansas Odd Felloship has been steadily onward and upward, the grand lodge reports for June 30, 1911, showing 564 subordinate lodges in the state, with a membership of 49,264. When the first lodge was instituted it had but five members. During the five years from 1906 to 1910 the order has increased about one-third of its membership; has paid out in relief to members over $500,000, and the assets of the subordinate lodges have increased over $530,000. On April 26, 1906, the Rebecca I. O. O. F. home at Manhattan was dedicated, with accommodations for 30 adults and 60 children.

The first Rebekah lodge was established at Topeka, and was soon followed by lodges at Fort Scott and Holton. In 1911 a Rebekah degree was connected with practically every subordinate lodge in the state. Following is a list of the grand masters from the organization of the grand lodge to 1911, with the time served by each: John Collins, 1858; C. A. Logan, 1859 (was elected grand sire of the sovereign grand

lodge at Baltimore in 1872); W. A. Shannon, 1860; J. B. Davis, 1861; A. N. Blacklidge, 1862; John Martin, 1863; Fred Speck, 1864; F. P. Baker, 1865; Levi Empie, 1866; H. O. Sholes, 1867; H. D. McCarthy, 1868; H. J. Canniff, 1869; Isaac Sharp, 1870; Sol Miller, 1871; George W. Martin, 1872; R. A. Randlett, 1873; F. H. Betton, 1874; John M. Price, 1875; John Charlton, 1876; J. J. Buck, 1877; J. G. Northcraft, 1878; W. H. Pilkinton, 1879; C. H. Krebs, 1880; A. W. Dow, 1881; E. S. Bertram, 1882; D. B. Long, 1883; George W. Jones, 1884; J. S. Codding, 1885; J. T. McMillin, 1886; W. A. Cormany, 1887; A. P. Riddle. 1888; A. L. Voorhis, 1889; William Mathewson, 1890; M. B. Ward, 1891; H. W. Pond, 1892; J. A. Campbell, 1893; Levi Ferguson, 1894; W. T. Taylor, 1895; W. M. Glenn, 1896; W. L. Brown, 1897; J. A. Colaw, 1898; John A. Bright, 1899; J. W. Haughey, 1900; George W. Brown, 1901; J. M. Johnson, 1902; G. T. Davies, 1903; G. W. Allaman, 1904; J. I. Saunders, 1905; A. W. Hershberger, 1906; B. M. Powell, 1907; W. H. Kemper, 1908; C. M. Cole, 1909; T. P. Roney, 1910; Charles G. Lilly, 1911.

George W. Brown served as grand secretary from the organization. of the grand lodge until 1860, when he was succeeded by Samuel F. Burdett, who served until 1889. George W. Jones held the office in the year 1890; John A. Bright then served until 1893; C. W. Main then held the office for two years and was succeeded by D. W. Kent, who closed his term of office with the year 1900; W. H. Kemper then served until 1905, and since that time the position has been filled by Will J. Russell.

Odee, a country hamlet in Meade county, is located on Crooked creek in the township of the same name, about 10 miles southwest of Meade, the county seat and nearest railroad station, from which point mail is delivered by rural carrier.

Odense, a discontinued post office of Neosho county, is located 9 miles south of Erie, the county seat, whence it receives mail daily by rural delivery. It has about two dozen inhabitants.

Odin, a hamlet in Barton county, is located 15 miles northeast of Great Bend, the county seat, and 7 miles northwest of Claflin, the nearest shipping point and the postoffice from which its mail is distributed. by rural route. The population according to the census of 1910 was 30. Offerle, a village in Edwards county, is located in Trenton township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 9 miles west of Kinsley, the county seat. It has a number of general stores, a mill, a grain elevator, a creamery, telegraph and express offices, and a money order. postoffice with one rural route. The population according to the census. of 1910 was 200.

Ogallah, a village in Trego county, is located in the township of the same name on the Union Pacific R. R., 9 miles east of Wakeeney, the county seat. It has telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 125. is the principal trading and shipping point for the eastern part of the county.

Ogden, an incorporated town of Riley county, is located on the Kansas river and the Union Pacific R. R., II miles southwest of Manhattan, the county seat. The railroad name is Ogdenburg. It has telegraph and express offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The population in 1910 was 190. This is one of the oldest towns in the county. The first house erected within the county limits was in the vicinity of Ogden. The Ogden Town company was chartered in 1857 by act of the legislature, and a government land office was established at this point in the same year, but soon afterward was removed to Junction City. When the United States government ordered Pawnee (q. v.) vacated, Gov. Reeder moved his somewhat imposing residence to Ogden. This was the first judicial seat of Riley county. and was in other ways an important point. It had all lines of business, warehouses, wholesale establishments, etc. In 1870 it was made a city of the second class.

Ohio, an inland hamlet in Smith county, is located 17 miles northwest of Smith Center, the county seat, and 15 miles north of Kensington, from which postoffice its mail is distributed by rural route. Bloomington, Neb., is the nearest railroad station.

Oil.-In Kansas oil was first discovered on Wea creek, Miami county, in 1855. This substance, first known as "rock tar," occurred in many places, coming to the surface through the crevices of the rocks and porous soils. A company was formed in the latter '50s for the purpose of exploring the field, obtained leases on 30,000 acres of land in the immediate vicinity and did some boring. Civil war breaking out soon after, work was discontinued and for various reasons never resumed. During the '60s and for many years afterwards this oil was gathered and sold for lubricating purposes, bringing from $3 to $5 a barrel. From 1870 to 1890 considerable prospecting for both oil and gas was done in this section of the state, Paola being the center of activity. Prior to 1890, however, no discoveries had been made tending to show the magnitude of the Kansas oil field, but from that time on there was a period of great development in the "Mid-Continent" oil field, which includes Kansas and Oklahoma, the production increasing from 500 barrels in 1889 to 1,200 barrels in 1890, and to 44,467 barrels in 1895. Much of this oil was shipped out of the state and some stored, but the production increased so rapidly that both producers and consumers were powerless to cope with existing conditions. The Standard Oil company about this time erected a refinery at Neodesha and was at work on a pipe line extending from the Kansas field to Whiting, Ind. Several independent refineries were built and operated, but the bulk of the oil was taken over by the Standard. The Forest Oil company and the Prairie Oil and Gas company, subsidiaries of the Standard and both powerful corporations, entered the Kansas field, stimulating prosspecting which resulted in the discovery of many new producing wells. The output since 1895 has been almost phenomenal, increasing from 81,186 barrels in 1900 to 12,013,495 barrels in 1905 and to 50,741,678

barrels in 1908, valued at $21,311,504.76. In 1903 oil brought $1.10 a barrel, the highest price paid in this field, but dropped to 40 cents, the lowest quotation, in 1907.

In 1905 the Chautauqua County Oil Producers' association was formed with H. E. West as president. This organization called a meeting at Topeka on Jan. 19, 1905, to discuss the prospects of the oil industry in the state. A special train engaged to take the members of the association to Topeka was crowded. The officers elected at that meeting were H. E. West, president; J. O. Fife, vicepresident; J. M. Parker, secretary and treasurer. Headquarters were maintained in Topeka during the session of the legislature and the association was instrumental in securing the passage of acts providing for the release from record of oil, gas and other mineral leases; to provide for the construction and operation of an oil refinery by the state as a branch of the state penitentiary and making an appropriation therefor, but this law was later declared unconstitutional by the supreme court and the refinery was never built. (See Hoch's Administration.) This legislature also passed a law relating to the transportation of oil by means of pipe lines and placing them under the general supervision and control of the State Board of Railroad Commissioners.

In

The legislature of 1881 had enacted a law providing for a state inspector of oils and an assistant, stipulating that all expenses of the office be paid out of the fees collected for the inspection of oils. 1891 the legislature passed another law, which provided for the casing of all oil and gas wells and the mode of plugging them when they were abandoned.

Okaw, a country hamlet near the south line of Kingman county, is located 20 miles southwest of Kingman, the county seat. It receives mail from Duquoin, Harper county.

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